Fighting against animal testing while simultaneously valuing certain enhancements in medical/health-related research is like trying to put out a fire that you are ironically, also feeding. When evaluating the ethics of this type of animal research, it is for me as well as many others, an ever-complicated gray zone as it can be almost impossible to immediately determine whether or not the benefits of the research will outweigh the ethical costs; some studies have been completely and utterly pointless, but some have also been very influential, and most of the time we cannot accurately evaluate the significance of the findings until years later.

One thing I can be clear on, however, is that absolutely no form of animal testing is worth the development of purely aesthetic, enhancing cosmetic products. Here is the deal: I burn out the corneas of a dozen rabbit’s eyes; you get a tube of black gunk you get to smear all over your own eyes. Hurray! You get to feel a little less insecure about yourself.

It doesn’t seem like a very fair bargain, especially when at this point in time there is already tons of existing research that makes animal testing completely unnecessary. Many other study methods exist which can safely test products before entering the market. We don’t need to test on animals. And yet,  some companies insist on remaining cruel.

This is my message to consumers: Please take the time to be a mindful consumer of your cosmetic products. Sure, companies that do not test on animals tend to be more on the pricey side, but they also tend to win on both the quality and longevity scale. Trust me, these products are worth your investment. Show the world your pretty face and your pretty conscience.

Here’s a list of Popular companies that do NOT test their products on animals:

• Aveda
• Apothecary
• Bath & Body Works
• The Body Shop
• Burt’s Bees
• LUSH
• M.A.C.
• Origins
• Revlon
• Smashbox
• Too Faced
• Urban Decay

For a complete list of companies that do not use animal testing, click here.

For a list of companies that do test their products on animals, click here.

The above images are from Kimberley’s three-part ad design aimed at fighting animal testing for cosmetic products.

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Kimberley is a certified Pranalife Yoga teacher based in Waterloo, Ontario. She believes firmly that “a picture can speak a thousand words,” and enjoys fine art, design, and visual communication. Feel welcomed to contact her at [email protected] and/or view her artistic portfolio. Guinea pigs are Kimberley’s favorite animal.