Why I’m Dropping the Cruelty Free Label

I wasn't planning on revisiting this topic, but after doing some more thinking, I wanted to add a bit more context to better explain my stance on cruelty-free, and why I've decided to no longer identify myself with this label.

LINKS & SOURCES:

My Beauty Bunny's post on EU cosmetic animal testing loopholes:

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On my channel I try my best to only feature brands that don't test on animals. Here are my most trusted cruelty-free brand lists & resources:

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This video is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. Any products received in PR are marked (*). Some links are referral and/or affiliate links.f

[aliciai.]

Don't ever suppress your opinions girlie! People will stick around if they like what you have to say and those who don't can leave. Great video! 👍

[makeupandthemundane]

I love how thought out this whole video was, as I didn't know more about this. You're doing your best as a consumer and that's all you can diligently do. I appreciate this post.

[bmckong]

I’ve been in the nonprofit industry for 18 years. It’s incredibly rewarding and I’m passionate about the work I do. Not all of us are created equally. Do your research as you give, volunteer and choose a job please so that you are supporting the right orgs.

[marie-evegoulet]

The non-profits part spoke to me on an acute level. Working in a non-profit ruin them for me, it was the worst wake-up call about what they are truly about. Hopefully, it's not all of them, but I wouldn't want to try and find out myself.

[erikaherrmann]

You are talking about very important and serious things in this video and I don’t want to detract from that, but I did want to say that your hair is beautiful in this video

[RayeHana]

Thank you so much for making this video. A lot of the points you mentioned are things that I've also been thinking of a lot recently and I'm so glad someone with your platform is voicing it. Thank you for your amazing content! You're the only YouTuber whose videos I never skip!

[AndreaMatillano]

This video and your last one were really informative, thought-provoking videos! I’ve been struggling with the term cruelty-free, the qualifications surrounding cruelty-free cosmetics, and the xenophobia that seems to be so prevalent among the cruelty-free community. The fact there are differing stances between a lot of the authorities on the subject as to what truly constitutes a cruelty-free brand is frustrating and creates confusion. I still choose to purchase from brands that are considered cruelty-free but I stopped referring to myself as a cruelty-free YouTuber as well since it’s difficult as a consumer trying to decipher where to draw the line and knowing which source to trust. As you mentioned in your previous video, I’ve been giving weight to additional factors when considering whether or not I choose to support a company a well. It’s really nice to hear these thoughts articulated so well. Your video is great so I just wanted to say thank you for sharing!

[aizkirad]

I really really loved this video. It really shows the nuance behind the label that sometimes disappears because a label simplifies an issue. This is not a black or white situation.

I would say personally that we should be more worried about the reach of animal testing because of the REACH legislation (no pun intended) than China's post market potential testing since neither us nor the companies know what has been tested and what hasn't.

Thank you also for mentionning other types of cruelty that are clearly still under the radar and that definitely need to be acknoledged and discussed.

[biebsoholic]

The first video was interesting already and I felt it was highlighting different standpoints and sides. Now this one, I love! I love how you express your opinion and laying out the facts on why you decided what you did. Thank you for taking this time and sharing your experience with us!

[marylove]

It can be hard to be a conscientious consumer. There are so many caveats to consider. All any of us can do is to do our best to not contribute to issues or contribute to confusion.

[mickcat]

I was cruelty-free during high-school when the community was starting to gain popularity in the beauty space and i remember being very cutthroat with where I bought my products back then due to how the information was fed to me as a consumer. as a result, i fully believed the whole post-market testing and didnt buy anything that was sold in china since i was told it was the only place that was doing it. but that all stopped when i looked more into it and was realizing that there was a lot of sinophobic sentiment in a lot of these statements (like you said, why was leaping bunny more concerned with the issue in china rather than the eu where that was essentially confirmed even without the brand's knowledge?). as an asian person, seeing that in the community really put a bad taste in my mouth. I then did my research on greenwashing and how nonprofits could have financial incentive to appeal to donors and as a result, i decided to shed the label too as i wasnt too comfortable with that knowledge. i still prioritize cruelty-free brands as i believe that animal testing is no longer needed in the cosmetics industry at least, but i wouldn't beat myself up if i bought something that wasn't.

