Love Animals? Boycott Animal Testing & Clean Green!

Did you know that most conventional cleaning products and/or their ingredients are tested on animals? These test aren't just done on rats and mice, but also beagles and bunnies. 

Rocket was rescued from a laboratory. Please vote for him as FuzzyNation SuperModel! He promises to use his title to be a voice for dogs still trapped in labs across America and the world!

Here are a few facts about the testing of consumer chemicals on animals:

• Animals are caged, poisoned, then euthanized. 
• Draize test, a substance is dripped or similarly applied to an animal's eyes or skin then any subsequent damage or irritation is assessed. 
• LD50 test, "lethal dose test" or the "fifty percent test." Examines the toxicity of a chemical or other substance by assessing the dosage needed to kill half of the animal test subjects.
• Performed to determine safety and toxicity data-- and to dodge lawsuits.
• Roughly 5,000 animals undergo testing for a single chemical. 
• Companies test a product when a formula is changed. The addition or removal of chemicals or new quantities of an old chemical are often cause for even "classic" products to be tested.
• Results don't accurately represent real world application. This is for various reasons, including the fact that we are not exposed to single chemicals at a time or even just the chemicals cocktail in a product. Instead we are all exposed to thousands of chemicals from our environment, medications, and consumer products. Animal testing can't address how these chemicals will interact with each other in our bodies and the environment.

Please be a friend to animals by choosing cruelty-free cleaning, personal care, and cosmetic products.

Leaping Bunny Seal

If a product is tested on animals, you can bet the manufacturer isn't going to confess to this on its packaging. Animal abuse isn't really a selling point! Look for the Leaping Bunny seal to easily identify cruelty-free products when shopping. The seal certifies that a product meets the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics' ethical standards. According to their website, The Leaping Bunny Program provides the best assurance that no new animal testing is used in any phase of product development by the company, its laboratories, or suppliers.

Another way to find cruelty-free products is to contact the folks who make it. Lots of industrious guys and gals on Etsy make green cleaning products, but they may not have become cruelty-free certified. While it's unlikely that a small indie company is testing on animals, reach out to them to find out about the sources of their ingredients and if they are developed without animal testing.

Making your own cleaning and personal care products is the best way to know what's going into them. It's important to keep in mind that just because a product isn't tested on animals doesn't mean that it is necessarily safe, natural, or healthy to us or the environment. Similarly, products that are tested on animals are not to be assumed safer or healthier. If you make your own products, you can be sure that they are healthy, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free!

Better Basics for the Home is full of a wide range of wonderful recipes for household and personal care products that are easy to follow. Author Annie B. Bond has a delightfully friendly tone. She shares helpful hints that make the book more than just a bunch a recipes, but a valuable tome on non-toxic living in general.

Additional Resources:

• Leaping Bunny
• The Humane Society of The United States
• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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