Cruelty Free Beauty & Parent Companies?

Have you ever watched Carnage by Simon Amstell? It's a BBC mockumentary set in 2067 when veganism is the norm and people look back in horror at the way animals were treated 50 years ago. Therapy groups are attended by those traumatised and ashamed by their omnivorous pasts. They take turns naming the types of cheese they have eaten, and break down in tears or run out of with room with guilt and stigma. It's a witty and compelling watch, I'd highly recommend it - but I'm bringing it up because this particular therapy group scene illustrates exactly how I feel with regards to cruelty free beauty. I have to be honest here - the prolific use of animal testing on cosmetics is something that  has escaped my attention for far too long.

As somebody that has been (and could still be considered) a full-blown beauty addict, I've been known to spend a lot of money on cosmetics. I'm a sucker for luxury packaging, the sheer excitement to try a product for the first time, the very real feeling that a lipstick or blusher in that exact shade has been missing from my life. I'm an art grad, and makeup is just another form of art to me. Sure, I mostly do the same thing with my face on the daily but the transformation of creating it has become a ritual: it makes me feel empowered and allows me to present myself to the world the way I want to. It's a form of self-care: time I take for myself in the morning to get myself together and get ready to face the day. But whilst I'd repeatedly justified my expenditure on these products as a vice for my own personal pleasure and self-care, I'd never considered whether some of my vices were actually making me a hypocrite. To quote Miley Cyrus (which I never thought I'd do) "If you choose to eat meat you love pets, not animals." Can the same can be argued for buying cosmetics which are not cruelty-free?


In 2013 the sale and import of animal tested products and ingredients was banned in the EU - an incredible step forward. But I was misled (and admittedly naive) when I believed that this meant the European beauty industry shelves were therefore cruelty free. Companies can get around this law by paying other companies to test their products for them, use ingredients knowingly tested on animals, or test the products outside of the EU. An example of this is in mainland China where it is required by law that cosmetics are tested on animals before they are made available for sale. Therefore if a company sells their products in mainland China it is not cruelty free.

Many brands state that they are cruelty free except where required by law. That's the catch: "except where required by law." Memorise it, because you'll see it in the FAQ of so many brands. But this isn't good enough - "it's OK because my mascara is a byproduct of animal abuse that took place outside of the EU!" That isn't cruelty free. Sadly, however, this is the testing stance of the majority of cosmetic brands. Both MAC and NARS, previously known for being ambassadors against animal testing, have infamously taken a huge step backwards by deciding to sell in mainland China where they will be required to test their products on animals. The sole reason for them to make this decision? More money. As a consumer, even if I hadn't already decided to go cruelty-free, I would no longer want to purchase from companies willing to turn their back on their morals purely for profit.

There is a debate over whether it's acceptable to buy from brands known to have cruelty-free policies if they are owned by a bigger company which condones animal testing. For example, Too Faced is owned by Estee Lauder, Urban Decay is owned by L'Oreal - both of these "parent companies" test on animals whilst Urban Decay and Too Faced remain true to their cruelty-free stance within their own brand. Some argue that by buying from a brand owned by a parent company that animal tests, it is putting money back into the bigger pot and still supporting animal testing. I personally feel that I am choosing to vote with my money to support products that are specifically cruelty-free. This makes sense to me in the same way that supermarkets are stocking so many more vegan options, and I'm not going to refuse to shop in them purely because they also sell meat. By buying vegan options, from local markets or large retailers, I'm voting with my money. By buying cruelty-free products, from independent brands or brands with parent companies, I'm voting with my money.

I could cry when I think of the ethics involved with these animal testing. It's bad enough when you think of the horrific experiments conducted on lab rats - but many people aren't keen on rodents in the first place. Okay - what about dogs and cats? Did you know that Beagles are one of the most commonly used breeds of dog in animal experiments due to their docile nature, and that tens of thousands of them are tested on each year? The thought makes me feel sick - how can I spoil my own fur babies, whom I love with all my heart, yet vote with my money to continue torturing what could have been someone else's best friend who is instead depraved of even the most basic rights our own pets are entitled to?

I have to hold my hands up and say I buried my head in the sand about a lot of this. I even used to work for Benefit, unaware of my misconception of their testing policy. I'll admit I hadn't done enough research, but I'm starting to make the change now and that's what matters. It will mean finding alternatives for some products I've previously purchased, but it's more than worth the search. There are amazing, pioneering cosmetic and skincare brands out there that don't test on animals at all - Kat Von D, Lush, Pixi, Real Techniques, Barry M, and even Superdrug's own brand products. Some amazing resources for finding cruelty-free brands are Cruelty Free Kitty and Logical Harmony, both of which I keep referring back to when needing to replace products (I don't see any benefits in being wasteful so am using up all cosmetics prior to repurchasing cruelty free versions where necessary!) If you are also on board with making a switch to cruelty-free beauty, I've signed the Body Shop's petition #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting, an amazing campaign which I'd love to see reach the UN. There's no excuses for animal cruelty, so let's make the change together.