Pari Raghunarayan | Founder of QuriousBytes
Have you ever seen this bunny symbol or any other variations of it? If you have, what does it really mean? Don’t you worry, I’m about to tell you all about it.
In today’s article, I’m going to be sharing some information about the harsh reality of animal cruelty that is still prevalent in the cosmetics industry and how the Leaping Bunny plays a role in this.
DISCLAIMER: Before we delve deeper into this topic, I just want to put out a warning that some of the actions described later on may be triggering to certain individuals. If you may be uncomfortable reading about animal testing, feel free to scroll down to see the linked cosmetics or skim through another article.
Animal Cruelty: A Rundown
Onto the first category: What exactly does animal cruelty in the cosmetic industry refer to and what are some common chemicals used?
So first of all, makeup brands and companies are supposed to confirm that their products are safe for their customers to use. The reason they have to “confirm” their products are safe is that makeup production is toxic. As a makeup lover, I know that hurts to hear, but it’s most certainly true. Many beauty enhancing products are probably composed of:
- Phthalates: They’re groups of chemicals or in this case plasticizers that act as solvents to make things more flexible. In the world of makeup, they’ve been used in perfumes, colognes, aftershaves, lotions, toners, nail polish, etc. Long term side effects may include reproductive issues.
- Coal tar dyes: These dyes are widely found in (you guessed it) hair coloring products! Essentially, even the FDA has stated people to stay away from hair dye products that contain coal tar because it has been known to cause skin irritation, acne, and blindness.
- Lead: Many lipsticks, eyeliners, lip glosses, and lip liners contain lead. Lead is a neurotoxin, a chemical that can cause damage in the nervous system, and it can cause brain issues, including a lower IQ. Bonus: Lead sulfide, also found in makeup, can cause your body to be poisoned and lead will lead to your death!
Those were just three (or four if you count lead sulfide) examples of commonly used chemicals in cosmetics products that can harm your body. (If you guys want a rundown on the basics of high school chemistry let us know!) However, it doesn’t harm our bodies that much because makeup companies have adjusted the distribution quantities of the ingredients in their makeup. Oh and by the way do you know how these companies readjust the composition? They’ve remade their formulas suitable for humans based on the reactions animals have had to these products.
Cosmetics are tested on almost every animal, including, but not limited to bunnies, rats, guinea pigs, birds, fish, dogs, cats, and monkeys. And they are “applied” in the most gruesome and inhumane ways possible. These testing procedures include, having toxic chemicals injected to enter the bloodstream, forcefully feeding animals makeup, having the animals sniff out these harmful chemical substances, harshly rubbing cosmetics onto their skin, forcing products down their throats, and exposure to known toxins. After exposing them to the makeup, researchers will monitor the animals and note down any observations they may have. Later on these animals are either starved to death or murdered so that an autopsy can occur to see the effect of these makeup on the anatomy of the animal. If the internal organs and tissue appear to be “fine”, then these products are in the clear. However, if the animal’s autopsy shows any signs of harm, then adjustments are made to the chemical composition of the cosmetic product and this cruel experiment is carried out once again. And until the autopsy is clear in the eyes of the researchers, these experiments are carried out again and again and again until it’s “perfect”.
Brands That Are Not Cruelty-Free 2020
As a big believer in abandoning the practice of testing on animals, I wanted to bring awareness to the fact that this still happens. I put together a list of brands that are NOT cruelty-free.
- L’Oréal
- Cetaphil
- NARS
- Victoria’s Secret
- Benefit
- Dior
- M.A.C
- Bobbi Brown
- Max Factor
- etc.
You may or may not be shocked, but there are many more brands that are not cruelty-free in 2020. The biggest reason for this is to expand sales. Some countries require a product being tested on animals before it can be sold to its people. This is partially for safety, but it still isn’t acceptable, in my opinion.
The Leaping Bunny
Finally. What is the Leaping Bunny and why is it significant? This question will be a quick and short one to answer, so don’t fret.
Basically, this logo, the Leaping Bunny, is found on the packaging of certain brands if they do not test on animals. The Leaping Bunny recognizes businesses that are either no longer testing on animals or never have in the first place. And the next time you buy a cosmetics product, I highly suggest looking for this logo (or a variation of it) because it is the most trusted form of certification for cruelty-free brands. Let’s be better to the other inhabitants of our environment.
Thank you so much for reading this, and once again if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions email us at info@quriousbytes.com. And the next time you’re buying a cosmetics or skincare product either look for the Leaping Bunny or just do a quick search to see if the brand is cruelty-free.
Stay Qurious.
The Cruelty Free International “Leaping Bunny” Logo is not mine. Image Credit: “change.org”. I hereby state that no copyright infringement is intended.