Leap into Spring - Animal Testing Awareness Blog

Posted by Rose 21/04/2019 3 Comment(s)

Leap into Spring - Shop Cruelty-Free!

 

As the Season of Spring blossoms around us, new life seems to be appearing everywhere. Easter is a holiday which celebrates the natural cycles of birth and death, represented by Easter Eggs, Chicks and Bunny Rabbits. Animals play a huge role in our traditions, celebrations and lives in general yet over 11.5 million of them suffer every year in Europe alone, due to the inhumane practice of animal testing. The worst thing is that collectively, society is funding this suffering and many people have no idea that this is happening. So we wanted to reach out and speak about a very important bunny - and it’s not the Easter bunny!

 

Allow us to introduce (or better acquaint you with) The Leaping Bunny - the gold standard in cruelty-free consumerism. This is a certification which can only be obtained by companies that do not test on animals in any way, in any part of the world. If a company is not Leaping Bunny approved then they may still sell their products outside the EU, which means that they may still be testing on animals before selling into those countries. By making a cruelty-free pledge and getting backed by this badass bunny, our family business is choosing to put ethics first. We refuse to sell our products in China for example, which is a huge market, but one where animal testing is a legal requirement. We made this decision purely from a heart-felt basis, to protect the animals!

We believe that where you spend your money casts a vote for the kind of world you want to live in, so supporting companies who choose compassion over cruelty is backing a more sustainable, ethical & peaceful future for everyone, animals included. We want to educate people about what animal testing involves, to help spread awareness. When our eyes are opened to the truth and we are presented with new choices, we can consciously choose a path which reflects the life we wish to live.

 

What is Animal Testing?

An animal test is any form of scientific experiment in which a living animal is forced to experience something that is likely to cause them pain, suffering or long-term harm.

 

What does testing involve?

The testing includes burning them, depriving them of water or food, causing internal and external stress or anxiety, forcing to eat or inhale toxic chemicals, injecting substances into their bodies, and this is only the beginning. When these animals aren’t being subjected to torture, they’re kept in tiny barren cages and left psychologically traumatized.
 

 

Imagine being caged against your will, in a space too small to turn around. Imagine never feeling the earth beneath your feet again, or feeling the sun’s warmth on your skin. For these poor beings, their only interactions with humans bring pain and unimaginable suffering. They have no idea why this is happening to them, or if it will ever end. Most lab animals are kept in isolation, never to form a relationship, play, run or experience life again. The thinking, feeling animals who are used in experiments are treated like nothing more than disposable laboratory equipment. It just doesn’t bare thinking about. There is no need for this awful, cruelty and torture.

 

Who does this testing and who’s tested on?

According to latest figures from PeTA, it’s estimated that each year more than 111.5 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in European & U.S. laboratories. They’re used for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug/medicine, food, and cosmetics testing. The sad reality is that the majority of animal experiments do not contribute to improving human health, and the value of the role that animal experimentation plays in most medical advances is questionable.

In 2013 we saw a huge victory for animals - the European Union (EU), Israel, and India all banned the sale of any cosmetics products or cosmetics ingredients that have been tested on animals. We hope that more countires will follow suit soon, especially the USA & China who are both huge culprits in terms of keeping animal testing alive. 

 

Alternatives to Animal Testing for Cosmetics

There are many other ways to test cosmetics which don’t involve animals. New alternative methods use simple organisms like bacteria, tissues and cells from humans. We can even use computer models or chemical methods. These scientifically advanced tests are often quicker, cheaper and more reliable than the cruel and unnecessary animal tests they replace.

 

How we test our products at PHB

At PHB we're certified by two Cruelty-Free certification bodies; BUAV Leaping Bunny & PeTA. 

The testing method used by PHB is an old fashioned, tried-and-tested favorite… we test on real-life, living human beings. Of all ages. With all different skin tones & types including very sensitive skin, eczema prone and psoriasis. All our participants are either friends or family members, and they’ve assured us they’re very willing to take part!

How you can make a difference...

This may be a lot to take in. For many people, finding out the painful truth about animal testing encourages them to live a cruelty-free lifestyle. The internet has helped to reach out and educate people about this behind the scenes torture. There is now a lot of video content available which brings these once hidden practices into the open. Many of the videos are very graphic and upsetting, stirring up all kinds of emotion from deep sadness to extreme anger. But there are other ways you can educate yourself such as conducting your own online research and choosing written information over visual.

 

Unravelling the web of deceit around products, how they are made and what they are made from can seem never-ending. Unless something has the leaping bunny logo, or similar certification on its packaging, you cannot be sure that it has not caused harm to innocent animals before it has reached your bathroom shelf. Nowadays, there are more and more people standing up for the animals and saying NO, this is not okay and we will not fund this unnecessary cruelty anymore!

 

Movements like Veganuary, and a rise in the number of people adopting a plant-based lifestyle are showing that we can all do better, for the animals and for the planet. We have learnt that a cruelty-free lifestyle goes far beyond the foods we eat. It filters through into all aspects of life, from what we wear on our feet to what we put on our skin. Many people still unknowingly use products which have been tested on animals. The manufacturers will of course not be advertising this on their packaging as ‘we hurt animals’ is not really an attractive selling point.

 

 

So what can you do to help? You can research the products you buy and take responsibility as a consumer to make an ethical choice. Even better - make the pledge to become cruelty-free and switch all of your cosmetics, skin care and home care to cruelty-free products. Spring is a time of change and symbolizes a fresh start - so start by spring cleaning your make-up bag and your skin care staples!

Right now, we are offering 15% off all of our plant-based and cruelty-free Hair, Body and Skin care products. This discovery sale invites you to find your new favorite amongst our all-natural handcrafted products. When you spend your money on PHB products, 20% goes towards helping animals and people in need via our in-house charity ‘The One Love Foundation.’ Our ethos has always been compassion over profit, as well as creating products which heal and nourish the skin.

 

It never too late to become cruelty-free. We can all forgive ourselves for past choices and consumer behavior before we were aware of animal testing. It was hidden from us all and now it is out in the open, we are able to make the right choices. Join us in the compassionate revolution by replacing your beauty essentials with kinder cosmetics and ethical skin care products.

 

Take the leap, you won't ever look back - we promise!

3 Comment(s)

Margaret Keynes:
22/04/2019, 08:48:17 AM
Reply

Thank you for this article. As with "Extinction Rebellion", the more people who know about the environment, cruelty to animals and nature, the better. It is brilliant that PHB are also recommended in the Compassionate Shopping Guide of the Naturewatch Foundation, who are even more vigilant than BUAV. I believe we must keep up the pressure on consumers, some of whom have no idea their purchases are manufactured with such pain and misery. Well done1

Gina PHB:
30/05/2019, 04:54:41 PM
Reply

Thank you for your kind words and awareness of environmental issues. It is great to have someone like you backing our brand and reading our blogs. Many people are unaware of the suffering behind many mainstream brands as things such as animal testing are not broadcasted publicly or in some cases, people are made to believe it is necessary, for whatever unjustifiable reason this may be. We will always be 100% vegan and cruelty-free - that is of utmost importance to us and the foundation of our brand. Keep doing what your doing!

Bill:
21/08/2019, 07:21:55 PM, www.allivet.com
Reply

great article. do you know where to leap into the spring?

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