How Ethical Is Your Make-Up Bag?
Vegan and cruelty-free beauty is trendier than it’s ever been. The vegan cosmetics industry is predicted to be worth $20.8 billion by 2025, with millennials acting as the driving force, according to a report by Grand View Research. Yet despite these statistics, an alarmingly large group of us still don’t go vegan or cruelty-free when it comes to pampering ourselves. But why is this?
What is making us turn a blind eye?
Many of us still don’t know the true extent of what goes into our makeup products, and the unethical practices which create them. We are presented with countless images and advertisements, both on and offline, of glowing, dewy skin and plump pink lips. Yet we aren’t expected to question anything further about how our beauty products are made. We hesitate to question the ethics of our well-loved makeup brands and products, because why should we have to – right?
It was only this year, at 20 years old, that I really pushed myself to investigate what cosmetics I was buying and indeed what I was actually putting onto my face. It’s really easy for us to assume that brands are doing things ethically and correctly, because ultimately, that’s the easiest way for us to go about things. There is no change, no stress involved, and we can continue to live our lives as we please in our own bubble. However, I know that this isn’t the best way to go about things – and so should you.
It was after one moment in class that I finally thought about changing my ways. I had a conversation with a friend about makeup and consequently, makeup brands. She mentioned how she only bought from a few cruelty-free brands such as Yes To and Glossier, and I, of course, had never heard of them. I went on to make a joke about how all the makeup I was wearing was mostly from MAC which led to us having a fairly heated discussion about why it was or wasn’t okay to buy from them.
At the time, my logic was “but they only test on animals in China so I’m not buying a product that’s tested on animals, the country themselves are in the wrong” and I stood by that, despite my friend’s argument being completely legitimate. The brand themselves still promote animal testing by selling to China, where animal testing is still not yet illegal, and this means that the worldwide process of animal testing isn’t going to stop.
Cosmetic giants and parent companies like L'Oréal, Estee Lauder, Coty and LVMH, own various popular makeup brands such as Rimmel London, Clinique, Benefit and MAC. Some of these makeup brands claim to be cruelty-free or offer vegan and cruelty-free alternatives. However, brands like these also sell to the Chinese market which still conducts cosmetic animal testing, meaning they are not cruelty-free. Animal testing also still takes place in other countries outside of Europe, such as some states within the US, where is it not against the law.
Looking back now, I understand why my past mindset was so problematic, yet so easy to maintain. If we come across a problem that is bigger than us, it’s much easier to disengage from the argument and ignore it, which is exactly what I did.
Is digital technology to blame?
As a society, we are extremely absorbed in digital technologies and are faced with an overload of information which can be accessed through our fingertips at any moment of the day. We can scroll through Instagram, Twitter and digital news platforms endlessly, without really having to consume anything of value or that contradicts our morals and beliefs.
If something we see online makes us feel uncomfortable or guilty about our beliefs or habits, we don’t have to confront it. We can escape, close the tab and carry on with our day. But if we were to view something with others around, we might be more likely to address it.
According to Ofcom’s 2020 report on news consumption, 45% of UK adults claim to use social media for news, with 41% using ‘other websites’ and apps. Social media algorithms also show us more of the content we consume, meaning we are faced with echo chambers, making it harder for us to educate ourselves.
Have these easily accessible tools made it easier for us to turn a blind eye? And if this is the case, what can we do as consumers and activists to help combat the much larger issue of animal cruelty?
Educate. Educate. Educate. As with most things, we can’t learn what’s wrong if we don’t educate ourselves and those around us, and social media makes this easier than ever in the current digital age, despite its setbacks. Things are changing all the time, but by consuming trustworthy digital resources, whether this is unbiased articles, journals, books or social media, you can feel confident about staying up to date with ethical beauty news without having to feel like it’s a chore. It also makes our job as ethical consumers a lot more hassle-free.