[Alex-kndg]

ive even cruelty free for 9 years now and i never heard about the eu issue ! as a german this was really disappointing to hear. i knew there were loopholes otherwise brands like nivea couldn’t sell here but i never expected cruelty free brands to potentially get tested :(

[alexandravoicu]

Thank you for being honest and sharing your opinion on this matter!

I personally am trying to use skincare and makeup products that are from cruelty-free brands, but thanks to your videos I started seeing other perspectives, such as child labor and slave-like working conditions, which made me think what really “cruelty-free” means and if my products labeled as such were really obtained without cruelty…

Then I saw that some brands were now seen as cruelty-free and people started buying again their products and I was like “seriously, they were non-cruelty-free yesterday and today they are cruelty-free, do you really think that the products you just bought from this so-called cruelty-free brand were really obtained without cruelty towards animals? Do you really think the foundation you bought was produced so fast and brought to the shop overnight?” - I didn’t see any of these brands mentioning how are they gonna distinguish their products from now on, once their cruelty-free status has changed, I mean the ones created before going CF and those created after going CF.

What else? Beside cruelty towards animals, I think we should also take into consideration child labor + regular people that are exploited at these companies.

I have to admit that I didn’t know that EU was this shady about CF, but I’ll make sure to learn more about this topic, as I live in a country part of EU, and the subject concerns me.

[gasparinha]

Thank you for taking more time on this issue! It's no surprise that Leaping Bunny claims they are the best source for information - this is how they make money - but they are marketing this certification program as if they are the ONLY arbiter and decisionmaker on this issue. Taking that at face value, removing any emotion from it, it's a marketing campaign, and we as consumers can decide if we want to support that, and rely on them as the most reliable source despite this ploy, or if we think it's BS. I'm kind of in the BS category myself.

[vickiweber]

I think all we can do is get as much information as we can and come up with our own conclusions and choices.
Besides animal testing, I've been avoiding other brands for other reasons. Some of those brands include Lime Crime, Jeffrey Star, and Ofra. I had avoiding KVD until that ownership changed.

[emilypadilla]

Thank you for this video! As someone who is just starting to transition to cruelty free it’s been confusing and it’s been so helpful to know that not everything is as black and white as it’s made out to be and trying your best is ultimately all you can do.

[savanabossennec]

Hi Sarah! Just want to say that I love that you are talking about your opinions openly! Let's all be ourselves more! 🙌 Working in cosmetics (though not in regulatory), I would like to add another nuance about REACH laws in the EU : long ago when everybody was testing cosmetics on animals, the ingredients used were also tested. New ingredrients don't come around everyday. However when that happens, REACH must assure that it's safe for consummers by doing tests (sometimes on animal, sometimes not depending on the type of ingredients). But, ingredients that have been tested in the past do not need to ne tested on animals by Reach. Anymway, thanks for yet another great video! 🥰 Take care!

[lw]

Wow, thank you for such an incredible video Sarah! I'm so impressed with your research and the nuance with which you approach this conversation.

[dawnbassett]

Thanks! I feel incredible guilt when I buy from “grey area” companies or sometimes companies that I know test on animals because I have no other accessible options. I only buy from those companies for necessities, but I still hate it! These last two videos have been a good reminder that we all can only do the best we can. I appreciate your views on this and especially you leading by example when it comes to consumerism.

[itsactuallyali]

I think it’s important to point out that NOT ALL nonprofits are “money driven”. I personally work for an incredible nonprofit called Jason’s Friends Foundation that has been helping Wyoming families of children with cancer for 25 years. And I can say, without hesitation, that every thing we do is aimed at helping others first.