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[JunJun]

I always prefer to support companies that do not test on animals! Cosmetics companies are not required to test on animals, so why should they? Its already known what formulas do and do not evoke reactions upon skin. Its not always evident who does and who does not test! Even if a bottle says, does not test, that doesn't mean that applies to every ingredient.

Here is a list of cosmetics companies who have either signed PETAs statement of assurance, or meet the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals. This means that they really don't test!
Here is the full list. I've listed things i know to be cosmetics related, but the list is huge! Go check it out.
Almay (Revlon)
Aloette Cosmetics
Aramis (Estee Lauder)
Aunt Bee's Skin Care
Aveda
Avon
Bath & Body Works
BeautiControl
Beauty Naturally
Beauty without Cruelty
Bobbi Brown (Estee Lauder)
The Body Shop
Bumble & Bumble (Estee Lauder)
Clinique Laboratories
Color Me Beautiful
Columbia Cosmetics
Concept Now Cosmetics
Crabtree & Evelyn (they make nice lotions...mmm)
Donna Karan Beauty Company (Estee Lauder)
Dr.Bronners!!! I <3 Dr.Bronners!!
Estee Lauder
Giovanni Cosmetics
Hard Candy
Jane (Estee Lauder)
Juice Beauty
Kiehl's (hair products, i think. Boyfriends sister uses it)
Kiss My Face
Liz Claybourne Cosmetics
MAC Cosmetics
Manic Panic
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Merle Norman
Nivea
Nordstrom Cosmetics
OPI (yay for hardcore nail polish)
Paul Mitchell
Revlon
Studio Magic Cosmetics
Tommy Hilfiger (Estee Lauder)
Too Faced Cosmetics
Urban Decay
Warm Earth Cosmetics

Here is a list of companies who DO test on animals. (and a link).
Arm & Hammer
Church & Dwight
Clairol
Colegate/Palmolive
Cover Girl
Dial
Gilette (currently suspended testing, but not signed permanently)
Johnson & Johnson
Kimberly Clark
L'Oreal
Max Factor
Olay/Oil of Olay
Pantene
Pfizer
Playtex (not cosmetics, but important to the ladies)
Procter & Gamble
Sally Hansen
Schering-Plough (Dr.Scholl's, Coppertone)
SC Johnson
Soft Soap
Suave
Unilever (Lever soap, etc)

I hope these lists are helpful to some of you! It always kind of irks me that the big huge companies that are hard to avoid are on the "do test" list. There's no reason! Look at all the companies who get along really well with no testing. Oh, i know St.Ives doesn't test, but i didn't see them on either list. I heart St.Ives. I super reccomend Dr.Bronners soap, its wonderful! Even my local grocery carries it now, so i dont' even have to trek to a health food store! Its pure hemp castille soap, and it comes in many herbal varieties (Peppermint is my favorite right now... menthol all over makes you feel so nice and tingly and clean! Lavender is also really nice, its relaxing). It comes in liquid, bar, etc.
Cruelty free! hehehe.

[Hinata]

Hell YEAH! I never use stuff that is tested, and if I need to use sheepskin, ect..
I always make sure it's faux. Thanks for posting that. I luff PETA.

[miaka2u]

Thanks for the info. I had no idea some of these companies tested on animals! I'll be sure to stay far away from them from now on! ^_^ *huggles* You are the best!

[JunJun]

PETA (caringconsumer.org, specifically), also has a list of common ingredients that have animal products/byproducts in them, that may not always appear so (big words confoose us). Its surprising how hard it is to avoid animal products.

The irritating things for me aren't the cosmetics; there are plenty of big names that don't test, but the hygeine companies! Gilette, Colgate, Dial, Procter & Gamble, all make products we use every day without thinking about it! You may buy a product that's by a subsidiary of a company, and not even know it belongs to one of these. Peruse health food stores if you want to go completely test-free, and can't find the normal hygeine products. There are lots of really great ones out there. You can also make your own stuff! toothpaste, shampoo, etc. <3

I'm so glad this helped some people Knowledge is power!! <3

[miaka2u]

This is off topic, but I'm assuming you are also a vegetarian/vegan. I may be wrong in my assumption, but if you are going to take time to post all this about the companies testing on animals then you must really care about them.

I do too! And that's why I really appreciate you posting this! I plan to help animals by becoming a vet! Go me!

