GOAL FOR THE DAY: Go through your cosmetics and toiletries and separate what’s vegan and what’s not.
Bunnies don’t have tear ducts. And researchers like the late United States FDA Toxicologist, Dr. Draize, think that’s just fantastic. You see, if bunnies can’t cry, you can restrain them in boxes, clamp their eyes wide open so they can’t blink, and jam whatever the hell you want in there, and they can’t do a damn thing about it. With no tears to cry out the chemicals, corrosive products will just sit there and burn—sometimes for days, without any pain relief—while folks in white coats take notes.1 Can you imagine someone pouring shampoo into your eyes, and not being able to wash it out? There’s also a skin version of the “Draize” test, too. Researchers shave the bunny’s fur, rip off several layers of skin, and slather on whatever they want to test. Hair Removal Cream. Perfume. Nail Polish Remover. Soap. You name it. For over seventy years, researchers have been performing this gruesome experiment, documenting the ulcers and other injuries that develop, to allegedly ensure cosmetic items are “safe” for consumers to use. At the end of the Draize test, the animals are usually killed by asphyxiation, neck-breaking, or decapitation, without any pain relief, while others are subjected to more chemicals over and over again, until they meet the same sad fate.2
The crazy thing is, we already have over five thousand cosmetic ingredients that have been established as “safe” in the United States, and Europe has a list of over eleven thousand! We also have artificial human skin that’s grown in labs, as well as test tube toxicology methods, that many believe give more accurate results when it comes to testing. Even the FDA, which does NOT require animal testing on cosmetics, states, “companies may rely on combinations of scientific literature, non-animal testing, raw material safety testing, or controlled human-use testing to substantiate their product safety.”3 The Draize test is so outdated and unnecessary that it’s banned in all twenty-eight countries in the European Union, as well as India, Israel, New Zealand, and Norway, too. South Korea has a five-year plan to end cosmetic testing, with other countries poised to follow. And yet despite 73 percent of Americans supporting a ban on cosmetic testing, along with more than half stating that they think the most important packaging claims on cosmetics are: “no animal products” and “not tested on animals,” the horrifically cruel and antiquated experiments continue on.4
An act to end cosmetic testing in the United States was introduced in Congress, but just as with the right to know what’s in natural flavors, the law never came to be.5 Another sound policy tossed in the trash, despite resounding public support. Your brain should be swirling with the questions, “Why?” While you’re pondering, I’ll go ahead and cue the O’Jay’s “For the Love of Money.”6
Whenever something involving the government doesn’t make any sense, I just follow the money trail. Animals can’t vote and they don’t have any money to support campaigns. But those who line their coffers with profits from lab equipment sales and breeding animals sure can, and do. Experimenting on animals is a multibillion-dollar industry, with hundreds of thousands killed each year testing cosmetics alone. And if you’re wondering how many rats and mice are killed, you’ll just have to keep guessing. Just as birds are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act, the sweet little mice and rats are, too, which means no one has to keep a tab on how many are killed, or in which manner they do the grisly deed.7
So, if the government doesn’t mandate testing cosmetics on animals, and companies still keep doing it despite the public’s outrage, let’s just stop buying their products, and switch over to cruelty-free cosmetics. Ready to use the power of our pocketbook and change the world? Let’s do it!
1. Open those cosmetic cases and bathroom cupboards and let’s see what we can do to help the animals. I told you I’d never skirt the truth, and I’d always let you know the facts, but most important, I’d never leave you hopeless. Here’s what you need to do. On large sheets of paper, create a label for each of the following categories:
A. Use Up and/or Give Away
B. Not Tested on Animals
C. Not Tested on Animals AND No Animal Ingredients (This is what we’re aiming for, folks!)
Now place your labels on the floor. You’re going to use them to organize the products you have. Just follow these steps:
STEP #1: See if the product is labeled VEGAN. If it is, you hit the jackpot! Ding, ding, ding!!! Straight to pile C it goes! If not, move to the next step.
