Top 5 Sites to Shop Cruelty Free!

It can be so difficult to find shops on the high street that sell Cruelty Free items, I know I have struggled numerous times! So below are my top 5 websites who only stock Cruelty Free items, so you can shop to your hearts content! These websites include Cruelty Free and vegan products and range from skincare to makeup products.

1) CutECOsmetics

This company is excellent, I have used them a number of times for makeup as they supply some of the really top Cruelty Free makeup brands like Sugarpill, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics and theBalm. They are ‘an online eco, organic, vegan & cruelty free cosmetics specialist’ and family run! Their organic products are certified and all, and I do mean ALL, of their products are Cruelty Free.

They do free shipping over £40 and their products range from makeup, to skincare, to mum and baby products. I personally have found some new brands I love from there, like Hurraw! (BEST lip balm I have ever had!) and Shiro Cosmetics (nerdy makeup in stunning colours), and its so nice to be able to try anything and everything on their website.

 

2) There Must Be a Better Way

As someone who suffers from sensitive and acne prone skin, this website has been invaluable to me. They offer a wide range of products for numerous skin conditions from normal to sensitive to acne prone to people with eczema, and these range across all skin and body treatments. They also offer well-being, nutrition, baby, home and aromatherapy products as well

Their products are harmful chemicals and pollutants free, and offer 100% vegetarian (most of which is vegan), fair trade, sustainable Cruelty Free products. They have a strict Integrity Ingredients policy which states that they do not carry any items which contain animal by products of any kind, including animal hair in brushes and all products have to comply with their no animal testing policy. They audit and update their ingredients list regularly and ensure their suppliers adhere to this.

They are also very friendly and are happy to help with any queries you might have for what kind of products might suit your skin/needs. I have bought numerous items from this site and will continue to use them as its such as great source for skincare that is Cruelty Free and that doesn’t affect my skin.

3)Honesty Cosmetics

This company has been manufacturing Cruelty Free products since before it was such a hot issue, in 1984. Their products are endorsed by the Vegan Society, BUAV, the Ethical Company Organisation and Naturewatch, but they also stock other brands who are animal and environmentally friendly, and some organic products too.

They stock products that are vegetarian, vegan and Cruelty Free but more than that, they come from companies who believe in what they are selling and their vegan/vegetarian/Cruelty Free beliefs are part of their core business ethical as well as personally believing in it too (see my last blog to read about companies who don’t believe in what they are selling…).

4) I Choose What I Use

This company stocks men, womens and childrens skincare as well as aromatherapy and sun care products. An excellent feature of this website is that you can filter by which certification you want to shop by e.g. only looking at PETA approved products or Fair Trade products.

They only sell Cruelty Free and vegan products, the majority of which are made up of naturally derived products. They are an excellent company which you should definitely check out.

5) PHB Ethical Beauty

This isn’t a stockist website like the other 4, however I have included this website as I believe it to be an excellent resource for those looking for Cruelty Free, vegan and ethical products.

PHB products are made in the UK, Cruelty Free, vegan, halal certified, palm oil free and organic! Phew! Plus, 20% of their profit goes to charity, so they really do seem to be a really great company, and one that Cruelty Freers and vegans alike can shop with, with no worries about what the products contain and where their money might be going.

Image from Cosmeti.co.uk

Of course, you can also buy own-brand products from Supermarkets such as Marks and Spencers (though they do sell leather and other animal products), Tesco, Sainsburys and Aldi, all of which are Cruelty Free, available to most people and at a great price!

So please think about going Cruelty Free and help stop cruelty to animals!

For the Paws xx

 

 

 

 

Stop Yulin 2016

June 21st.

Days away.

Soon the brutal torture and murder of innocent dogs and cats will begin.

The Yulin Festival will once again be being ‘celebrated’ in China this year on June 21st, despite last years disgust and outcry against the festival, and the 11 million signed petition being presented to the Chinese government only days ago.

I have already written about the Horrors of the Dog Meat trade with all the details of why some Asian people believe in torturing, killing and eating dogs and cats throughout the year but specifically during the Yulin Festival. The suffering and torment of the dogs who are stolen from their families, tortured horrifically with blow torches, boiling acid and blunt instruments before their throats are slit, all whilst they are still alive and conscious  is barbaric and just plain evil.

Whilst many might say that the Yulin Festival is a tradition rooted within Chinese culture, this festival only began in 2010 by dog meat traders to try and bring up the sales of dog meat which were flagging. Others might say that eating dog is the same as Westerners eating cows, pigs or chickens, yet we DO NOT torture every single animal before they are killed and do not begin cutting into them whilst they are still fully alive and conscious. There are exceptions to this but they do not stand for the industry as a whole in comparison to the dog meat industry where it is not just common place but accepted and encouraged to torture the dogs to ‘improve the flavour’. And we do not eat farm animals to improve our sexual prowess. There is a marked difference in our treatment of farm animals and the dogs and cats who suffer in China.

People all over the world have cried out against the cruelty and asked for the festival to be ended. There has more coverage on the festival, and China as a whole, over the last few years than ever before, and it is because of social media. There have been more articles written and celebrities speaking out against this than ever before, just see below for all the articles written in the last few months about this festival from all over the world.

