Beauty: No Animal Cruelty

I've just spent a week lying on my back because of a blocked lower back and that gave me the time to do some research regarding make up and other beauty product that don't use animal testing. I've always tried to buy products that weren't tested but I've often failed, often because I didn't do my research properly or because of changing policies by the brands. My new year's resolution is to from now on only buy things that weren't tested on animals.

I was very sad to see that companies that were once on the list of the Leaping Bunny have been retracted because they started selling in China where animal tests are obliged. Yes, I'm looking at you, Yves Rocher, but also at L'Occitane, M.A.C. and Caudalie (among others).
I still have a huge stash of YR products (that will probably last me over a year) but won't be ordering any more. Yves Rocher himself once said that if you need to test your products on animals you don't know what you're doing. It's an utter shame the people who are now in charge choose to disband this thought so easily. It's with a great sadness cause I've been a customer for over 2 decades. And it's hypocritical of them to blame China. Of course, those laws are utter madness but YR and others have the choice to NOT sell in China. As many other brands do.

Here are some links that are useful when buying products:

- the Leaping Bunny app (search 'cruelty free' in the app store)
- the Proefdiervrij app (for people in Holland & Belgium) (search 'Time2Makeup' in the app store)
- nottested.co.uk/Cosmetics.html
- apolishedlife.blogspot.be/2011/01/nail-polish-and-animal-testing.html?m=1 (about nail polish)
- www.mybeautybunny.com/cruelty-free-beauty
- http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/default.aspx

I have still some products in stock that I will test and review here but from now on I'll always mention whether it's been tested on animals or not. And for my new products, I'll check and research thoroughly.

In a day and age where there are perfect alternatives for cosmetic animal tests it's madness that still so many companies opt for this method.