STEP #2: Does it have a cruelty-free label on it? Look for a Leaping Bunny (blue and black), the PETA Bunny (pink and black), the words “cruelty-free,” or the words “not tested on animals.” If your cosmetics are from Australia, you also might see a black “Choose Cruelty-Free” logo. If you see any of those on your label, no animals were harmed in the making of the product as far as testing goes, so toss it in pile B. Keep in mind, though, it doesn’t ensure that there are no animal ingredients in it. We’ll get to that conundrum in just a second! No cruelty-free label? Move to the next step.
STEP #3: Is the company that manufacturers it on a well-respected, cruelty-free list?
STEP #4: There’s always a chance that it’s not tested on animals despite being unmarked, and not being on any list. If you still can’t determine if it’s been tested on animals or not, call the manufacturer to find out. You can usually find their contact information on the product or on their website. If you send them an e-mail, it may take them a few days for them to get back to you. If you still need to do more investigative work, set the product aside by your computer or phone.
STEP #5: Now you need to figure out which products in pile B are actually vegan. Just because they don’t test a cosmetic on animals doesn’t mean it’s not packed with animal by-products. Nail polish and eye shadows often contain fish scales, lipstick can contain crushed bugs, and lotion often contains grease from the wool of sheep. Of course, they don’t actually list the names like that, or you’d never buy the stuff—sneaky little devils. Well, we’re on to them! Evaluate your cosmetics and toiletries ingredients by perusing this list: peta.org/living/beauty/animal-ingredients-list, and then place in the appropriate pile. This is also an opportune time for me to remind you of something I’ve been telling you from the onset, and I bet you can guess what that is. You can never, ever, be a perfect vegan my warmhearted friends, so just do the best that you can!
2. Learn how to replace your non-vegan products. Hopefully a few of your favorites managed to make their way to victory pile C. But if you’re finding you’re now a little short on the goods, just know it’s not difficult to find vegan cosmetics. So many companies are not only going vegan, they’re darn proud of it. Look!
| Wet nWild | “We’re proud to say we have never and will never test on animals. We also make it a point to work with cruelty-free, third-party vendors. Wet n Wild loves our furry, scaly, and feathery friends! While not all our products are 100% vegan, we are striving towards making them all vegan friendly.”8 You can find a complete list of their current vegan cosmetics under the FAQ section of their website: wetnwildbeauty.com |
| e.l.f. Cosmetics | “All ingredients used in e.l.f. cosmetics are vegan friendly, safe, and meet F.D.A. requirements. Ingredients are listed on our website as well as on the packaging of our products. We are proud to say that we do not test on animals or endorse such practices.”9 |
| Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics | “In a time when many cosmetic companies make the claim that their products are “Cruelty-Free” simply because Animal Testing has become unfashionable and less cost-effective, OCC felt it was necessary to raise the bar on this issue. We pledge never to use animal-derived ingredients (including Lanolin, Beeswax, Carmine, and more) in our products and accessories. Beyond any personal convictions, we simply believe that it’s unnecessary, especially when there are alternatives that are just as readily available, and equally effective in the formulation of our products.”10 |
Once again, I’m trying to keep your budget in mind when it comes to suggestions as well as make things as easy to access as possible. It doesn’t do much good if there’s a nifty vegan mascara that’s fifty bucks and only available in Malibu, right? So I’ve compiled a partial list of cosmetics that don’t have any animal ingredients in them, and were not tested on animals. You should be able to find them at familiar places, like Target, Walmart, Ulta, Sephora, and Urban Outfitters. Buying vegan cosmetics has never been easier, my friends!