Articles from 2016

Daily Mail – Vanderpumps Stand Against Yulin

Next Shark – End Yulin

The Independent 

TIME

The Huffington Post – 200 Rescued but More to Save

CNBC

HSI – Stars Against Yulin

The Inquisitr – Rejection of petition in London but acceptance in China

IBTimes

The Quint

The Times of India

Blog – Waterthruskin

Travel – Aol

One Green Planet

Washington Post

NPR

NY Times

Metro

IBTimes – Yulin Still Going Ahead Despite Global Outcry

Blog – Humane Society CEO

BBC

ITV

The Independent – New Pictures of the Nightmare of Yulin

The Express

The Huffington Post – Help End the Barbaric Trade

These two websites have a wealth of information as well as how to get involved, support them and donate to the cause, all listed here;

The Humane Society International – Dog Meat Trade

• Shutting Down the Dog Meat Trade Campaign
• Ricky Gervais says Yulin is Heartbreaking as HSI saves his little dog from Yulin
• Donate to Save Dogs from Yulin
• Sign the pledge against the Dog Meat Trade

Stop Yulin Forever

Voiceless Friends

And so I ask you, days before this horrific spectacle of human cruelty begins, to think about those dogs who will be boiled alive, have their legs cut off, burned alive, bludgeoned, cut and tortured for entertainment and for snacks. Think of your own dog or dogs you know and love, and imagine it happening to them. Imagine the terror your dog would experience and the fear and agony you would feel if you knew that was where your dog was going. Think of all the pain and suffering they will undergo…for a snack. For male sexual potency. For entertainment.

Think of this. And if your heart breaks like mine does, please sign the below petitions and think of donating to one of the sites at the bottom of the page.

Petitions

Change – Stop The Yulin Dog Meat Festival

Change – Goverment of China, Stop the Torture of Dogs at Yulin Festival

Avaaz – Stop the Puppy Slaughter

iheartdogs -Government of China – Save Thousands of Animals Now

Animal Asia – End Yulin Festival

UK Goverment and Parlaiment – Urge the South Korean Government to end the Brutal Dog Meat Trade

iheartdogs – End the Yulin Dog Meat Festival

Care2 – Stop Yulin Dog Meat Festival

The Petition Site – Stop Yulin 2016

The Petition Site – End Yulin Dog Meat Festival

Donate

There is a fundraiser happening to help save some of the dogs bound for slaughter, you can find this at Change – Help Us Provide Direct Emergency Care for the Dogs in Yulin

The Humane Society International is doing amazing work in China and has already saved hundreds of dogs. They work throughout the year to stop the consumption and torture of dogs. You can donate to them here.

This needs to stop. Please show your love and support for these dogs who will die this year and try to stop more being killed for nothing.

 

 

 

Another Victory for Bunnies!

PETA ran a massive campaign last week, asking for people to contact The Kooples about the use of angora fur in their stores.

As of Friday afternoon, The Kooples have stated that they will never use angora fur again!!

This is excellent news, one that shows that pressure from compassionate people who express their beliefs about brands CAN make a difference. The impact that those calls etc had on the company cannot be dismissed, and because of that rabbits will not suffer for Kooples products.

 

Of course Kooples are still not a cruelty free company, as they still sell products lined with real fur from other animals such as racoon dogs, and there are still companies out there who still use angora, so there is still work to do. However, this is another big step for bunnies, and I’m so happy that the Kooples have changed their policy and no longer supporting this cruel trade against rabbits.

I am currently in the process of contacing designers about angora fur, and hopefully will get back some interesting answers about the use of this type of fur within the fashion industry. I will, of course, post my findings on here as and when I receive them.

Congrats to PETA for pushing to achieve this, and to the Kooples for changing their policy and show kindness to rabbits. This is a great victory for welfare supporters and for bunnies

Lets keep pushing for an end to the angora fur trade, and to a kinder world to rabbits!

The Horror of Dog Leather

There are four subjects on animal welfare that, above all else, break my heart and I desperately want to stop. I have of course already spoken about animal testing, and about the suffering of rabbits to produce angora fur. I also recently posted about the horrors of puppy farming and why we need to stop this terrible trade that so many blindly support. The next two posts are about my last heartbreak. This is hard for me to write about, which is why it has taken me so long.

In Asia, not just China but Asia as a whole, the dog meat and leather trade is abundant and lucrative. People capture dogs off the streets, both strays and pets, stuff them into crates one on top of the other with absolutely no regard for their comfort or welfare and then put onto trucks to transport them miles and miles with no food or water in the blistering heat. Many dogs die on this journey, and are left in the crates with the live dogs until the arrive at their final destination. Once there, the crates are thrown from the truck to the floor, again completely disregarding the welfare of the dogs and the injuries caused by this.

From this point, the dogs can go in two directions; for dog meat or for dog leather. For this post we will discuss dog leather, my next post will be about dog meat.

The dogs which are captured are taken to warehouses throughout China, as well as dogs which are bred for the leather in puppy farms throughout the country. These facilities are generally worse than the puppy farms in this country as China has no animal welfare laws. Once at these factories the dogs are all put into pens to wait for their demise. They are grabbed with metal pinchers around the neck, dragged onto the killing floor and then are smashed in the head with wooden poles repeatedly. The lucky ones are killed instantly by the blunt force of this, some fall unconscious but the truly unlucky cry out in immense pain.

Their throats are then sliced open while they are still alive and writhing in agony, struggling to breathe. Still alive and in horrific pain, their skin is ripped from their bodies and they are left to die a slow, painful death. The dogs are then gutted and their carcasses hung on metal hooks throughout the warehouse.This is all in front of the rest of the dogs who are to be killed, all of which bark and yelp at the violence, blood, the wails of dogs who are dying and knowing they are next. There is no escape.

