Be a Caring Consumer

I've written about this before, but this is a subject that I find to be rather important. So bear with me if you've heard this before.

When it comes to being a beauty consumer, I find it very important to support cosmetics companies that do NOT test their products on animals. I don't think that one single animal should have to suffer for us to have longer lashes, redder lips, or fuller hair. And yet, I cannot say with 100% certainty that ALL of the products I use are cruelty free. This is frustrating and makes me feel like I'm not living up to my ideals.

The subject of animal testing is an emotion one. And PETA, the organization that helps maintain the cruelty-free list also brings up a lot of emotional responses. People think that PETA is too militant at times and because of their tactics, people don't want to listen to what the organization has to say. That's unfortunate because they really do a great job of informing consumers about animal testing.

Now, I am a meat-eating, leather-wearing woman. I don't make any excuses for eating meat. I don't think I should have to. However, that doesn't mean that I am an evil person who likes animals to suffer for my lifestyle. I bet many of you feel the same.

If you're at all interested in this topic, I urge you to visit the Caring Consumer website, put together by PETA. See if products you use are made my companies that test on animals, and then try to find a cruelty-free alternative.

Like I said, I am not perfect. I do use products made by Unilever, Olay, and Pantene--all of which DO test on animals. Yikes. Perhaps it's time for me to rethink my personal care purchases.