[Hinata]

I'm vegan, too! A bunch of people who are members of PETA also like to cosplay..
and they like anime and stuff. Maybe, it's the whole free-speech thing?
Or maybe we're just cool. Yeah. That's probably it. XD

[Chanté]

Burt's Bees is also a beauty company that does not test on animals. Hell, they're like the most "environmental" beauty company out there! All their packaging is made of recycled/recyclable material, their products are always 99%+ all-natural, and they even have their own environment campaign. =)

http://www.burtsbees.com

[miaka2u]

OMG! This is so cool! My whole family thinks I'm weird because I don't do the whole meat eatting thing or any of that stuff. ^-^ Do you realize how hard it is to live with a family like that...

My twin sister (Genki-UHinagiku) always disses me. But, I think that's the only thing we disagree with. We are always together and when we separate for college this August it's going to be shocking. Right now we're working on Van and Merle cosplay costumes. ^_^() Next year we plan to to Amiboshi (me) and Suboshi and Hisoka and Hijiri (me and my lovely violin).

I think it's just because we are cool! XD

[JunJun]

Dude i <3 Burts Bees. Their chapstick is SOOOOO great!!! They make a load of head-related hygeine products (hair, face, etc).

Actually, i've found myself feeling very alone in the cosplay/anime world with my vegetarianism. I didn't know there were more of us ^_^;;;; All of my cosplay friends are meat eaters! I don't think many of them know i'm vegetarian. o_o
I'm hopefully starting study in veterinary medicine this coming semester. I've piddled with so many vocational ideas. Makeup, costumes, vet medicine, herbal medicine, etc. oi. can't decide.

:3 i get PETA mailings. My mother says, i don't want that stuff coming to my house, people will think i'm a nutcase!! (our mail is delivered to locked boxes! the hell?) I usually like PETA, but a lot of their measures seem very extreme to me. I still support their ideas, and understand that it takes a bit of extremeism to get the moderate things done.

I understand how hard it is to be at odds with family. My parents have accepted it, but mom still says once in a while "it would be so much easier if you ate meat." My boyfriend is also a vegetarian, so eating with his family is easy too. I get off easier with critics who bash animal-loving vegetarianism, because its more than just cruelty, its also healthier.

I still can't find faux fur foxtails *cry* the real ones are so pretty and i want a pretty one too but they're all real. lol. Sad!

Go buy Dr.Bronners! rah rah rah! *dr bronners cheer* fresh and clean!

[miaka2u]

I've never tried Burts Bees. Well, now that I think about it... wait look I do have some! It's the chapstick! Mwahahahahaha! I got it for my birthday in January! I just stuck it with all my other chapsticks... I have too many. -_-

There's a lot of us! I have two cosplaying friends who are... well, one's a vegan and one's a vegetarian. Let's see, Scortia, is the vegan. Have you ever seen any of her cosplays? She'd pretty good, IMO. And the other isn't on here. So unlike you I haven't felt too alone. Ack, should we even be talking about this? It's kinda off topic, ne?

Ooooo, someone else who will study vet medicine! Woot! We can go through all the physics and biology together. And the great thing about it is my college has 100% of people studying pre-vet med get excepted into vet school. I'm also going to study theate and choir. ^_^

That's what I say it's healthier, but my mom's like, "look at how pale you are now! That's not heathy. Go take your vitamin." >.< Whatever. I just don't feel like laying out in the sun like she does. And not to mention she's Spanish and Indian... I've got some Scandinavian blood in me from my dad. --()

Pretty fox tails... >< Do they even make faux ones?

*waves* Yep I'm the vegan. ;p Anyway, somehow this is dragging off topic... but yeah cruelty free is nice. Such cosmetics are easily found at Whole Foods Markets. A good line is Ecco Bella... which I found through a special seller which has NO hazardous materials used in it... a bottle is $18 though... ;-;

Oh and you may wanna read up on some controversial PETA articles... there's a lot of evidence that they are planting false tapes these days among other nasty tactics.

<3 Burts Bees Chapstick too

[JunJun]

Oh, today in Sephora (tis a dangerous store for me... so expensive), i was perusing the Hard Candy and i saw a line of brushes that were cruelty-free synthetic fibers. Do you guys know if they're good brushes?
I so need to go to the health food store again. Sigh. I'm low on my soap.
Do you know a good shampoo akin to Herbal Essences that is by a cruelty free company? My hair is so damned fussy, and Herbal Essences is so good to it, but even I didn't know that Clairol tested. Sigh.
I'm so glad to find that Crabtree and Evelyn don't test... they make this WONDERFUL "cooks" lotion that's made for heavy working hands. it doesn't make your hand slimy when you wash.

