What does the phrase ‘cruelty free’ mean to you as a consumer? To some, the term is synonymous with a tiny bunny stamped onto the packaging of a product. Bunny on the item automatically means no harmful practice was put into the creation of the product- right?
Take a closer look at the phrase itself. A term such as ‘cruelty free’ suggests a product free of any cruelty- and when you delve deeper into the process behind the manufacturing of these items, you’ll find the truth to reveal the opposite. Any company can claim their product to be cruelty free. As of right now, no legislation exists defining what is and isn’t considered cruelty free. For this reason, many cosmetic companies can choose to promote their products with claims of no cruelty in their labeling and/or advertising. According to the MSPCA, when brands complain to be cruelty free, they can be implying that:
- the product and/or its ingredients have never been tested on animals. this is the least likely, as the MSPCA states ‘almost all ingredients in use today have been tested on animals somewhere, at some time, by someone’
- the final product has not been tested on animals, but the ingredients have
- the manufacturer did not conduct the animal test, but had a supplier test for them.
- the testing was conducted in a foreign country
- the product was not tested on animals, but forced labour was involved
2016 had shown huge strides in the movement against testing on animals. Companies were demanded to clarify the details of their manufacturing. Consumers took stands against brands like MAC, only purchasing from ‘cruelty free’ brands like cosmetic giant LUSH. And Australian government even went as far as to outlaw cosmetics tested on animals. But what about that last bullet point?
In the battle to fight against animal cruelty, many forget about the cruelty committed against our own kind in the creation of these products.
“A lot of people assume human suffering doesn’t happen in the making of products they purchase on an everyday basis,” Rowan Ellis, a UK Youtube Ambassador, said. “[This] sadly isn’t the case.”
It was Rowan’s video on cruelty-free products that initially got me interested in the subject. As I watched her video, I grew more and more horrified at what I was learning. Look at the makeup on your shelf- almost all of it will contain ‘mica’ as an ingredient. It’s what gives your products ‘the beautiful glimmer’, and who can say no to that in the age of highlighting? But something as shimmery and shiny as mica was quickly revealed to have an ugly source. Mica is mined by workers found in vulnerable populations, largely India, according to this Grace&Able article. In India, mica is linked to illegal mines where child labour and debt bondage are widespread. Imagine children as young as your little siblings, some just ten years old, mining for a mineral used to make that ‘cruelty free’ makeup you put on every day. The Indian government promised to end the abuse of children in it’s mining industry, and yet investigations show illegal mining remains popular. It’s estimated up to 20,000 children work in small-scale mines, digging up mica for 10 hour long days, receiving abysmal to zero pay.
Here I was, proudly claiming myself to be an ethical consumer, purchasing cruelty-free makeup after the encouragement of my friends and the internet. And yet here the exact opposite was being proven. I was appalled- how could something as terrible as this simply be swept under the rug? I interviewed Rowan for answers to my questions.
“More people aren’t talking about it simply because they don’t know it happens,” Rowan said. “A lot of people assume [slave labour] couldn’t possibly happen in 2017, especially not in big name brands. We have an idea of basic ethics that slavery goes directly against- it’s too horrific to not have been stopped decades ago, [we assume].”
Big name brands are quick to tout their ‘all natural ingredients’ and vow they’d never test on animals- but Rowan’s right. They’re mum about the labour behind the products, because cruelty free doesn’t matter to big brands- the marketing ticket to big sales a cruelty free stamp gives them is all they really care about.
So when brands and companies aren’t telling us the truth, what are we as consumers supposed to do? According to Rowan, it’s easier to make ethical choices on an individual level when it comes to the environment (like recycling, eating vegan, etc). Fighting human suffering requires a bit more work. Rowan believes in contacting companies and finding the truth they won’t provide.
“It’s about investigating their current ethics and pressuring them to invest in changes,” Rowan said. “This involves more effort (and fewer immediate results) than buying only vegan food and particular brands of lipstick, but I truly hope that won’t put anyone off.”
Simply put? The extra effort is worth it. Just as you put effort into avoiding companies who abuse innocent animals, do the same for innocent people forced into horrible working conditions due to their vulnerable situations.While you’re not the one mining for minerals in grueling conditions for 10 hours a day, they are happening to someone you share fundamental commonalities with- laborers are humans, children, with families and livelihoods. It could easily be you or anyone else you love. Contact companies. Demand information on where their mica is from. Check ingredient lists. Simply talk about it. Raise awareness.
As Anna Lappe, author of Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It says ‘Every time you spend your money, you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want to live in’.
Ask yourself: what kind of world do you want to live in?
Comments are closed.