The
European Union ban on animal tested products has survived all its opponents and
is now going into effect! This is
definitely a wonderful milestone for animals and a great accomplishment for our
cruelty free community. The demands to
end animal testing and selective shopping does affect the marketplace. However, let me be realistic and say this
does not mean we can forget about emailing companies and looking for leaping
bunny logos.
As this is an EU
ban, you can only count on this affecting sales in the European Union for the
moment.Hopefully, international
companies will stop animal testing in an effort to make only one kind of
product that can be sold internationally.This may not wind up being the case though.
Products can be
sold in the EU if a company does not test its products or ingredients but sells
to a country that tests on its own, such as China.
In the flurry of
articles on this ban, there have been many articles which include notorious
animal rights abusers as suddenly going cruelty free.I am very wary of this and beg everyone to
email these companies to double check before purchasing from them (check out my
guide on email companies here).
Obviously, those
of use looking for vegan products still need to check ingredient lists since
this ban only affects animal testing.
Remember:
This is a new adventure, and we are all getting acclimated and learning what to
look out for. Below are some links to
articles about the EU ban from some fellow cruelty free bloggers and sources that I
respect. Je t'aime [Link] Logical Harmony [Link] Leaping Bunny [Link]
On
my recent travels, I encountered many people with monstrously huge bags. I was traveling with a group for the first
ten days of my trip, and most of these people would only be traveling a grand
total of ten days. However, they had
brought humongous suitcases packed full plus a decent sized carry on. I had a suitcase that met the dimensions to
be a carry on… and a purse, a regular sized purse. My suitcase ended up being searched by the
TSA because an agent for the airline couldn’t believe I would be gone for
almost two months with such a tiny bag.
Traveling
this lightly is apparently a feat in and of itself but factoring in that I only
use cruelty free toiletry items made it nominally more awesome. I would often replace or pick up new beauty
and hygiene products as I traveled in the past but no more. What would happen if I ran out of cruelty
free toothpaste in Israel or my deodorant in France (this one actually happened
on previous travels… never buy French deodorant!)? I would have no idea where to buy often
obscure cruelty free toiletries if they are available at all. As it is, I purchase most of my items through
vitacost.
There
are many, many resources for packing lightly and intelligently but hopefully
someone will find my two cents helpful.
1. Pack multitasking and solid products
This
is a great space saving idea in general but is especially important if you are
flying with a carry on. Since the amount
of liquids you can carry on is very limited, make sure you bring items that
multitask to save space. For example, I packed
my small bottle of Argan Oil instead of bringing two separate containers of
hair conditioner and hand crème. Also, if you have a solid version of a
product, such as deodorant or shampoo, pack that instead.
2. Pack lots of what you can’t live without
I
can’t live without Qtips and chapstick.
Therefore I packed a fistful of Qtips and 4-5 chapsticks (I’m loving the
Hurraw! brand if you haven’t check out their products yet!). Chances are that I may not find a cruelty
free/vegan brand while traveling, and these are products I know I would have to
purchase to preserve my sanity if I lost or ran out of them during my travels. Ladies, pack your cruelty free
tampons/pads/cups etc. since these are definitely a must have.
3. You need to pack fewer clothes than you think
A)
I wash my clothes as I travel to save
space. Are you visiting family on your
travels? Wash your clothes at their
house. Hotels and hostels have laundry
facilities for varying prices. Cities
have Laundromats. If you’re traveling
with others, combine your loads and split the cost. Most places offer detergent and dryer sheets,
but they aren’t cruelty free. Shove some Seventh Generation laundry detergent
packs and dryer sheets in your bag. For
reference, I was gone seven weeks and only did four loads. I probably could have gotten away with three
because I used undershirts.
B) As I history person, I was watching a
documentary on British hygiene in Elizabethan England. Their elaborate outer clothes were never or
rarely washed but the white, ruffled underclothes were changed daily. These soaked up all the sweat and protected
the outer clothes. So, I packed a few
tank tops and too thin long sleeved shirts to wear under my clothes. These thin, small garments allowed me to re-wear
clothing more often rather than packing extra bulkier shirts.