A major investigation was done by PETA into the dog leather trade, and at the time of the investigation an owner of one plant told they they had 30,000 pieces of dog leather in stock and they ‘bludgeon and skin 100 to 200 dogs a day.’ For PETAs full investigation, video, images and petition please go to their Dog Leather page. PLEASE NOTE; There are extremely graphic pictures and video on this site of dogs and what happens at the facility. Do not search for or go on this page if you are sensitive to graphic images. Please also note that in no way do I condemn or condone PETA and their actions, I simply cite this as a source of information.

Once the skin has been taken from the dogs it is dyed, dried and made into leather products such as gloves, belts, shoes, cat toys and accessories. These products are also mis-sold as simply ‘leather’, ‘faux leather’ or sometimes cow leather.

London With leather gloves and other accessories on many holiday shopping lists, PETA is alerting consumers to a flourishing dog-leather industry in eastern China, which exports the leather for small accessories all over the world. As first reported by the Reuters news agency this morning, a PETA Asia investigator has obtained a pair of dog-leather gloves (photos here), along with never-before-seen video footage in which workers in China’s Jiangsu province, where dog slaughter is a regional trade, grab terrified dogs with a metal noose, club them and slit their throats. The animals’ skin is then cut off, and PETA Asia’s investigator saw workers peel the skin off dogs who were still alive. The investigator also documented that dog skin was turned into women’s fashion gloves, men’s work gloves and other products that are exported around the world. A dog slaughterer told PETA Asia’s investigator that the facility bludgeoned and skinned 100 to 200 dogs a day. About 300 dogs are kept in the compound, and some can be seen frantically climbing over one another in an attempt to escape the packed holding cell. Although the dog-meat industry in China is well known, this is the first time that the production of Chinese dog leather has been captured on camera. “Now that so many mass-market retailers are importing cheap leather from China, who can tell if that trim or those leather gloves or wallets are made out of dog skin or not?” asks PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is calling on shoppers worldwide to remember the terror that dogs and other animals endure at slaughter and make the safe, vegan choice in clothing and accessories for the holidays and every day.” When there are so many cruelty-free, environmentally friendly fabrics available, from high-street to high-end, there is no reason for dogs, cats, cows, sheep, pigs, goats or other animals to suffer for the sake of fashion. Raw, broadcast-quality footage, including footage inside glove factories, is available h

There is simply no way to know which leather item is dog leather and which is cattle leather. If you buy a leather item, you don’t know what leather it is. The dog leather trade is a fairly unknown process, and many people believe that all leather items are from cattle, but this is simply not true. So many of the items on sale throughout the world is made from dog leather; Marks and Spencers sell leather gloves which are made in China, which suggests they are dog leather. Primark also sell products made in China. Items sold on sites such as ebay as faux leather and leather will be made from dog leather as it such a cheap resource. Most shops hold dog leather items even designer clothes can be made from dog leather!

These dogs suffer exponentially during this ordeal, all so we can have cheap (and expensive) leather items. This makes no sense when you can buy plastic faux leather items which look just as good. The reason dog leather is used is because it is so cheap. It all comes down to money again; money before welfare.

How can we allow the dog leather trade to continue, and support it by buying leather items, when so many of us adore dogs and share our lives with them? Many people would do anything for their dogs, so how can we allow these dogs to suffer so much pain and die a pointless death alone in factory, perhaps never knowing love and joy? How can we allow people to lose their pet dogs to these people and never know what happens to them?

Please sign the below petitions against dog leather;

Force Change – Stop Killing Dogs for Leather in Thailand

PETAs Petition Against Dog Leather

Care 2 Petitions – Demand an end to the cruel dog leather trade in China!

But more than this, much more is the act of not buying leather. By not buying leather, you are not supporting the cruelty and agony that these animals go through, and not giving your money to the people that put these animals through their torture and brutal death.

Dogs deserve safety, love and happiness, and there is no difference between the dogs we all love so much and the dogs that suffer at the hands of these cruel men. So please don’t buy leather, don’t support this cruel industry and spread the word about dog leather.

Please show that you care for dogs and do not buy leather.

For the paws xx

There should be Mandatory CCTV in Slaughterhouses

This is a post dedicated to different animals than I have posted about before; farm animals.

Whilst many people might believe that farm animals have little to no intelligence and therefore might not feel pain, there is no excuse for the treatment that cattle and sheep go through when they go to abattoirs/slaughterhouses.

Now, of course this is an unpleasant procedure which none of the animals would want to go through, however the rights and wrongs of meat and the slaughtering industry is not what the purpose of this post is about, nor is it about vegetarianism or veganism. This post is about the treatment of the animals before they are killed.

Workers within slaughterhouses and abattoirs have been exposed illegally torturing farm animals within these buildings before they are killed. There has been evidence collected for a number of years which shows workers punching, kicking and brutally hacking at sheep and cattle with knives whilst the animals are completely conscious. These acts are performed before the other animals which causes panic and fear before the animals are dragged forward for their turn. A  large number of horrific and illegal acts of cruelty are committed in these buildings to completely innocent creatures for no conceivable reason other than the workers want to hurt these creatures. Whilst the need for the humane killing of cattle and sheep might be argued, there is no need for the workers at abattoirs and slaughterhouses to abuse the animals in the way that some do; there is no need for the complete disregard for animal welfare and creating such pain, panic and suffering in the last hours of these animals.

Evidence of sheep being battered against metal cages and stamped on, pigs burned with cigarettes and a number of animals being thrown into pens by their fleeces, legs and ears has been collected by organisations such as Animal Aid in a number of UK slaughterhouses.

