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7 Skin Care and Makeup Brands That Are 100% Cruelty-Free

Jenn Sinrich
Writer and expert6 years ago
View Jenn Sinrich's profile

sunday riley and red lipstick I Dermstore Blog

When it comes to choosing the right skin care and beauty products for you, several factors are put into consideration. Will it work with my skin type? Is it made without harmful ingredients? Will it make me break out? Is it safe, proven and effective? Is it worth the price tag? And the list goes on. But one equally important question that often falls off the map is whether or not a product is “cruelty-free,” or, in other words, tested on animals.

What Does "Cruelty-Free" Mean?

There’s a very real, unfortunate and ugly reason the umbrella term for this kind of testing involves the word “cruelty.” This is because the animals used during these tests—often rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice and rats—are essentially being tortured and many die as a result of the testing (think, forcing them to eat shampoos and lotions and dripping it into their eyes to analyze the damage done to their body). In fact, Humane Society International estimates that as many as 200,000 animals suffer and die each year as a result of cosmetics testing around the world. It’s a barbaric aspect of the beauty world that the industry does its best to hide.

Currently, in the U.S., there is no law that forbids animal testing for products, however there’s also no law requiring this type of testing for companies to sell their products. So why do it? Other countries, for example, China, require animal testing, so if a U.S.-based company wants to sell to the expansive and lucrative Chinese market, they must have proof of animal testing.

So how do you tell whether or not a product is “cruelty-free”? It’s a bit more complicated than a simple label on packaging. For example, some companies will say they only conduct animal testing when required by law—which essentially means that if they choose to sell to a country that requires this testing, they’re willing to do so.

One of the easiest ways to tell a product lives up to its “cruelty-free” label is to buy vegan, however you can also searchPETA’s database which includes over 2,700 companies that don’t test their products on animals. To get you started, here is a list of some of the beauty brands that are not only 100-percent cruelty-free, but are equally effective as their animal-testing competitors.

Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands

    Jenn Sinrich
    Writer and expert
    View Jenn Sinrich's profile
    Jenn Sinrich is a freelance writer, editor and content strategist in NYC. Her work can be found in Women’s Health, SELF, Reader's Digest, Health, PureWow and more. When she's not putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), she can be found traveling the world and discovering more about the big apple of a city she's always dreamed of calling home. Follow her on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.
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