4.Vegans,
pack food!
Happycow
where you will be traveling and usually you will find many options. However, it is never bad to be prepared
especially since I knew I was heading a few places with limited food options. I bought a bunch of Clif Bars before I left
and jammed them into the crevices and corners of my bag.
When
traveling with the group, there were vegan options but the options weren’t
varied enough to keep my happy or provide all the nutrients I needed. These were a great boost plus a good snack
since the group would often have five to six hours between breakfast and
lunch. You may want to look into food
options on planes since I didn’t and obviously had a rough time with it.
Clif
Bars served as my emergency snacks on planes, trains, and automobiles. I was traveling internationally and had no
problem bringing these. I assume all
packaged foods are fine and one girl in my group actually flew from L.A. to Tel
Aviv with fresh fruit on her (although I would not advise this).
Do you have any other vegan and cruelty
free travel tips? Please share!
This year I became completely obsessed (well as
obsessed as I generally become) with Starbuck’s soy chai latte. However, this can be an expensive habit and
attempts to concoct an at home version failed.
Incidentally I discovered another wonderful and simple hot beverage
while traveling on the West Coast. I was
staying at a B&B which offered a large selection of tea 24/7. One morning, I brewed up peppermint tea,
added a sprinkle of sugar, and a splash of coconut milk…et voila! I know!
I know! Simple, unoriginal, and I love it.
Hurraw! Lipbalms
I
believe I discovered these amazing lipbalms by reading a vegnews article on
must have vegan products. This truly is
a must have product. I purchased the
intensely moisturizing Night Treatment Balm and Black Cherry Tinted Balm. The Night Treatment Balm, on top of being the
most moisturizing lip balm I’ve ever put on my lips, is organic, vegan, and has
a heavenly scent of “blue chamomile vanilla.”
The cherry balm has a nice subtle tint.
I liked to use it while flying because it is moisturizing in the dry,
gross airplane air and helps add a bit of color to my face. Downside:
I wish they had SPF protection and then they would be perfect. [Link]
Elf’s Mineral Infused Mascara
I
have finally found my new favorite mascara.
I wore this everyday on my trip and I don’t think I’ll every switch to
another formulation now. It creates a
very Downton Abbey eye by providing obvious definition and lengthening of
lashes while keeping a natural look. It
was pretty easy to build up as well if necessary plus it is amazingly inexpensive. Downside: I'm checking on whether this product is vegan now since a few of its ingredients can be both animal and plant derived. [Link]
Pumpkin and Poppy’s Lady of Light Highlighter
This
was included in my first purchase from Kristy’s amazing makeup company. I really love this highlighter since it is
very natural, easy to use, and is vegan!
I was slightly nervous about the color because I am so pale but I find
it to be very flattering. I can’t imagine
getting ready in the morning without this product now. [Link]
I know my posting schedule is normally rather sporadic, but I'm sure you've noticed a marked decrease in my postings recently. I've been traveling internationally for some time, but now I'm back and ready to start up again. In addition to my regular posts, I will be working on some posts specifically for vegan travel and tips for packing cruelty free for long trips. I will go into specifics of my trip and general tips that will be useful for travel, however long.
I'm glad to see this blog hasn't suffered much with my absence, and I will begin posting with vigor int he near future!
So my hair has been going through a
dry spell lately and I decided it is time to finally try out Moroccan Argan
Oil. After browsing through Vitacost’s
options, I decided to purchase Acure Organics 100% USDA Organic Moroccan Argan
Oil. I sent the following email to
confirm their animal testing policies.
October 27, 2012:
“I see your website says that all
Acure Organics products are "free from animal testing," but since the
definition of animal testing seems to vary, I have some additional
questions.
Are the ingredients and/or finished
products tested on animals either by your company or a third party contracted
to animal test on your behalf? Does your
company direct sell to China or any other country which enforces an animal
testing policy? Is Acure Organics a
subsidiary, and if so, does the parent company have the same animal testing
policy?”