COSMETICS THAT ARE BOTH CRUELTY-FREE AND CONTAIN NO ANIMAL INGREDIENTS
bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15
e.l.f. Essentials Tone Correcting Concealer
Juice Beauty Correcting Concealer
Kat Von D Beauty Lock-It Foundation
NYX Concealer Wand
Pacifica Dreamy Cover Bare-Faced Serum Foundation SPF 20
Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer
Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup
Juice Beauty PHYTO-PIGMENTS Flawless Pressed Powder
Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beautify Balm Powder
Too Faced Amazing Face SPF 15 Powder Foundation
Too Faced Primed & Poreless Powder
Pacifica Perfect Lotus Powder
Pacifica Golden Lotus Highlighting Powder
Jordana Eye Primer
Juice Beauty PHYTO-PIGMENTS Illuminating Primer
SheaMoisture Cosmetics Primer
Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer
Too Faced Primed & Poreless Primer
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
e.l.f. Eyeliners
Jordana Fabuliner Bold Felt-Tip Liquid Eyeliner
Juice Beauty Defining Eyeliner
Too Faced Cosmetics Metal Eyed Eyeliners (Blackout, Hand Cuffs, Twilight, Get Lucky, Plum Crazy, Brown Sugar, Dirt Bag, Shotgun)
NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencils
NYX Push-Up Bra for Your Eyebrow
NYX Super Fat Eye Marker
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio
Too Faced Liquid Lava Eyeliner (vegan color: Lava Matte)
Too Faced Perfect Eyes Eyeliner
Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil
e.l.f. Studio Eye Enhancing Mascara
Ecco Bella Flowercolor Natural Mascara
Jordan Best Length Extreme Lengthening Mascara
Juice Beauty Lash Defining Mascara
LUSH Eyes Right Mascara
Milani Total Lash Cover Mascara
Pacifica Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara
Pacifica Dream Big Lash Extending 7 in 1 Mascara
Tarte lights, camera, Lashes Double-Ended Lash Fibers & 4-in-1 Mascara
Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Urban Decay Mascara Resurrection
Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara
Wet n Wild MegaPlump Mascara
Wet n Wild MegaVolume Mascara
Pacifica Shadow Palettes (all colors are vegan)
Runway Eyes Palette, by Milani (vegan colors: Designer Browns, Couture in Purples, and Backstage Basics are vegan)
e.l.f. Eye Shadow Palettes (all colors are vegan)
Too Faced Duo Eye Shadows (vegan colors: Ooh & Aah, Fantasy Island, Skinny Dip, Lucky Charms, Shamrock Chic, Rich Bitch)
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip & Cheek Tint
e.l.f. Blushes and Bronzers (all are vegan)
Juice Beauty Glowing Cheek Color
Milani Bronzer
NYX Powder Blush (all 27 shades!)
Too Faced Full Bloom Powder (vegan colors: Sweet Pink, Coca Rose)
Two Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer
Wet n Wild Mega Glo Illuminating Powder (all are vegan except for #345 and #347)
ButterLONDON LIPPY Liquid Lipstick
e.l.f. Lipsticks
Circa Color Absolute Velvet Luxe Lipstick
Gabriel Cosmetics ZuZu Luxe Lipstick
Juice Beauty Lip Colors
Kat Von D Beauty Studded Kiss Lipstick
Lime Crime Lipsticks and Glosses
LUSH Liquid Lipsticks
LUSH None of your Beeswax
NYX Cosmetics Xtreme Lip Cream and Butter Lipstick
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar
Pacifica Enlightened Gloss
Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick
FIGHT CLUB SOAP
Blah! Who want’s that? Sadly, most soap contains animal fat disguised as the word “tallow” mixed with a bunch of other letters or words, i.e. “sodium tallowate.” It’s leftover fat from the slaughterhouse because, you know, nothing says “squeaky clean” like rubbing the fat of a dead animal all over you. Go figure. Vegan options include Kiss My Face and Dr. Bronner’s, or if you prefer fancier suds, check out Trader Joe’s Bisous de Provence Lavender Triple Milled Soap. Vegan shampoo and conditioner? No problem. Check out Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa line, Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value line, Desert Essence, Pureology, Nature’s Gate, and Avalon Organics—just to name a few. Or, if money is no object, LUSH sells a few indulgent vegan hair care products and soap with ingredients like cinnamon, cocoa, and nutmeg—they smell good enough to eat!
Valana Minerals Sparkie Lips Color Sticks
Wet n Wild Mega Slicks Lip Gloss (Colors 560A-578 are vegan, with the exception of 564A) and Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks
100% Pure (all brushes are vegan)
e.l.f. (all brushes are vegan)
Eco-Tools Brushes (all brushes are vegan)
Juice Beauty (all brushes are vegan)
Too Faced Kabuki Brush
Too Faced Powder Pouf Brush
Too Faced Shadow Brushes
Wet n Wild (all brushes are vegan)
100% Pure Nail Polish
Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC)
ButterLONDON
e.l.f.