There is no need for the abuse that these animals go through, there is no call for kicking a sheep in the face or bashing it against a brick wall. None of these animals can bite, scratch or cause physical harm to a human within these small spaces so there can be no need for ‘defence’. Animals suffering within these buildings do not need to be tortured before they are killed.

Organisations such as Animal Aid is calling for the government to bring in mandatory CCTV within all British abattoirs and slaughterhouses, and for the evidence gathered to be looked at by an impartial third party, as the on-site vets that are present in these buildings appear to turn a blind eye to the suffering of these docile animals. Those that commit acts of animal cruelty should then be punished and not allowed to work in such buildings with animals. Other such organisation who support the act of bringing in compulsory CCTV are the RSCPA, PETA, the Humane Society, Animal Defends International, Viva! and a number of others. Such support from so many animal welfare charities and organisations can only mean that this is a serious issue that needs to stop.

This affects all of us. Those of us that eat meat should understand what happens to the animals before we receive the meat and those of us who are vegetarian/vegan should know what they are fighting against in their pledge against meat. I am not asking people to become vegan or veggie, I am asking for people to open their eyes to the suffering caused for no reason and to help stop it. Yes the animals are killed but there is NO REASON for them to suffer to such a degree before they are. Understanding the issues that surround us everyday, like animal experiments, puppy farming and farm animal suffering should be something we ALL understand and know about so we can make an informed decision about the products we buy, the animals we bring into our homes and the food that we eat. Secrecy and animal abuse needs to stop, and the other way we can do that is through spreading the information and saying no to animal abuse wherever it occurs.

Please go to Animal Aids site about CCTV in slaughter houses here to see the evidence and issue in full, and help to stop these cruel acts of abuse to docile farm animals.

For the hooves x

Victory for Bunnies!!

Last Thursday it was Angora day for PETA UK, in which thousands of people took the streets, social medias, the phones and all other sources available to urge Benetton, one of the last major brands still selling the cruelly produced angora fur.

And it worked!! Thursday evening last week, Benetton announced their ban on angora fur!

This means that almost every high street store now has a ban on angora, and this means that the angora trade in China is slowly collapsing. Last year saw angora exports in China down by 76%, and hopefully this year will see an even bigger decline and hopefully the end of the trade in the very near future.

This is such happy news; far fewer rabbits will be suffering for this awful trade and ultimately their suffering might finally come to an end.

If you have been involved in this in any way, I just want to say to you thank you so much for supporting rabbits in this. They deserve so much more than this treatment and I am so happy to see that another major company has gone against such a barbaric practice. I hope this signals the end of their suffering, but I (and hopefully many others) will still strive to stop this for good.

Congratulations to PETA and thank you to Benneton for ending your support of angora fur.

For the bunnies x

Bunnies deserve more! Never buy Angora Fur!!!

Since its Rabbit Awareness week, I thought this post might be appropriate to encourage the end of suffering for bunnies. There are no graphic photos in this as I can’t bear to look at them again, but there are links to sites and you can find the information and images if you type angora into google. There are a lot of PETA references in this as they have the best sources and are in the middle of a campaign against angora, however I neither condemn or condone PETA and all its actions.

As you can probably tell from the title, Angora fur is, in my opinion, up there as one of the worst and cruelest products of the fashion industry. Though angora fur is prized for its softness and warmth, the method in which angora fur is produced is appalling and barbaric. As a bunny lover and from a family who has owned quite a few bunnies over the years (I think we’re at nine now, though sadly some have gone over the rainbow bridge and are sorely missed), I know how sweet, loving, inquisitive and happy bunnies can be when in the right environment and a loving home. They are intelligent creatures with such huge personalities, and each one is different; they all deserve the freedom to hop and binky, to be with other bunnies as they are social creatures and to be loved and looked after in the proper way.

Rabbits produce a lot of fur, and anyone who knows rabbits knows that they molt a lot and for some bunnies, in particular long haired rabbits like angora rabbits, do need some fur removed as they can get too hot, their fur can become matted and cause health issues such as Fly Strike which can be fatal, and as they molt they can lick their fur and intake the hairs which can lead to stasis which can also be fatal. There is an argument to say this is one way to produce angora fur, however to keep the fur clean the rabbits would need to be separated from each other which, for social creatures who need companionship like rabbits, I find to be quite cruel. http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/dec/16/angora-production-ethical-peta-video-chinese-rabbits  Rabbits need to be with each other, not kept in sterile cages, they are social creatures who, in the wild, live in warrens with lots of other rabbits and even as pets are seen to be happier when they are bonded pairs or in groups rather than being left alone.

However, this practice of an ‘ethical’ way to produce angora fur is nothing compared to the horror of what happens to rabbits in China. Unlucky angora rabbits there are kept in filthy metal cages which can hurt and damage their delicate pads with no companionship or room move and hop. When they have grown enough fur they are strapped to boards which elongate their bodies and the fur is ripped from their bodies as they scream in pain. The practice is horrific  and the pain is evident in the rabbits face, this must be one of the most painful, traumatic and apalling things that can happen to a rabbit. This leaves these gentle creatures in complete shock and their little bodies are bloody, raw and painful; this combined means some rabbits die soon after this procedure.