October 28, 2012:
“We are completely cruelty free and
currently undergoing certification
as such. All ingredients and finished products are cruelty free and manufactured
in our facility in upstate New York. We do not sell direct to China or any
other country. Acure is a brand under Better Planet Brands, 100% cruelty free.”
I was happy to receive an email
that actually answered each of my questions since many responses I receive gloss
over certain questions or assume that by answering one question they are truly
answering them all. I wish the email had
specified who Acure Organics is receiving cruelty free certification from
since, as I have previously discussed, not all lists are created equally. Hopefully we will see them on Leaping Bunny’s
List soon!
I did go ahead and purchase from
this brand, but its parent company Better Planet Brands has given me some
pause. While I have found them listed as
fair trade company through this website, the fact that there is no website for
their company is odd to me. The footer
of acureorganics.com states,
“Acure Organics is a family owned
and operated company founded on sustainable principles to provide the highest
quality natural, fair trade, and certified organic skin care and personal care
products that are paraben free, cruelty free, sulfate free, USDA organic and
effective.”
This seems to align with other information I have gathered
since I’ve discovered Kristy Guerra, who is listed as the creator of the Acure
Organics line, and Jon Guerra, who is listed as manager of Better Planet
Brands.
Overall I feel
comfortable buying from this brand and believe they are truly a cruelty
free, ethically conscious brand in many ways. Depending on how I like my Argan Oil I will seriously considering purchasing more products from Acure Organics.
Dermalogica is the latest in a
string of companies to fumble with its animal testing claims due to relations
with China. Leaping Bunny recently
removed the company from its cruelty free list strictly due to their ties to
the Chinese market. Having used their
products before, I was disappointed to hear about this. I sent Dermalogica an email to get a response
about selling in China and to confirm that this was the only change to their
animal testing policy.
September 25, 2012
“To whom it may concern:
I have been a happy consumer of Dermalogica products for
some time but I wanted to better understand the company's animal testing
policies due to some recent news. Does Dermalogica test ingredients or finished
products on animals? If Dermalogica is a subsidiary, does the parent company
test ingredients or finished products? Does Dermalogica hire a third party to
animal test finished products or ingredients on animals? Also, does Dermalogica
direct sell to China or any other country which requires or reserves the right
animal test products sold in the country?”
September 26, 2012
“Thank you for your interest in Dermalogica.
Dermalogica does not, and has never, engaged in animal
testing. We go to great efforts to ensure that our supply chain and ingredient
suppliers uphold our values. We have recently become aware that the Chinese
government now requires animal testing of cosmetic products as part of their
product import registration process. Dermalogica does not condone animal
testing, and is in the process of actively withdrawing our product
registrations and undertaking the necessary actions to suspend our distribution
to the Chinese market. We urge the Chinese government to consider non- animal,
humane forms of safety testing.”
I find it odd that Dermalogica is
claiming they were not aware of China’s animal testing policies. Firstly, because they are a large company
that surely has the capacity to hire lawyers and whoever else to check up on
this for them, and secondly because so many other companies have been very
publicly experiencing the exact same issue recently. However, I have to agree with the prominent
opinion that Dermalogica was so focused on their suppliers not testing that
they lost sight of all other aspects of the cruelty free equation.
I will be emailing Dermalogica
again in the next few months to see what changes have been made since they wrote that they are actively working to
remedy this problem by “withdrawing our product registrations and undertaking
the necessary actions to suspend our distribution to the Chinese market.”
**EDIT: After the debacle in China ans subsequent retraction, Urban Decay is being sold to L'oreal, a brand that no one believes is cruelty free. As of November 2012, Urban Decay will be a subsidiary of L'oreal. Officially and forever black listed.**
Another one
bites the dust! One of the last largest,
mainstream cruelty free companies, Urban Decay, has decided to direct sell to
China. This means their products do not
meet my standards as cruelty free nor Leaping Bunny’s standards. Urban Decay obviously expected a harsh and
massive response to this move and has posted their response here. I have edited down the response below to
highlight what I see as important.
