What are Cruelty-Free Products?

What are cruelty-free products? A cruelty-free product is a product on the market that has not been subject to animal testing. A common practice with many cosmetic and household companies is before offering new products to the public they test new products on animals. However, a growing number of companies have stopped using this practice and are now supporting the animal rights movement. For instance, companies Revlon and Avon have been developing new products without the use of animal testing for several years. To ensure more companies start developing cruelty-free products, consumers must stop buying products from those companies who have not implemented these new practices.

A federal law requires cosmetic and household companies to use animal testing on animals if they contain a new product. However, as long as the substances are known to be safe no testing is required. Many responsible companies have been continuing to offer many safe products for many years without testing on animals. This is different with medications; federal law does require animal testing for pharmaceutical companies before introducing new products to the public.

Some issues with companies proclaiming to be cruelty-free is with specific ingredients used in their products. Some companies purchase products from other companies that are using animal testing during the manufacturing of their products. A true cruelty-free company will purchase ingredients from other companies that are known to use cruelty-free products. In addition, other companies may be owned by parent companies that still practice animal testing. This is the issue when a larger company that is not cruelty-free purchases a smaller company.

There are several issues to consider if you want to support cruelty-free companies. Researching companies before purchasing their products will help identify those who use responsible manufacturing processes. Reading labels will also help to identify certain chemicals that may have been subject to animal testing.