You can read the full description of this here but please be aware, some images are distressing, particularly the bottom two.

http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=23870

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5171

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5173

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2529849/Zara-Gap-finally-ban-angora-shoppers-horrified-plight-rabbits-plucked-alive-threaten-boycott-shops.html

No animal deserves this treatment, but China has no laws against animal cruelty so this barbaric cruelty is allowed to happen before it is sold on to make fashion garments which are sold in our stores. PETA and other organisations have been campaigning to end the selling of angora wool, and many companies have listened, the most recent being Inditex who are the parent company of Zara and before that Lacoste. http://blog.peta.org.uk/2015/02/inditex-helps-syrian-refugees-angora-bunnies/ http://www.peta.org/blog/major-retailers-drop-angora-wool/

This is encouraging, and I hope that soon we will be free from garments made of angora fur, because the agony these rabbits suffer is awful, and for what? No fashion garment is worth it and I encourage all fashion lovers to keep an eye out for angora and avoid any stores which sell it. For those who want to shop angora free, here is a list of stores who have banned angora, however if you want to be extra careful I would check each store that you frequent if they are not on this list.  http://blog.peta.org.uk/2014/12/things-stand-angora/

For those who want to do more, the below is a list of current petitions which you can sign to help stop this practice.

http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=23870

https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-ban-importation-of-angora-based-products-in-australia

Benetton is one of the largest clothing companies left that hasn’t banned angora, if you want to help, please sign these petitions to them.

http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=34764

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/451/233/563/tell-a-united-colors-of-benetton-to-stop-production-of-its-angora-products/

I for one will never buy angora or buy from any stores which sell angora, there is no way to create angora without causing extreme suffering and trauma to these gentle, loving creatures. Bunnies deserve so much more than this suffering so PLEASE never buy angora fur, boycott those that sell it and help stop this harrowing and gruesome practice.

For the bunnies xxx

Starting your Cruelty Free Journey?

I realized earlier that I have done a few blog posts on cosmetics, Cruelty Free and animal welfare but I have never actually explained what I mean. For those of you who know all about Leaping Bunny, Cruelty Free and the horrors of China, please skip on to another post but for those of you who are just starting on your Cruelty Free Journey, hopefully this post will be helpful to you. So. What does it mean to go Cruelty Free? Well, I think for everyone its different. For some its to go vegetarian or vegan, for others its just having Cruelty Free cosmetics. For me, at this moment in my personal journey, it means having no products, cosmetics, household or toiletries that are tested on animals and not supporting any companies that in any way allow testing to occur on their products. It means actively trying to make a difference to animals and to help them in whatever way I can, and it means a lot of research on brands. But what it means for you might be totally different and thats ok, you need to make your own choice about how far you want to go. Why Go Cruelty Free? A massive proportions of the big brands we have all heard of are tested on animals; L’Oreal, Rimmel, Maybelline as well as toiletries like Tresemme and Lynx are all tested on animals. Hair dye, bleach and toilet cleaner are also among the products that are tested.

Finished products can be tested on animals to see if there is a reaction, but the raw ingredients can also be tested on animals. This means animals such as rabbits, mice, guinea pigs and indeed in some cases dogs and cats can be subjected to having the finished product or the ingredients rubbed into their shaved backs, creating open sore wounds, have the ingredient or product squirted into their eyes, be force fed substances as well as great many other toxicity and reaction tests. For full information please see the BUAV website here www.buav.org Many brands claim that they do not test on animals, HOWEVER the main problem is that they might not be doing it but they allow animal testing in their name in order to sell their products in other countries. The worst instance of this is China. In China it is the law for all cosmetics, toiltries and household products to be tested on animals in invasive procedures before it is allowed on the Chinese market. Therefore, if a company sells their products in China, they allow animal testing and cannot be Cruelty Free.The only exception to this Hong Kong as they have different laws here and animal testing is not needed for the selling of cosmetics etc. For all you celebrity lovers out there, a lot of big names support Cruelty Free, these are just a few…. So now you know why, and what to look out for, but how do you Go Cruelty Free? To go Cruelty Free with products, you need to know what brands are bad. I have done a lot of research on brands, and who owns them so my posts might help, but there are a great many blogs and sites to help you – check out my Useful Websites to go Cruelty Free for these. You might also want to research your own favourite brands yourself to see where they stand. Then you need to decide how are you going to begin. Once I knew what products were tested on animals, I went home and threw away everything I owned which was tested on animals, deeming them to be ‘blood products’ and I didnt want them anywhere near me. I then researched and went out to buy all new toiletries and cosmetics. However, not everyone can do this so if its easier financially or emotionally to go through what you have and finish the products before going out and buying new ones, thats perfectly ok too. Your journey, your rules.

Buying Cruelty Free is really easy, and actually quite exciting (isn’t buying makeup always a happy experience?)The easiest way of buying your new cosmetics and toiletries is to look for the Leaping Bunny. The Leaping Bunny is the logo of the BUAV/Cruelty Free International, who are an amazing organisation who go through every part of a companies process and supply chain to certify that at no point does the company allow ingredients or products to be tested on animals. More and more brands are becoming Cruelty Free and Leaping Bunny approved, such as Waitrose, Superdrug and Sainsburys so keep your eye out as the bunny will hop up alot when you know to look out for him. You can also check the Cruelty Free International website for which brands are and are not Cruelty Free, the website is http://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/ .

PETA  is a good source for checking brands, particularly if you live in the USA. http://www.peta.org.uk/. They also have their own certification which can be found on products, so if you see this bunny, you know they are PETA approved.

Choose Cruelty Free is an Australina based organisation whose certification is also one to look out for as they do extensive research as well and you can be assured that products which bears this logo are Cruelty Free. http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/

Another excellent organisation and one of my favourites, along with BUAV/Cruelty Free International because of the amazing work they do, is the Humane Society. They help save so many animals and are working against cosmetic testing so look out for these guys too! http://www.hsi.org/world/united_kingdom/ Please check these and the BUAV website out for full information on Cruelty Free products, the truth behind animal testing and about their campaigns. 