Okay! any other suggestions on really great products?

[mikazuki]

I hate PETA... they overdramatize conditions at animal farms. I've been to hundreds of various types of animals farms and the conditions of them are always great. Yes there are bad ones out there but there are bad seeds in everything (good doctors and bad ones).

As for boycotting. Before you run out and do such a thing investigate the company. Example, boycotting Procter & Gamble you'll need to stop buying these products:

Secret
Old Spice
Sure
Cover Girl
Max Factor
Always
Tampax
Clariol (which 90+% of people use to color their hair)
Clariol Nice 'n Easy
Clariol Ultress
Pantene
Head & Shoulders
Daily Defense
Pert
VS Sassoon
Physique
Herbal Essences
Aussie
Infusium 23
Natural Instincts
Clairol Hydrience
Balsam Color
Loving Care
A Touch of Sun
Lasting Color
Olay
Zest
Ivory
Noxema
Safeguard
Camay
Hugo Boss
Febreze
Cascade
Dawn
Joy
Salvo
Bounty
Swiffer
Mr. Clean
Tide
Downy
Gain
Cheer
Bounce
Puffs
Charmin
Dryel
Prilosec OTC
Vicks
Metamucil
Pepto-Bismol
ThermaCare
Pur
Crest
Glide
Scope
Fixodent
Gleem
Asacol
Actonel
Macrobid
Dantrium
Didronel
Macrodantin
Dantrium Intravenous
Pampers
Dreft
Folgers
Pringles
Sunny Delight
Torengos
Iams
Eukanuba

Colgate-Palmolive company makes:
Colgate toothpastes
Colgate toothbrushes
Colgate whitenings
Platinum Professional Whitening System (@ dentists)
Gel-Kam stannous fluoride gel
Fluorigard anticavity dental rinse
Viadent advanced care toothpaste and oral rinse
PreviDent (Rx) prescription toothpaste gel or rinse
Phos-Flur gel (Rx) and rinse
Luride(Rx) fluoride supplements
Thera-Flur (Rx) gel-drops
PerioGard (Rx) anti-microbial rinse
Duraphat (Rx) fluoride varnish
Speed Stick
Lady Speed Stick
Crystal Clean
Teen Spirit
Irish Spring
Softsoap
Colgate Shaving Cream
Afta aftershave
Skin Bracer
Palmolive shave cream
Palmolive dishsoap
Ajax
Crystal White Octagon
Dermassage
Murphy Oil Soap
Fabuloso
Fab Laundry detergent
Dynamo Laundry detergent
Sauvitel Fabric Softeners
Science Diet pet food
Hill's Prescription Pet Diet Food

I could go on about every single company on the "Do Test on animals" list and you will see over 90% of products people use are owned by a company that does test on animals. So what are you going to use? Stop cleaning your butt with toilet paper, stop brushing your teeth? The majority of US households are not going to switch over. People love products they are familiar with even if its "tested on animals" properganda.

[makotohanabi]

thanks for the list, JunJun, been awhile since I got an updated caring consumer list from PETA they also have a guide to fast food places.

Think there are more vegetarian/vegan cosplayers than most people realize or maybe I think it's normal since my sister and many of my friends are vegetarian.

The Body Shop has some really good shampoos and try Lush. They have a store in Washington DC and probably other places, nice soaps and lotions. It's hand made but has a fairly short shelf life http://www.lush.com. I'm pretty sure most if not everything in the store is vegan.

[Hinata]

mikazuki, have you ever heard, that no matter how well they are treated in death. In the end, it is still death. Animals do not deserve to die for our selfish needs, and I live near a dairy farm, where I can hear the cows crying out for their stolen children. One day we will look back on the way we treat animals and wonder how humanity could have been so barbaric, similar to the way blacks where at one time, not considered people. there is no kind way to kill..

..and its like that story, of the little girl who found a starfish dying on the beach. she picked it up and tossed it into the ocean, so it could live. She realized that there were more starfish, so she continued to pick up every single starfish she found, and toss them into the ocean, where they would be safe. an old man came up to her, and said "foolish little girl. don't you know that this beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish? why waste your time when it doesn't even make a difference?" The little girl gave this some thought, then looked at the starfish in her hand, and said "It makes a difference to this one." as she tossed it into the sea. ^^