5 Reasons To Go Cruelty-Free Today

In 2023, animal testing is still a huge problem across the world. Did you know that more than 115 animals worldwide are tested on per year? If you’re not already a cruelty-free consumer, you will be after you finish reading these 5 reasons to say no to animal testing and go cruelty-free today.

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1. Animal testing is inhumane and cruel

Typically, people who support animal testing argue that the practices are ethical. But, that is far from the truth. In order for a practice to be considered ethical it would need to be in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice. However, inflicting physical pain and psychological distress is not in accordance with right conduct or practice. So, under no circumstance is animal testing ethical (1). Animals are not only subjected to cruel tests, but also subdued to inhumane conditions (2). Essentially, lab animals are bred to live a life of fear and torture while being maimed, blinded, and then killed.

Standard practices for animals in testing labs

Animals are tested on for many reasons, including biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing.

According to the Humane Society International, some standard practices for animal testing includes:
– Skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits, without any pain relief.
– Tests that deliver doses of chemical substances to mice through repeated force-feeding. These tests last weeks or months.
– “Lethal dose” tests, in which rats are forced to swallow large amounts of chemicals to determine the dose that causes death.

– Forced chemical exposure in toxicity testing, which can include oral force-feeding, forced inhalation, skin or injection into the abdomen, muscle, etc
– Genetic manipulation
– Behavioral experiments designed to cause distress, such as electric shock or forced swimming
– Food and water deprivation

At the end of the tests, the animals are killed by asphyxiation, neck-breaking or decapitation. And, as if animal testing couldn’t get any worse, pain relief is never provided for animals.

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2. Animal testing is not reliable

“[M]ice are mice, and people are people. If we look to the mouse to model every aspect of the disease for man, and to model cures, we’re just wasting our time.” —Dr. Clifton E. Barry

Another argument posed by people who support animal testing is that experimenting on animals is ‘reliable’ and ‘provides good models that ultimately benefit humans in the end’ (3). But, this is false too. The National Insitutes of Health (NIH) declares animal testing and experimentation to pose significant costs and harms to human beings. For instance, the use of non-predictive animal experiments causes human suffering by creating misleading safety and efficacy data. In other words, not only can animal testing be misleading but also imposes a significant loss of serviceable medical treatments. As a result, it misdirects resources away from more effective and useful methods of testing. It has also been noted that 95% of all drugs that are shown to be safe and effective in animal tests fail in human trials because they either do not work or are dangerous.

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3. There are better alternatives to animal testing

Not only is animal testing downright cruel, it is also incredibly time consuming and a waste of medical and financial resources. Scientists have been developing animal-free testing methods that are actually relevant to human health. Some of which include:
– Vitro methods (sophisticated tests using human cells and tissues)
– Silico models (advanced computer-modeling techniques)

“We have moved away from studying human disease in humans. … We all drank the Kool-Aid on that one, me included. … The problem is that [animal testing] hasn’t worked, and it’s time we stopped dancing around the problem. … We need to refocus and adapt new methodologies for use in humans to understand disease biology in humans.” —Dr. Elias Zerhouni

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4. Going cruelty-free helps the environment

Did you know that cruelty-free products have a much smaller environmental footprint? One lab alone equates to 12 tons of waste per year. Think about the amount of parabens and sulfates that are discarded into the environment due to the array of chemicals that must pass through animal testing first. In other words, when you ditch animal testing, you’re actually doing the planet a favor too. Since cruelty-free products tend to have way less synthetic chemicals and are frequently made with more natural ingredients, their products degrade much easier and faster. In addition, there are less toxins contained in cruelty-free products, so they release less toxins into the atmosphere. Non cruelty-free cosmetics typically contain animal-derived ingredients which largely contributes to deforestation. Therefore, it is incredibly destructive to our ecosystems and is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and higher global temperatures.

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5. It is better for you

Cruelty-free brands have higher standards with established histories of safe use. That is to say that cruelty-free products eliminate dangerous risks to your health. Owing to the fact that cruelty-free products are typically formulated with natural ingredients, this makes them rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients. These products have a larger ability to strengthen and restore the body’s cells by fighting free radicals that are damaging to the body. They’re healthier because the body is most acquainted with processing natural products. The human body is used to digesting plants easier than animal-derived ingredients. With that, it also follows that we process and absorb natural ingredients through the skin in a more effortless fashion. Essentially, you look good on the outside while feeling good on the inside.

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The importance in being a cruelty-free consumer

So, now that you’ve heard the 5 reasons you should go cruelty-free today. But, remember that it is our moral obligation to not only take care of ourselves, but also all living creatures around us. If you choose to go cruelty-free today, you will be reducing your environmental footprint, preventing animal abuse, and avoiding harmful chemicals.