“Urban Decay is going to sell our products in China. Because
of China’s policies on animal testing, we know that this will not be a popular
decision with some of our loyal customers. But the decision is a thoughtful
one.
…
For those of you unfamiliar with China’s policies, the
sticking point is this: the Chinese government reserves the right to conduct
animal testing with cosmetic products before the products are approved for use
by Chinese citizens. The government has not told us if they have exercised this
right with our products. So, our brand
does not test on animals, but the Chinese government might conduct a one-time
test using our products. Do we like China’s policies? No…
…
we believe that
change cannot and will not happen by outside pressure alone in a closed market.
Change can only happen from within. When we enter the Chinese market, we will
do our part to help make those changes.
When we were considering expanding into China, a group of
marketing consultants told us to remove the section of our company history that
describes our crusade against animal testing. “It doesn’t mean anything to the Chinese beauty customer,” they
said. Of course, …The battleground for animal rights is now in China, and we
want to be there to encourage dialogue and provoke change.
…
Based on this, our belief is that both an outside force and
inside pressure for change can result in helping transform both the importance
of women and animal testing policies in China. And more importantly, we hope to
influence the perspective of the citizens on both of these issues.
Yes, we are a for-profit company. And yes, we would
eventually like to make money in China. But we don’t stand to turn a profit in China for quite a while,
partially because the market isn’t quite ready to sustain an untraditional brand
like ours. If it were only about the money, we would wait a few years. But our
foray into this market is also about participating in an amazing time of change
in China. We don’t like animal testing (and neither do the 13 dogs in our
office), but we are trying to change the world… even if it is one eye shadow at
a time! Sitting on the sidelines isn’t our style. We understand that you might
not like our decision, but we hope you can respect it.”
Urban Decay is loosing their Leaping Bunny and Peta symbols. They created the vegan symbol.
First let
me critique Urban Decay’s reasoning that because they are not commissioning the
animal testing, they are blameless. This
is completely faulty logic. If Urban
Decay is so committed to animal welfare (they have built a whole brand around
the phrase “we don’t animal test, how could anyone?) why are they even opening
themselves up to the possibility of animal testing of their products? Because they chose to direct sell to China, I
see this as choosing to animal test because they know this is a likely outcome
of their business relationship with China.
They could easily choose to sell only
in countries that do not reserve the right to animal test. Then they could sleep comfortably at night
knowing that they did not facilitate a relationship that will facilitate animal
testing, but rather that they have chosen to work with people/countries that do
not require them to dismantle their ethics and make them party to animal
testing.
Finally, the fact that UD states
this is the only way to start a cruelty free movement in China and that they
will not be making any money makes me physically ill. It is (pardon me) the biggest load of shit
someone has ever tried to force down my throat.
UD, obviously you will be making money and don’t try to state otherwise
because no one believes that at all.
Also once again your logic is flawed in thinking that abandoning your
animal rights stance will somehow convince others to join this cause. This baffles me completely.
If you can not tell, UD’s decision to
direct sell to China has elicited an emotional response from many cruelty free
and vegan shoppers. I never purchased
from Mary Kay and Avon, who also decided to direct sell to China, because they
stipulated “unless required by law” in their animal testing policy. I never trusted these companies from the
start.
But Urban Decay? I trusted them truly. They had built up an identity that rejected
animal testing and even clearly addressed the needs of their vegan shoppers
with their vegan “Marley Approved” paw print to clearly identify all vegan
products. Yes, they did have issues
labeling vegan products correctly at times, but I supposed this was due to bureaucratic
company issues. I’m sad for the animals,
I’m sad that I bought into UD’s branding which I mistook for authentic belief,
and I’m sad for the whole cruelty free movement to lose the last large cruelty company. From now on, I think I will mainly be
sticking to independent companies like Pumpkin and Poppy and other vegan makeup
lines available on etsy.
Kristy from veggiebeauty posted a great video on this whole situation and the state of animal testing and cosmetics at the moment. She discusses some alternative brands and what we should be looking for. Hopefully this can provide some extra guidance.
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