Rebuilding my make-up kit for animal love

I have recently signed up for the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet programme because I figured that if I feel super guilty after a spending spree at Woolworths, I can at least console myself in that a portion of my money is going to a good cause. I have been wanting to sign up for a long time and every time that I'm at a Woolies counter, I take one of the application forms (and I even filled out one of them once) but I have never actually submitted a form. I hadn't realised that I could so easily sign up for one online here.

If you're not familiar with the programme and live in South Africa, please take a moment to click here and go look at what it is all about. It might just convince you to sign up too.

In deciding which charities to choose, I came across Beauty Without Cruelty who is actively trying to prevent animal cruelty in South Africa. (WARNING: If you don't know what the word "vivisection" on their website means, don't try to Google it like I did. You'll be disturbed until next week.)

I absolutely support their efforts and have nominated them as one of my preferred charities. This, of course, made me think of all the cosmetics in my make-up kit that might be tested on animals.

Now, before you argue that it has to be safety tested somehow before it is sold for humans, please explain to me why, if they are using ingredients in their products that might not be safe and has to be tested in the first place, you would want those ingredients on your body at all? 

My day job is in the medical field and thus I am not completely oblivious to the necessity of using animals for testing. Without animal testing, we cannot possibly advance our medical research but beauty products are a luxury and I do not see the need for animal testing unless they are adding some crazy, carcinogenic, chemical stuff to my make-up.

Over the last few weeks, through some of my favourite make-up guru's, I have come to the realisation that many of my favourite cosmetic brands are being tested on animals. In this video at 04:00 minutes in, Samantha from Batalashbeauty explains why you might think your cosmetics are cruelty-free when in fact there is some animal testing going on behind the scenes. She also visits Lush HQ in this video so you can understand why Lush is truly such a great brand. (And why we NEED a Lush store in Johannesburg...)

It has been bothering me but I am now committed to do something about it. Before I buy a product, I want to do research on which cosmetics are indeed cruelty free. I am also slowly replacing non-cruelty free make-up in my kit as I run out of it although it is difficult to find good, professional quality alternatives for some of the products.

Beauty Without Cruelty has a list of cosmetic brands which they endorse. Their criteria is very strict and specific so you know that it is guaranteed cruelty-free. It is also worth reading through your favourite cosmetic brands' mission statements on their website to see whether they are against animal testing before making a purchase.

I am a bit of tree hugger and I am hoping that you might become one too but if you are still not convinced that animal testing is not ethical, maybe you should Google "vivisection" and click on the Images tab.