Most people oppose cruelty to animals. Few realize, however, that we can take a stand against cruelty every time we purchase cosmetics, personal care products, and household products. Unfortunately, some companies in these industries still test their products on the skin and eyes of animals. That’s especially sad, given the availability of non-animal methods, such as cell cultures and computer models. You might wonder why any company would continue cruel tests on animals, given the availability of humane non-animal methods. Usually, the reason is that the company chooses to market its products in places like China, whose outdated laws still require the cruel, unnecessary tests.

The good news is that we can all choose cruelty free when we shop. Some of the leading cosmetic and personal care companies that do not test on animals are Urban Decay, Lush, Beauty Without Cruelty, Thrive Causemetics, bareMinerals, e.l.f., The Body Shop, Aveda, and Tom’s of Maine. Cruelty-free household products are available from a number of companies, including Method and Seventh Generation.

Is your favorite brand not on this list?  As the young people say, no worries.  There are thousands of cruelty-free products.  Here’s a site where you can type in the names of your favorite companies to determine which are cruelty-free: https://crueltyfree.peta.org.  And yes, there’s an app for that. Look for “Bunny Free” wherever you get apps. Wishing you much joy in cruelty-free shopping.