If like me, you like to use social media a lot, get started by following some reputable ethical beauty bloggers on Instagram and Twitter. Some of my favourites include @ellierhianstennett, @crueltyfreebecky and @veganbeautygirl.
As a starting point, I’ve listed my top advice below on how to best spot animal ingredients in your makeup and what the most common ones are, as well as the best brands to support for your switch to vegan and cruelty-free beauty.
What are the most common hidden makeup ingredients?
Even though most cosmetic companies use ‘natural’ ingredients under names you will recognise such as castor oil, cocoa butter and aloe vera, the ingredients labels on our products aren’t always transparent in revealing everything.
You may be surprised by how many makeup products contain hidden animal ingredients, with the most common including glycerine (commonly obtained from animal fats), keratin (aka crushed hooves, horns, feathers, quills and animal hair) and carmine (crushed cochineal insects).
Whilst these ingredients don’t appear to directly harm animals, Peta, the world’s largest animal rights organisation, have revealed that animal products are often defined under ‘natural sources’ in the cosmetics industry, meaning anything from elastin, glands, fat or protein to placenta, which are extracted after an animal is killed for consumption.
What does this mean for consumers?
According to EU cosmetics laws, there is no legal requirement for companies to disclose where ingredients are sourced from and whether they are vegan or cruelty-free or not.
This inevitably makes our job as consumers harder, but the good news is that online cosmetics store Beautylish, have compiled a quick-read list of key animal-derived ingredients to avoid for your next beauty haul. However, if you want to be 100 per cent sure no animal cruelty was involved in making a product, dermatologist Dennis Gross advises only buying cosmetics with the Leaping Bunny logo, where you can be certain “no animal testing occurs in the laboratory”, Mr Gross told The New York Times. Alternatively, look for certified logos from Peta and Choose Cruelty Free Australia.
The same also applies for when buying a vegan beauty product. If you want to be 100 per cent sure it’s vegan, check for the official Vegan Society trademark. It’s also important to note that if your product was manufactured within Europe, it will be protected under EU animal testing laws, but in China, there is currently no national ban on using animals for cosmetic testing. Although, last year China announced the end of post-market animal testing in 2021. And this year, Humane Society International announced that China will end pre-market animal testing in 2021 on ‘ordinary imported cosmetics’, which is a step in the right direction.
Where is the best place to buy ethically?
Many cosmetic companies now offer cruelty-free and vegan products, which you can find here, such as KVD Vegan Beauty and E.L.F cosmetics. You can also visit Logical Harmony’s website for regular updates on what brands are cruelty-free. Although it is important to note the differences between vegan and cruelty-free before deciding on a purchase.
If a product is vegan, this means that no animal by-products were used to make it, but if a product is cruelty-free this means that the brand did not use any animals for cosmetic testing for either pre-market or post-market production or within the creation process.
Vegan and cruelty-free beauty and lifestyle blogger, Ellie Stennett, highlights the importance of making the switch: “Switching your makeup bag over in one go can be difficult, and we all make mistakes, so it’s easier to make the change at your own pace when your products are close to running out. You won’t like all the products you try, but that’s the same for anything, so it may not be that it's the cruelty-free or vegan aspect you don’t like, but that the product just isn’t good. It takes time, but it’s totally worth it.
By following Beautylish and dermatologist Dennis Gross’ advice, you could save yourself heaps of time whilst still being able to shop ethically from some of the brands that you love. A win-win really. Just always remember to check the label for officially certified logos and if in doubt, research the brand.
Overall, I find that once you do a little research and gather your best resources, the rest will fall into place. The most important thing to remember is that if we all make small changes to our buying habits, we are one step closer to stopping animal cruelty for good – and who doesn’t want that?
Written by Katie Watson
Katie is a Journalism & Publishing student at the beginning of her journey as a freelance writer and is currently interning as a Blog Writer in Bristol. She loves to write lifestyle-related content as well as debating and uncovering the much larger and controversial issues of society. You can find her at @xkatieelizabet1 on Twitter.