The Cruelty of Beauty

I experimented with makeup in junior high. My girlfriends and I contoured each others’ cheekbones and swapped lipsticks. I loved the blue eye shadow. I looked absurd. But it was fun.

In college, I stopped wearing makeup. As an engineering major, I didn’t have time.

My course work was intense, and I refused to give up what little sleep or social life I had to fuss with my face.

Since then, I’ve learned, many beauty products contain animal products and toxins. Additionally, some cosmetics companies employ animal testing. So I still don’t wear makeup, except, on rare occasions, products I know are vegan and cruelty-free.

I am not OK with animals suffering so I can have a new shade of lipstick.

I first found out about this dark side of the beauty industry when I saw a photograph of hundreds of helpless white rabbits. They were held immobile in stocks and chemicals were put directly into their eyes.

Rabbits have very sensitive eyes. The pain those bunnies endured must have been excruciating. I read that many become blind. Of course, they are all eventually destroyed.

Why be a part of such cruelty? Is any amount of beauty worth it?

For those who insist they need make-up — there ARE companies that do not test on animals. You can search for this site, which is a database run by PETA, to find cruelty-free products.

However, you will need to stay vigilant. Just because a company currently does not test on animals does not mean it won’t do so in the future.

For example, I always used to think Burt’s Bees was a brand that had high ethical standards. As this article makes clear, that is no longer be the case.

One would think that products that have been tested on animals will be safe for humans.

But that’s also not true. Everything from sunscreen to blush to shampoo contains toxins.

Just a few examples:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Linked to neurotoxicity, cancer and endocrine disruption
Parabens: Disrupts the endocrine system
Benzophenone: Linked to liver hypertrophy in rats, skin irritation, may be toxic to liver cells
Carbon Black: Has been linked to cancer
Butylene Glycol: Can cause brain, kidney and liver abnormalities
Asbestos: Many products that contain talc also contain asbestos. This has been linked to lung disease.

The list goes on.

Again if you feel you MUST use make-up, you can find vegan, cruelty-free products that do not use these toxins. You can also make your own, using natural ingredients that you can source yourself.

However, I would like to challenge you to go for a day, a week or as long as you can WITHOUT all these enhancements. Because I bet you are beautiful just the way you are.

Thanks for reading and clap if you like this article….

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Previously published on Medium.com.

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