TO WEAR OR GO BARE
You’re beautiful without makeup. You’re perfect when you wake up! And no, I’m not pulling an Amy Schumer boy band trick on you here (although admittedly, that song is now stuck in my head!11) Going bare is a great option, especially when you want to let your skin breathe and create some Vitamin D (stay tuned for vegan sunscreens around the bend). You might also want to lighten up knowing that everything you put on your skin goes directly into your bloodstream; it’s like eating through your pores. Just because it’s vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy. If you want more information, check out the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep” search engine (www.ewg.org/skindeep) where you can look up thousands of cosmetic products to see what toxins or carcinogens might be in that pretty lipstick of yours that you just swallowed while sipping your latte.
LVX
Tish & Snooky’s Manic Panic
No Miss
Pacifica
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
Priti NYC
SpaRitual Nail Lacquer Collection
Wet n Wild MegaLast Nail Color (colors 201B-218 are vegan)
Zoya
And a few ideas for the Dapper Man …
The Body Shop Men’s Synthetic Shaving Brush
Every Man Jack Premium Shave Brush
Jack Black Pure Performance Shave Brush
Aubrey Organics Aftershave
Kiss My Face Moisture Shave
Herban Cowboy Natural Grooming Shave Cream for Men
Herban Cowboy Natural Grooming After Shave Balm for Men
Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Cream
Bold For Men Dry Shave Gel
Bulldog Original Shave Gel
3. Learn to avoid the slick tricks. Watch out for companies that claim they don’t test on animals but actually do pay for mandatory testing on their products that are sold in China. China doesn’t require that “ordinary” cosmetics made in their country be tested on animals; that’s why e.l.f. and Wet n Wild cosmetics are cruelty-free, despite being made in China. However, if an outside company wants to sell their cosmetics over there, they have to first test them on animals. Sounds crazy, I know. Some U.S. manufacturers, such as Paul Mitchell, have passed on the lucrative opportunity, assuring consumers they have no interest in selling in China. (Thank you, Paul Mitchell!) Whereas, Avon, Estee Lauder, MAC, Victoria’s Secret, Stila Cosmetics, Boscia, Benefit Cosmetics, Organix, and Revlon have all jumped off the beautiful cruelty-free ship, and have set sail to cash in with Chinese consumers—yet another reason why we need to join so many other countries in their decision to outlaw the testing of cosmetics on animals. Oh, how I long for the day someone reads this paragraph and says, “Wow, this book must be really old!”
ARE YOUR COSMETICS OLD?
If you bought a cosmetic a really long time ago, or it smells a little odd, you might want to toss it. Just like food, cosmetics expire, and no matter how much you treasure that last bit of color or scent, it’s probably not wise to use it if it’s past its prime. Look for an expiration date or a Period After Opening (PAO) date to help guide you.
CRUELTY-FREE HAIR
Looking for a cruelty-free hair salon? Check out the Paul Mitchell store locator search engine: PaulMitchell.com. Not only will it find the nearest Paul Mitchell Salon near you, it will also find other hair salons that carry Paul Mitchell products, too! Almost all of Paul Mitchell’s products are vegan and none have been tested on animals. Another option is Aveda, a company that proudly proclaims they’re “Changing the world, one snip at a time!” A few of their products contain beeswax and/or honey, but the vast majority are vegan, and they are not tested on animals: visit Aveda.com. Just want to goof around with color at home? LUSH Henna, Herbatint, Good Dye Young, and Tish & Snooky’s Manic Panic have some vegan, cruelty-free hair colors to play with. Have fun!
Checklist
□ Did you sort through your cosmetics and toiletries?
□ Did you find vegan cosmetics to replace those that are tested on animals, or contain animal Ingredients?
□ Did you find any vegan soap, shampoos, or conditioners you’d like to try?
Thought FOR THE Day
“Dear intelligent people of the world, don’t get shampoo in your eyes.
It really stings.
There. Done.
Now fucking stop torturing animals.”