Are There Reasons NOT to go Cruelty Free?
For the past year or so I've been actively trying to turn my entire makeup and beauty collection cruelty free. My priority has been to use up the non-CF products in my collection and only purchasing cruelty free (and vegan) replacements. It has been a roller coaster trying to learn everything about the beauty industry and figuring out what is considered cruelty free and what's not, but I think I've finally found the definition I am most comfortable with, which you could read all about last week in this post.
So, is it worth it to go cruelty free? I've only been talking about the positive effects of going cruelty free (living in accordance to my ethics and not as much decision fatigue), but I haven't written about any negative aspects. Are there any and if so what are they?
The first thing I noticed when I decided to ditch all the brands who contribute to animal testing was that a lot of the cheap drugstore brands became off limits. There were no more L'Oréal, no more Maybelline, no more Rimmel etc. They all contribute to animal testing. So just like that it felt like it had become a lot more expensive. After some more research I realized that I still had access to several cheap drugstore brands so my makeup spending didn't necessarily have to increase because I went cruelty free, but my options were definitely more limited.
Going cruelty free also made most high-end brands off limits. All the big fancy brands like Dior, Shiseido Cosmetics etc contribute to animal testing. So if high-end makeup is your thing, you'd have to give up most of your favourites. Most of the cruelty free brands are pricier drugstore brands or mid-range brands. Be prepared for that if you want to ditch the non-CF brands.
Another thing I realized after ditching the animal-tested products were that the CF stuff was a lot less accessible. Luckily I live in the city center so I have great access to our local department store that sell what feels like all the brands available in Finland and more, but when travelling to visit relatives I realized that most of the brands available in smaller stores aren't cruelty free. Buying a new mascara that's cruelty free (and vegan) can feel like mission impossible.
So to recap, going cruelty free will decrease your options a lot when it comes to drugstore makeup and high-end makeup. You'll have to start buying mostly from mid-range brands and you might have to start buying your makeup from other places than you're used to if there aren't enough cruelty free brands at your local store. If this isn't something you think is possible for you for whatever reasons, I 100% understand I you should not feel guilty about it. If you are able to go cruelty free, that is great and I definitely believe you should, but remember that it is a privilege and not everyone has the same opportunities as you.
So, is it worth it to go cruelty free? I've only been talking about the positive effects of going cruelty free (living in accordance to my ethics and not as much decision fatigue), but I haven't written about any negative aspects. Are there any and if so what are they?
The first thing I noticed when I decided to ditch all the brands who contribute to animal testing was that a lot of the cheap drugstore brands became off limits. There were no more L'Oréal, no more Maybelline, no more Rimmel etc. They all contribute to animal testing. So just like that it felt like it had become a lot more expensive. After some more research I realized that I still had access to several cheap drugstore brands so my makeup spending didn't necessarily have to increase because I went cruelty free, but my options were definitely more limited.
Going cruelty free also made most high-end brands off limits. All the big fancy brands like Dior, Shiseido Cosmetics etc contribute to animal testing. So if high-end makeup is your thing, you'd have to give up most of your favourites. Most of the cruelty free brands are pricier drugstore brands or mid-range brands. Be prepared for that if you want to ditch the non-CF brands.
Another thing I realized after ditching the animal-tested products were that the CF stuff was a lot less accessible. Luckily I live in the city center so I have great access to our local department store that sell what feels like all the brands available in Finland and more, but when travelling to visit relatives I realized that most of the brands available in smaller stores aren't cruelty free. Buying a new mascara that's cruelty free (and vegan) can feel like mission impossible.
So to recap, going cruelty free will decrease your options a lot when it comes to drugstore makeup and high-end makeup. You'll have to start buying mostly from mid-range brands and you might have to start buying your makeup from other places than you're used to if there aren't enough cruelty free brands at your local store. If this isn't something you think is possible for you for whatever reasons, I 100% understand I you should not feel guilty about it. If you are able to go cruelty free, that is great and I definitely believe you should, but remember that it is a privilege and not everyone has the same opportunities as you.
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