Buying with the Leaping Bunny, or any of these organisations bunnies is a guarantee that the product is not tested on animals at any point, however the only downfall for this is if a smaller company doesn’t test and is Leaping Bunny approved, but they are owned by a larger company that does test, they can still have the Leaping Bunny on their products, even though many would consider this not Cruelty Free. An example of this would be Liz Earle; Leaping Bunny approved, but they are owned by Avon who allow animal testing to distribute their products in China. This is a dividing point for many people as you have to decide if you are ok with buying products that are Cruelty Free from a smaller company whilst being aware that your money ultimately goes to that larger company or if you will only buy products from completely free companies who are not owned by testing companies. That is your decision to make.

Research is your best friend on this, but many bloggers such as myself and the awesome bloggers I follow have done a large amount of it for you, so look around at whats been found but do your own research too. Again, check out my Useful Websites post as well as my cosmetics and brand posts. I am working on a big post about large brands that test on animals which will include cosmetics, toiletries, household and food, so look out for that as well. I know its a lot of information to take in, but trust me it is worth it to help save animals from this cruelty, and knowing you are not involved feels so good, it almost becomes a mission for everything to be Cruelty Free and to spread the word, at least for me. I hope this post has been helpful for all you budding Cruelty Free bunnies, and if you have any questions or want any info on brands or anything to do with Cruelty Free, please get in touch! For the animals x

Boycotts – Animal Welfare First x

Whilst looking around for ways to get involved in animal rights and try to help, I came across this interesting website which gave me a list of current boycotts that people are doing for a number of reasons.

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycottslist.aspx

The ones that stuck out for me are:

Adidas                                                  Use kangaroo skin

Air France                                            Ship monkeys

British Heart Foundation                   Test on animals

Canada                                                Seal slaughter

Kurt Geiger                                          Use angora

Mauritius                                             Export primates

Nikon                                                   Promote blood sports

I’ve done some research on each of these and this is what I have discovered.

Note: I have quoted PETA as website sources a number of times in the post as they had the most information collated in an easily accessible way, however I would like to state that I do not support or condemn PETA at this time.

Adidas                                 

Though there was an article in 2012 stating that Adidas have/will stop using kangaroo skin( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2197929/Kangaroo-leather-gets-boot-Adidas-Manufacturer-longer-use-product-shoes-worn-Premier-League-stars.html ), it appears that this is not true as if you go on their website, kangaroo leather boots are available http://www.adidas.co.uk/pure-leather-nitrocharge-1-boots/B23746.html . It appears that kangaroo skin is used a lot in the sports shoe industry, the main users being Nike, Adidas, Puma and Umbro but it is also used to make golf gloves, baseball mitts and many other sporting goods, often named K-leather so as to not rouse emotions about the source of the skin.

The adult kangaroos suffer greatly by being shot multiple times in the dark which doesnt always kill them, whilst the treatment of their babies is simply barbaric; being shot, stamped on, beheaded or have their tiny skulls smashed. This is leading to a big decline in kangaroo population. Four species of kangaroos are already extinct whilst others such as the red kangaroo are in danger.

Having read up on the cruelty inflicted on the kangaroos and their babies from their website I have decided to join the boycott of Adidas, along with Nike, Puma and Umbro as long as they continue to use kangaroo leather for their boots.

Save the Kangaroo has a lot of information on the matter, though it does appear to be a little out of date

http://www.savethekangaroo.com/

Air France  

Air France do still ship monkeys for use in experiments, even though the majority of major airlines has ceased in their involvement with transporting primates for experimentation. The monkeys that are transported undergo a traumatic experience on their journey, as they are packed into tiny creates with little to no regard for their welfare or health issues and many do die during the journey. Once they arrive at their destinations, a life of terrible torture from psychological and physical experimental awaits them before they are ruthlessly killed and dissected.

I will not be using Air France while they still transport monkeys in terrible conditions and add to the mental agony of these creatures.

For full information on this matter please see the below link.

http://headlines.peta.org/air-france-stop-shipping-monkeys/

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5423

British Heart Foundation (And other Medical Charities)  

Obviously this is a difficult subject as its to do with medical procedures and people  can be divided about animal testing involved in saving human lives, so I am not going to comment on this boycott but I will post a few websites for people to read themselves and to make their own decisions about charities, testing and donations. I think the main thing here is to understand where donations go and what the charity does so we individually decide what to do. See almost my blog post on medical testing which is coming up.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/about-us/our-policies/research-policies/animals-in-research

http://www.animal-rights-action.com/animal-testing.html

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/425965/EXCLUSIVE-Outrage-as-major-UK-charity-uses-donations-to-fund-vivisection-tests-on-dogs

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/507823/British-Heart-Foundation-fund-testing-on-labradors

http://www.peta.org.uk/features/health-charities-that-do-and-that-dont-test-on-animals/

This pdf by Animal Aid, who are the main campaigners against charities testing on animals, I found to be extremely informative about diseases, procedures and alternatives;

http://animalaid.org.uk/images/pdf/booklets/victims.pdf

Canada      

This appears to be a very cruel ‘hunt’ which occurs in Canada and focuses on the killing of harp seal pups and to some extent hooded seals as well. The pups are shot in places where it doesn’t damage the fur before being dragged across the ice with a hook inserted in their faces, many times when they are still alive.97% of these harp seals are pups under three months old who are brutally killed for their fur and to a lesser extent seal oil before even having their first solid meal.

