Even if we try to be conscientious about what's in our beauty products, expert personal care brand Beauty Without Cruelty head Santosh Krinsky says we have to try and be even more dilegent.
Krinsky tell us that most chemicals in most products were, at some point, tested on animals. "The certifying agencies, recognizing this fact, have set a 'fixed cut off date,' which acknowledges that no one can undo what was done in the past," he explained.
So what's a beauty junkie to do?
"Look for the endorsement of groups with high certification standards, such as the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, whose leaping bunny logo is an internationally recognized and trusted symbol," the expert suggested.
Krinsky also notes that the Vegan Society of England is the clearing house for vegan trademark registrations - look for the word "Vegan" with a flower forming the V. Check out his additional tips below:
"Natural" and "organic" do not necessarily mean a product is cruelty-free. These buzzwords may fall short of certification from a reputable organization.
"'Natural and 'organic' doesn't necessarily equate to cruelty-free and 'not tested on animals,'" Krinsky warned.
Suppliers are required to assess safety for natural and organic ingredients just as for synthetic materials, and evidence may be gathered using animal tests, so those products are as likely as any others to have relied upon animal testing.
"Of course, most of these companies probably are doing their 'natural' or 'organic' product ethically," Krinsky said. "I encourage conscientious consumers to dig deeper if it's not clear."
"Also, it's sometimes the case that ingredients not being tested by a company or its suppliers may still be actively tested for other purposes, or by other companies or in other parts of the world. That is outside the control of the company using the ingredient in a conscientious way."
Look for the country where the product was manufactured. The EU agreed on a European ban on animal testing, but animal testing is still common practice in the United States, Asia and other parts of the world.
"American companies no longer test on dogs and cats, however, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and other creatures are subject to various tests that constitute torture."
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