While consumers mostly hear about companies such as Mac or Maybelline making makeup headlines, newly-founded Colourpop Cosmestics is changing the game for companies everywhere.
Not only are the company’s prices significantly less expensive than other makeup companies, but it also uses all-natural ingredients and is one of the few companies that refuse to test on animals.
In a day and age where we are able to use technology that lets us video chat through mediums such as FaceTime or Skype, why are we still testing on animals despite these scientific breakthroughs?
“It’s useless and cruel since there are other ways to test them out without hurting animals,” said Delta Student Miriam Villanueva.
Instead of testing on animals, employees at Colourpop test products on each other at the headquarters in Los Angeles, according to colourpop.com.
The Humane Society of the United States advocates that cosmetic companies use one of the 50 non-animal tests that have been approved for cosmetic testing. According to Cruetly Free International, almost all types of human cells and animal cells can be created in laboratories and used for cosmetic testing. Human tissue from both corpses and humans who are alive and well, can be donated and used for cosmetic testing as well.
The Internet is filled with photos of this sort of animal testing: including an infamous one of a rabbit missing parts of its fur, where parts of the skin are exposed.
The animal clearly looks mistreated. According to dosomething.org pregnant animals are often killed and their fetuses are then used for testing. Two commonly used cosmetic tests that are demonstrated on animals are skin and eye irritation tests. Animals are shaved and have chemicals tested on their bare skin which can elicit pain.
With other countries such as Europe and Israel banning these animal cruelty tests, why can’t we?
How can we stop the inhumane use of animals once and for
all?We can advocate for our local representatives to pass the Humane Cosmetics Act, which would ban the uses of animal testing with any/all products made and sold in the United States.
As for makeup brands that don’t test on animals, those include: Lush Cosmetics, Nyx Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Smash- box, E.L.F. Cosmetics and Wet N Wild.
According to PETA.org there’s unfortunately a longer list of companies that don’t participate in animal free testing.
From Avon, to Bobbi Brown, Covergirl, Estée Lauder, L’Oréal, Mac, Mary Kay, Maybelline, Revlon and Stila, all of these companies still test their products out on animals.
As for celebrity boycotts of animal testing among cosmetics, comedian Ricky Gervais has taken a strong stance against it. According to telegraph.co.uk, Ricky Gervais encourages consumers to boycott companies that use animal testing and warns consumers that by importing products from China or using their cosmetics products, they are using products tested on animals. In China it is often mandatory for specific products to be tested on animals.
Animals shouldn’t undergo unfair and inhumane treatment just so a company can make a new shade of red for their lipstick collection.
With quite a few companies that don’t endorse animal testing, why are we still endorsing those that do?
By switching to cruelty free makeup brands, we can help end animal testing once and for all.