This hunt appears to have very little to do with a need for killing seals as there is little call for it; Mexico, Taiwan, the USA and the EU have all banned all seal products, with Russia banning all seal products and impacting the industry greatly as they imported 95% of the seal fur from Canada. Very few countries actually import seal products, though Canada are trying to push seal products in Asia right now, and the industry seems to be in a downward spiral.

These brutal deaths appear to be for nothing and I refuse to support a government which actively supports the horrible killing of seals, especially when there is no real need for it. These seals do no damage and are so young and defenseless, it breaks my heart to see such brutality.

Please be aware some of these websites may contain graphic images of cruelty.

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/seal_hunt/facts/about_seal_hunt.html

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/fur/canadian-seal-slaughter/

http://www.harpseals.org/about_the_hunt/index.php

http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/seal-hunt-facts.html

http://www.canadasshame.com/Why.aspx

Kurt Geiger         

I love Kurt Geiger shoes, and I own quite a few myself however that will be stopping from now on as Kurt Geiger do indeed use angora fur. I wanted to be sure on this point so I chose to email Kurt Geiger and they confirmed they sell angora accessories. Angora is made from rabbit fur, but the method in which they get the fur is horrifically painful and cruel to the rabbits. I feel extremely strongly about angora fur as it is, in my opinion, one of the worst atrocities that are still allowed to happen to innocent creatures; rabbits suffer horrifically to produce angora fur, screaming in pain as the fur is ripped from their skin to produce some fashionable item. Angora fur is wrong, and so brutal and cruel it should be outlawed – no animal deserves this.

I will never buy from any company that uses angora fur, and Kurt Geiger has joined this list. Please see my post about angora fur which will be up soon.

Be aware some of these websites may contain graphic images of cruelty.

http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=23870

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5171

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2529849/Zara-Gap-finally-ban-angora-shoppers-horrified-plight-rabbits-plucked-alive-threaten-boycott-shops.html

Mauritius                

The BUAV has launched a campaign about the export of monkeys from Mauritius, who are born in captivity before being torn from their mothers as babies and transported in terrible conditions to laboratories all over the world.

I will not be supporting a country that supports the export of monkeys who never truly experience life and prolongs their suffering.

http://buav.org/mauritius

http://www.buav.org/article/1727/buav-delivers-petition-to-the-mauritius-government-calling-for-an-end-to-the-monkey-trade

Nikon          

Looking for information on this boycott, I was surprised at how involved Nikon is in hunting and at the support they give to hunters – they even have a website dedicated to itwww.nikonhunting.com! They promote and sponsor blood sports and trophy hunters, which has contributed to 50% decline in lion population among other brutal killing whilst also stating that nature is something to be treasured.

I was shocked by this, especially as this is a well known brand which many people go to for cameras, and yet they are so highly invested in the brutal killing of animals. Because of their complete involvement, promotion and sponsorship of hunting and blood sports, in particular for large creatures which should not be hunted, like lions, I will be joining this boycott of Nikon.

http://www.viva.org.uk/what-we-do/never-nikon

http://nikonboycott.tumblr.com/

http://www.newenvironmentalist.co.uk/?page_id=813

These are but a few of the issues around animal welfare but I thought it was interesting and informative to look into these boycotts, which has influenced my opinions about certain companies and practices. I hope that others find this informative and might lead you to think about buying from companies or animal rights issues. Please Go Cruelty Free and help stop the torture and murder of innocent animals

For the animals x

The Truth About Cosmetic Brands Part 1

One of the main things that led me into my research about animals was cosmetics and toiletries. I was surprised by the amount of brands owned by the same companies and I was also surprised by how many of them allowed animal testing. I believe animal testing for cosmetics, toiletries and household products is completely wrong as we don’t need these things, its just for our vanity. It is also clear in my research that there are many brands out there that don’t test on animals and still make amazing products which are just as good as those top, well-known brands.

Obviously I have stopped using products that are or could be tested on animals but the quality I found from a number of make-up brands means if this wasn’t an important issue to me, I would still use the cruelty free brand because of the quality.

The conclusions I came to are from a variety of sources which I found useful, particularly http://www.nottested.co.uk/ This website I found to be an excellent source of information as it had a large database of brands that make cosmetics, toiletries and household products with their statement about animal testing. More than this, it also had the parent company who owned that brand and their company statement, some of which differed from the original brand. It was interesting to see who owned these well-known names, and how many are owned by the same companies but also how the parent companies statement can differ so much from the original brand.

From this, obviously it came to my attention that I had to decide if I wanted to buy products from companies that neither their parent company or the smaller company test or whether I was ok with the parent company tested as long as the brand I was buying from didn’t. An example of this would be Liz Earle; Liz Earle doesn’t test on animals and is actually approved by Cruelty Free International/BUAV, however they are owned by Avon who, though they do not test themselves, allow their products to be tested in countries that require it by law i.e. China. I think this is a decision each cruelty-free pursuer must make for themselves; I personally strive to only buy from completely cruelty free companies, so neither the smaller or the parent company tests. I also try to buy only Cruelty Free International/BUAV approved products along with those approved by PETA and the Humane Society.

