People are
choosing to embrace a cruelty-free lifestyle for many reasons. Most importantly
is their love for animals. This affection convinces them to make the conscious
decision that they do not want to use cosmetics or any other type of product
where an animal has suffered in its creation.
Many believe that
with modern technology there is no need to use animals as product testers and
so they commit to using their custom to support brands who believe the same. A
cruelty-free lifestyle isn't just about animal testing, however. There are
brands out there working against the cruelty that can be meted out to other
humans.
Where possible, a
cruelty-free lifestyle also means supporting movements that, for example, work
against human slavery or support the poorest people in our world. Here are my 4
tips for embracing a cruelty-free lifestyle.
1. When it comes
to cosmetics a lot of the hard work has been done for you
Gone are the days
when you need to lots of time researching different brands to find out if they
use animal testing. Thanks to Cruelty Free
International you can now see with a glance at
the product whether or not it is linked to animal testing. The Leaping Bunny symbol
really is the gold standard when it comes to cruelty-free shopping. Its
presence on a product indicates that the company creating it are not involved
in animal testing and that they have ensured any other manufacturers involved
aren't either.
2. Think about
human cruelty too
This might require
a bit more work and research on your part but it's important to think about
whether an item that you plan to purchase could be directly linked to human
cruelty. Unfortunately, human slavery is endemic and is present in the supply
chains of many products that we purchase. One way to combat this is to spend
some time looking into the attitudes towards slavery of companies that you wish
to purchase from. ASOS, for instance, run a training
program for all their staff to help them identify and expose instances of
modern slavery. This is the type of initiative that you should be supporting.
3. Shop Fair Trade
Where you can,
shop Fair Trade. The products do tend to be more expensive and more difficult
to source but where you see that label, you can be sure that the products have
been produced in a cruelty-free way. The people behind the product would have
the benefit of good working conditions, fair pay and money would have also been
donated towards the betterment of the community surrounding the product. Much
like the Leaping Bunny, the Fair Trade
symbol denotes a product that is safe for you to buy if you are living
cruelty-free.
4. Don't be afraid
to contact a company
If you are unsure
where a company stands ethically, either when it comes to animal testing or
their stance on human cruelty, don't be afraid to contact them. In doing so,
you can be sure of their intentions before you make the decision about whether
to purchase from them or not, helping to set your mind at rest. It also lets a
company know that these matters are important to their consumers. You never
know, it might just be the communication they need to really convince them to
make changes.
