HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

In the past, some customers asked their hair stylist to forgo L’Oreal salon supplies, as it was widely belived L’Oreal tested exclusively on animals. The editorial opinion of this blog is not particularly radical, but holds the position that we don’t need another mascara in the world so bad it has to be tested on an animal. The world can do without. Now, L’Oreal has products that are not tested on animals, and a few vegan certified products as well, meaning that they were not only not tested on animals, but they also don’t contain animal ingredients.

I find that on sites like Spafrais.com that have decent discounts on the products, you can’t really search products by their cruelty free status. You need to research which ones suit you independently, and then look for the item.  I would look on the container of a product you have been using to check, and then order your refill, or search the internet first.  Many companies are going to using cells in a lab to test, rather than using live animals, but not everyone states it on the front of the bottle.  Some are clearly marked, but some necessitate you to read the fine print.

There is some controversy among some folks, accusing L’Oreal’s change motivated by new European Union standards for cosmetics companies and personal care products, rather than out of the goodness of their hearts. The other point of contention is that L’Oreal has not signed the PETA pledge, promising to never animal test again. To the first, I say that it doesn’t matter what their initial motive for change was. The second point, well, not everyone think PETA is the gold standard. In fact, there are many individuals who consider part of PETA particularly out of touch and don’t want to associate themselves with them. There are probably many more companies who don’t use animal testing and simply don’t want to be associated with PETA in any way.  The list is a good guide, but by no means completely inclusive.

I know a few people who have peacock eye feathers. I always guessed they were lucky people who just happened to be around a peacock when it dropped a quill. Maybe it molted it, or maybe the feather got stuck in something when it opened its tail to display it for the lady peacocks, or pea hens. I recently found that you can buy them online at Featherstore.com. In fact, they sell them in bunches of 100.

Where do they get the feathers? Are there peacock farmers that just walk behind the peacocks and wait for something to drop? I was afraid that peacocks were killed and skinned for their feathers, but recently I found out differently. When peacocks molt, they start to drop their beautiful eye tail feathers as well as sword feathers. The peacock farmer just needs to be quick to pick them up before they get too trampled or soiled. A peacock can lose 5-10 feathers a day. If you have ten, then you may get 100 feathers a day if allowed to fall naturally.  So, if you have a few peacocks, you can easily gather up many.

If a feather is ready to come out, but just hanging in there for whatever reason, you can give it a gentle tug and it will come out without pain to the bird. However, if you get eager and try to pull it out prematurely, the bird may bleed just a tiny bit. The easiest and best way is just to let them fall naturally.

It doesn’t take too many peacock feathers to make an impact because they are long and beautiful.  Isn’t it nice to know that you can use them in your crafts, clothing, or decor without worrying that the bird was harmed?  In fact, the birds are being done a favor by having their yard picked up after.

Many of you are concerned with cosmetics that are tested on animals.  While the readership is divided over the issue, I think all of us can agree that we don’t need a new formula of mascara so badly that an animal should be harmed.  Fragrances that have not been tested on animals are hard to come by.  Some of the scents that are the stalwarts of the vanity or medicine cabinet have been around for decades, so it is inevitable that they test.  There are, of course, the options of using straight essential oils but it may be tricky.  Without skill, you could be walking around smelling like the produce aisle.

One Perfume company that I found that you can buy on mass market, or more mainstream sites is Yves Rocher. The company does not test on animals at all. In fact, their scent, Ispahan, is on waitlisted at PerfumeMart.  Maybe it is that much harder to come by, or more in demand now that the word is out. At its headquarters, Yves Rocher also recycles, composts, or converts 88% of the waste it generates.  If this is also a sign of a product you would want to do business with, you now know that there is indeed a higher end French fragrance that you can wear.

I know that it is very important to many of my readers to buy and use skin care products that are “cruelty free.” The definition of the term varies from individual to individual. For me, I just don’t think that me, or the world, needs another shade of nail polish or eyeliner pencil so badly that testing it on animals is remotely necessary. Of course, the exception is if you happen to be Miss Piggy, who should never be discouraged from freely testing cosmetic samples on herself to find her perfect formula for her skin type. Why do I feel like I am about to be karate chopped from inferring that Miss Piggy was an animal?

Borba believes in beauty from the inside out, and offers two different product categories to help individuals achieve that healthy balance.

Borba Cosmeceuticals has a line of products for every skin type. I throughly scanned most of their offerings, and everything I examined has not been tested on animals. The quality of ingredients, variety, the price point, design, and level of service, do not just appeal to individuals who are already looking for products that have more natural ingredients and are not animal tests. These factors also make it the products an easy and comfortable transition for someone accustomed to purchasing their skin care solutions at the department store, but looking for something new.

Borba Nutraceuticals offers a line of Skin Balance water and Clarifying Aqua-less Crysalline. The waters offer a variety of nutrients to support the health of your skin, and the Aqua Crystalline are packets that you can add to water. I really do think nutritional support is something to keep in mind when tackling skin issues. I battled for many years with dermatitis until recently and had found that element is what I was neglecting.

For even more convenience, Borba has many products available for “Auto Ship.” You can set your preferences to be sent a refill just as you are about to run out. You will receive a sample product along with your reorder as an additional reward for making life easier. If you are like me, you wait until you cannot squeeze even one more drop out of a bottle of something before it is on your mind to buy more. Then, you wonder why you could be so forgetful. For most people, time is money, too.

Have you tried Borba, yet? Comment and tell me what you think.

I am not against ALL animal testing, as my dogs would eagerly volunteer themselves to taste test new potential flavors of dog treats, but I do not think an animal needs to suffer, or even experience mild annoyance just so I can have new mascara (Just search “Beagles” on my search box and you can read about the breed of dog that unfortunately finds themselves in those situations all too often.)

When I found out about Naked Naturals, I was glad to find it for several reasons. Not only are the products never tests on animals, but they don’t contain any ingredients that would be harmful to people, either. There are no synthetic fragrances, according to NakedNaturals.com, and no laurel or laureth sulfates.

Instead of just pointing out a refreshingly natural shampoo, I am backing up my recommendation with test driving it for myself. I have tried many “natural” shampoos only to coming away from the experience smelling like astringent, my hair feeling like straw or feeling very oily, and my sensitive scalp tingling just a bit too much. The scent of the Awapuhi and Lavendar shampoo brought to mind high end spa products, which was a nice surprise. My hair was soft and manageable immediately after the first use. Because my hair just never seems to want to dry, the pesky wet spots look oily in patches as it dries when I just was too impatient to use the hairdryer for too long. With the use of this product, my hair dried much faster.

I should also point out that I have dermatitis and wondered how my scalp would react, as the shamoo is not medicated. I was pleasantly surprised with the results after several uses, as the shampoo and conditioner contain nothing at all to aggravate the condition. I am wondering if my sensitivity is coming from the chemicals normally in standard shampoos, and perhaps now that I am switching I won’t have as much of a problem.

Even the disgruntled bathroom tchotchkes got in on the act.