The Truth About 'Cruelty Free' Makeup

We've all seen the How Cruel Is My MakeUp Bag challenge videos, looking at animal testing and vegan products. But how cruelty free are they really? I talked to two experts about the slavery and child labour used in our products.

Twitter: @heyrowanellis
Instagram: rowans_room

Some resources to begin with:

Reuter's Trust Women Conference:

Amnesty International:

Mica and Child Labour:

Cobalt and Child Labour:

Labour in American Prisons:

[jellosapiens]

There is no ethical consumption under late-stage capitalism.

[margaesperanza]

I live in a country where child labor is evident in rural areas (Philippines) and I say boycotting is not the best way to end this. These are the poorest of the poor, in most cases children themselves volunteer to work to help their families. I've done countless research during my college days and most of the kids are like this. Its heartbreaking to know that these kids arent selfish, they need money for food, for medicine, for new clothes. These kids also repeatedly lose homes and family members from killer typhoons that only get stronger each year because of climate change (WHICH A LOT OF WESTERNERS I'VE MET INSIST ITS NOT REAL). I wish companies that claims to be crulety free would expand on actually helping people. After years of interacting with western NGO's one thing is true for me, we care more about animals and turn our heads away from people in need.

[cristinayurss]

"Cruelty-free" label stands for not tested on animals, not for 100% ethical product (in fact that doesn't exist)

[KatesAdventures]

This reminds me of a film I watched called "Blood in the Mobile" (Frank Piasecki Poulsen, 2010), in which the filmmaker traced the production of his Nokia mobile back to the Congo and examined the working conditions of the people who helped to source the materials needed to make it. I saw it at beginning of this year and it was shocking to me that in the 6 years since it was made, it hadn't had an impact on the industry (that I know of) or how we think about our products.

It's definitely a factor that needs to be considered more, animal rights are important of course, but thinking about the items used to make a product and the process behind them can sometimes unearth a lot more cruelty.

[clairedevolder]

I might be missing the point here a bit, but in saying that none of the makeup we buy is truly ethical, than what is the point of buying makeup from companies that pin themselves as being cruelty free? I completely recognize that we must further the conversation on child labor and human cruelty in the production line of makeup and other products. But we can still do this and support the cruelty free makeup brands, right? I mean even if my makeup isn't completely ethical I can still try to be as close to ethical as I can get.

[alexrose]

I'm pretty into animal rights and try to be as ethical as I can with my purchases on that front but when I think about ethics involving the human labour that goes into what I'm buying it just seems overwhelming. As you said, the western world is rife with this sort of stuff, do you think you could make a video on at least the basics of learning to identify and avoid companies that exploit people? Like how cruelty free stuff has the leaping bunny logo and food products often say suitable for vegans or vegetarian, do other products have any identifiers like this for human cruelty?

[RileyJayDennis]

this video is so important and not often talked about, thanks rowan

[AvacadoChan]

I think it's important to recognize that the man she was talking to in the video mentioned that one of the ways we can help is by simply asking all the companies we consume products from what their policies are on forced labor. You don't have to stop buying electronics, makeup, bananas, books, (or even shop at ethical companies if they do exist), you just have to make sure that the companies are aware that you and large amounts of people are genuinely worried and working to stop forced labor altogether.

[mainspringguerrilla]

No surprise here, there is no ethical consumerism under capitalism.

[AriaLouisa]

I think this is definitely a good thing to be aware of, but I am also afraid that videos like this might discourage people to go cf because they think their efforts don't matter. I think going cf is at least better than doing nothing.

[creativereindeer]

'What's your policy on forced labour' SUCH a good and useful phrase. LITERALLY this has been on my mind for the last few weeks, I've been so torn about this - THANKS for raising this issue, really well done, human rights cannot go by the wayside when people are distressed about bunnies. Well said on not 'either or' BUT we can do more and not just get carried away with the cruelty free label. Baroness Cox (one of my heroes) says 'we cannot do everything but we must not do nothing' in relation to this kind of thing.

[AhsanteB]

You're so right, this isn't an issue that's being talked about enough. Thanks for this.

[beckiejbrown]

I spent hours researching yesterday, about every company that I have a product from, in my room. I was in shock - absolute shock. As I was researching, I was purely looking at animal cruelty - this element had not occured to me. Thank you for bringing this into the Thank you.

Not good with my words, just wanted to say something. xx

[brookelee]

That's the sad thing it's impossible to buy 100% cruelty free. Most companies won't care where the product comes from just how much profit comes their way.

[brookenemetz]

This is SUCH an important topic. We are not taught this in school, not even on the news. The fact that the question, "Is it possible to shop completely ethically?" is even a question is just sad. I'm so happy you addressed this issue. Love your message xo

[sacmakiz]

I am vegan and I choose to support companies that do not test on animals and if they sell out to a company does test animals, I stop supporting them. The point here is about supply and demand. I don't know how effective this strategy is or is it more about comforting our conscious about animal testing, I cannot say one way or the other for sure but this is the BEST I can do for now based on available knowledge. If I know there's a way to stop supporting child slavery, human slavery in things I consume I would definitely choose companies DO NOT test on animals AND does not exploit humans for their profit either. I am glad that there is a growing consciousness about animal testing, we are far from victory because demand is going higher and higher every year but I am hopeful because people who wants to choose consciously are growing in numbers too. I hope there will be a solution at least better way to reduce child and human slavery too. As I said I would be happy to do my part; NOT support cruelty to anyone but till then 'cruelty free' tag only means 'animal testing free' and it is still an important issue to me. People say to vegans "You can't stop cruelty" but that's not the point as an individual. We can only stop supporting in our parts. It's not about perfection it's about doing our best to create a cruelty free world. And revolution comes slowly so we have to understand how things evolve in society. Till then, I will continue supporting companies who does not test on animals but since there's still not a clear labeling on human slavery on the products and I am lacking knowledge in this area, I am unfortunately very little aware of it and cannot do my part yet. I'd be happy to do my part, if I knew how.

[lindiortega]

not including make up, but how about if you buy things second hand? Doesn't that stop the cycle because you are not part of the supply and demand. But instead recycling?

[dykerights]

in my religion class the first half of the year we learn about social justice and we often talked about the cruelty of child labor laws and forced slave labor I've always found it to be so heartbreaking so it's cool to see you who has over 15, 000 subscribers using your platform to spread awareness and inform your viewers on these horrible injustices that occur to these child every day

[Nymphetopheliac]

As a long-time vegan and someone active in animal rights, it really pisses me off when people label their product as cruelty-free just because it's vegan and not tested on animals, and the label seems to be becoming more common (though possibly just because veganism is growing so fast, so it's a mixed bag). So far I've not been calling people out on it, but I'm going to start emailing companies which use the term with some of the information you've given in this video. I'll also be sharing your video on my local vegan groups to make them aware of this, and asking around some of the societies at uni to see if any of them are working on related campaigns.

[thingslaurasays]

Thank you so much for this. I've thought about this a lot but my conclusion always came to NOTHING WE DO WILL CHANGE ANYTHING and then I do nothing. But I mustn't do nothing.

My siblings put a hypothetical sitch and asked, if a store's sign said "We Sell Clothes Made By Child Slaves" would we still buy But we