We Are Cruelty Free. Always.

There is a lot of talk now about cosmetic companies becoming Cruelty Free. That is great news! But what were they doing in the first place? Have you been to the PETA site? (If you have a weak stomach....) Skin care companies putting products in rabbits eyes, so they can call it an "eye irritant"? Shameful. Why don't they just put it in their own eye?

I'll tell you a short story. When I was a first time mom, back in 1997, before I washed my daughter's hair with "tear-free, no sting" shampoo, I washed my own hair with it and purposefully let the suds run into my eyes which, by the way, didn't hurt, sting or irritate them. I used it for my baby from then on. That method of testing is what we should be doing as producers of products. Taking responsibility.

I am outraged and stunned by this business sometimes. Who even thinks to test on animals!? As a product manufacturer, the first thing I did was research. Research, research. Then I chose vendors who could supply me with raw materials that were naturally processed or minimally processed and that DON'T test on animals. In addition, I don't test on animals. My practice is this. I first test on myself, then my friends, and then when it is deemed lovely and safe, I let my kids use them, who, by the way, just can't get enough of any of it! (Especially the Crush On You. They can go through a whole jar in one bath. I think it is just too fun to touch and squish.)

I continue on a slightly different topic. On labels, we expect to get real information and make educated, socially responsible choices as consumers, but it is getting harder and harder these days because the amounts of claims jammed onto the label. I've noticed cosmetic jars stating "Formaldehyde free!" Who DOES have formaldehyde in their products? So if there were enough room on our labels, I would list a whole slew of what we are not, but we simply don't have the room. We are: formaldehyde free, petroleum free, cruelty free, PABA free, mercury free, lead free, etc, etc. The list is huge. I might tackle that one day whan I have too much time on my hands (time?).

A website everyone should look at is Skin Deep. They have listings of cosmetics, scrubs, moisturizers...etc. on the market that are not toxic all the way to the ones that contain high levels of toxicity. A very informative read, but I warn you... be careful, you may want to toss some of your medicine cabinet in the trash after you look at the list. Also, there is an interesting article called "Beauty To Die For" that says, "Several studies have linked long-time hair dye use to bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma."

Ahhhh, there is so much to learn. I will continue to soak it all up, because I need to constantly improve on our company, the products we make and the things we share. I hope these articles are interesting for you, as they are for me. I am fascinated by the whole thing.