Beauty Without Cruelty
Choose your cosmetics from animal-friendly companies.
By Olessa Pindak
You consider yourself an animal lover: you never wear fur nor endorse an act of cruelty toward furred, feathered, finned, or four-footed creatures. And you support companies that don't test on animals. Unfortunately, when it comes to beauty products, it's hard to tell whether they've been tested on animals or not. Even companies committed to cruelty-free beauty don't always tout their principles on the label.
It helps to do a little homework. A good place to start is caringconsumer.com, a Web site sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that provides listings of companies that do and do not test on animals. Generally speaking, organic lines are a safe bet--but you still have to be careful, advises Brenda DuVal, senior vice president of research and development at Paul Mitchell, one of the first consumer brands to voice its opposition to animal testing. "Some companies don't test their products on animals, but they use raw materials from suppliers who do," she says.
Here's a quick roundup of some favorite products that are friendly to animals, human and otherwise.
Paul Mitchell
Position statement: "Anti-animal testing is one of the core values of the company. And we don't use any animal byproducts."
Buy: Try Round Trip curl definer ($11.95; paulmitchell.com) to tame curly hair, or Quick Slip ($12.95) to shape and separate straighter strands.
Burt's Bees
Position statement: "We never test products or ingredients on animals. A few of our products have ingredients derived from animals, such as beeswax. And for that, we thank them."
Buy: Invigorate your body with Burt's Bees Citrus & Ginger Root Body Wash ($8; www.burtsbees.com).
Derma E
Position statement: "We do not approve of animal testing, do not test our products or ingredients on animals, nor incorporate animal byproducts into any of our skin-care formulations."
Buy: Bare more of your skin for spring after firming and hydrating with DMAE-Alpha Lipoic-C-Ester Retexturizing Body Lotion ($19.50; www.dermae.net).
Alba
Position statement: "We do not test our products or ingredients on animals, nor do we ask others to do so for us."
Buy: Coconut Milk Facial Wash ($11.95; www.albabotanica.com) with vitamin E and macadamia and kukui nut oils gently cleanses without drying sensitive skin.
Origins
Position statement: "We do no harm to animals and do no animal testing. We insist our suppliers do not test raw materials on animals."
Buy: Slip into a tub that's foamy with tiare-scented Shedonism Intensely Bubbling Bath Syrup ($25; www.origins.com).
Aveda
Position statement: "All our ingredients and formulations are tested in-vitro and on human volunteers."
Buy: Light a limited edition Light the Way organic soy candle ($10; aveda.com. As a bonus, 100 percent of the proceeds go to organizations dedicated to saving threatened and endangered species.
Originally published in the April, 2006 issue.
It helps to do a little homework. A good place to start is caringconsumer.com, a Web site sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that provides listings of companies that do and do not test on animals. Generally speaking, organic lines are a safe bet--but you still have to be careful, advises Brenda DuVal, senior vice president of research and development at Paul Mitchell, one of the first consumer brands to voice its opposition to animal testing. "Some companies don't test their products on animals, but they use raw materials from suppliers who do," she says.
Here's a quick roundup of some favorite products that are friendly to animals, human and otherwise.
Paul Mitchell
Position statement: "Anti-animal testing is one of the core values of the company. And we don't use any animal byproducts."
Buy: Try Round Trip curl definer ($11.95; paulmitchell.com) to tame curly hair, or Quick Slip ($12.95) to shape and separate straighter strands.
Burt's Bees
Position statement: "We never test products or ingredients on animals. A few of our products have ingredients derived from animals, such as beeswax. And for that, we thank them."
Buy: Invigorate your body with Burt's Bees Citrus & Ginger Root Body Wash ($8; www.burtsbees.com).
Derma E
Position statement: "We do not approve of animal testing, do not test our products or ingredients on animals, nor incorporate animal byproducts into any of our skin-care formulations."
Buy: Bare more of your skin for spring after firming and hydrating with DMAE-Alpha Lipoic-C-Ester Retexturizing Body Lotion ($19.50; www.dermae.net).
Alba
Position statement: "We do not test our products or ingredients on animals, nor do we ask others to do so for us."
Buy: Coconut Milk Facial Wash ($11.95; www.albabotanica.com) with vitamin E and macadamia and kukui nut oils gently cleanses without drying sensitive skin.
Origins
Position statement: "We do no harm to animals and do no animal testing. We insist our suppliers do not test raw materials on animals."
Buy: Slip into a tub that's foamy with tiare-scented Shedonism Intensely Bubbling Bath Syrup ($25; www.origins.com).
Aveda
Position statement: "All our ingredients and formulations are tested in-vitro and on human volunteers."
Buy: Light a limited edition Light the Way organic soy candle ($10; aveda.com. As a bonus, 100 percent of the proceeds go to organizations dedicated to saving threatened and endangered species.
Originally published in the April, 2006 issue.