To buy cruelty free is actually very easy. The BUAV/Cruelty Free International who created the Leaping Bunny have a list of companies which do and do not test on animals which you can check, and you can receive a little booklet for free in which to check companies and look out for approved brands. The BUAV I believe to be one of the best organisations out there that is striving to stop animal testing and really makes a difference. Cruelty Free International has a large list of companies and I always look out for the Leaping Bunny!

http://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/ http://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/en/get-involved/shop-cruelty-free http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/

PETA also has a list of the companies that do or do not test on animals which is helpful as some are on one website while others are on the other. I know that there are issues around PETA and there motives etc but there information on companies tends to be correct and is a good resource in trying to buy cruelty free products.

http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx

http://www.peta.org/living/beauty/beauty-without-bunnies/

For my research I also found these blogs which I found very useful;

www.moadore.co.uk/p/cruelty-free.html

www.logicalharmony.net

www.littlemissmetamorph.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/no-to-animal-testing-and-lies-big.html www.beautyandthefreak.wordpress.com/email-confirmations

Behind the Make-up

So what are the big brands I am avoiding and why. The list below is just the big brands that I come across everyday when I go into Superdrug (whose own brand is cruelty free and Cruelty Free International approved…and really cheap too) and who I see advertised on TV. For a full list see the above websites such as Not Tested.

These are the brands that I refuse to use;

L’Oreal             

L’Oreal has a statement on their website about animal testing, to see the full statement go tohttp://www.loreal.com/csr-commitments/loreal-answers/the-question-of-animal-testing.aspx ;

‘L’Oréal no longer tests on animals any of its products or any of its ingredients, anywhere in the world. Nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. An exception could only be made if regulatory authorities demanded it for safety or regulatory purposes.’

Obviously from this we can gather that L’Oreal test their products so that they can sell them in countries that require animal testing for products to go on the market, such as China. Apparently we are worth it but animals are not!!

L’Oreal also own Lancome, Giogio Armani beauty, Yves Saint Laurent, Biotherm, Kiehls, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Shu Uemura, Cacharel, Helena Rubinstein, Clarisonic, Diesel, Viktor and Rolf, Yue Sai, Maison Martin Margiela, Urban Decay, Guy Laroche Paris, Paloma Picasso, Garnier, Maybelline, Softsheen.Carson, Essie, Kerastase, Redken, Matrix, Pureology, Shu Uemura, Mizani, Decleor, Carita, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, Skin-Ceuticals, Roger and Gallet, Sanflor, Ombrelle and the Body Shop.

Avon  

Avon also have a statement about animal testing, seen here http://www.avoncompany.com/corporatecitizenship/corporateresponsibility/resourcecenter/policies_and_procedures/animal_welfare.html ;

‘Avon does not conduct nor request animal testing in order to substantiate the safety or efficacy of any of its products or raw ingredients. Some products may be required by law in a few countries to undergo additional safety testing, including animal testing. In these instances, Avon will first attempt to persuade the requesting authority to accept non-animal test data.’

Again, Avon allow to testing on their products just so they can get a slice of the market in countries such as China. Avon also own Liz Earle.

Revlon

Revlon don’t appear to have a statement about animal testing, however it appears from a number sources, including PETA, that they also ship to China and so allow animal testing on their products. On ‘Not Tested’, there is a statement from them and is classed as ambiguous.

http://www.nottested.co.uk/Cosmetics.html#R

http://www.peta.org/blog/peta-seriously-ticked-revlon/

http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/avon-mary-kay-estee-lauder-and-revlon-are-paying-for-tests-on-  animals/ http://www.pumpkinandpoppy.com/revlons-cruelty-free-response/

http://www.logicalharmony.net/revlon-keeps-required-law-animal-testing-stance/#axzz3SD4YLTNq

Revlon also own Almay and Sinful Colours.

Coty      

Coty also doesn’t appear to have a statement about animal testing, so my information about Coty comes from blogs who have received email confirmations from Coty

https://budgetfriendlytoo.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/email-response-from-coty-inc-animal-testing/ http://humanelychic.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/rimmel-sally-hansen-opi-philosophy-marc.html

So from these responses it appears that once again the company itself doesn’t test on animals but to be a part of the lucrative Chinese market they allow animal testing to be conducted when required by law.

Coty also own Calvin Klein Fragrances, Chloe Fragrances, Davidoff Fragrances, Marc Jacobs Fragrances, Philosophy, Adidas, Playboy, OPI, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Astor, Balenciaga, Beyonce Fragrances, Bottega Veneta, Cerruti, Chopard, David Beckham Fragrances, Enrique Iglesias Fragrances, Guess Fragrances, Halle Berry Fragrances, Jennifer Lopez Fragrances, Jill Sander, Joop! Fragrances, Jovan, Katy Perry Fragrances, Lancaster, Love2Love, Manhatten, Miss Sporty, Nautica, NYC Colour, Roberto Cavalli, Sally Hensen, Stetson, Vera Wang Fragrances, Vespa Fragrances, Celine Dion Fragrances, Espirit, Lady Gaga Fragrances, Truth or Dare by Madonna, Nikos Fragrances, Pierre Cardin, Tim McGraw, Tonino Lamborgini, Vivienne Westwood.

.

Some other big beauty brands are owned by companies who own a large variety of brands such as Olay and Max Factor. For these, see my post about the Brand Map which will be coming up in a couple of days.

.

I was surprised to see how many brands are owned by the same people, and how much of a monopoly these big companies have on the beauty industry. Add to this how many different products each individual brand own, which all has to be tested on animals, the sheer number of suffering animals to each parent company must be staggering, and for what? I will never buy products from any of these companies or their individual brands as I refuse to support companies that allow testing directly or indirectly, regardless of what they try and say.

This is the first part in my expose on everyday makeup, so hopefully you will come back for the next part. I also hope this was informative and helpful to everyone – it certainly changed my ideas about makeup! Please choose Cruelty Free and lets convince these companies to stop the torture on innocent animals.

We want happy bunnies, not hurting bunnies!

For the animals x