Keeping up with the world trend of being environmentally conscious and animal friendly, many brands have taken the path of anti-animal cruelty. These brands, whether belonging to the fashion industry or to the cosmetic world, have vowed to not use animals to manufacture or test their products on. However, while this is a bright reality, there is also a dim side to it.
A fair number of popular brands do not follow the same trend. Such brands have been widely criticised for their policies that indulge in animal cruelty. Brands such as Forever 21, Lakme, Maybelline, Garnier, Neutrogena and many more have faced major backlash for not being animal friendly. Major attention was drawn to the issue when the heat was turned up on Forever 21 for using sheep wool for their fur garments. Videos from a sheep farm in Australia flooded the internet and there was a wave of disgust, with young activists asking people to boycott the brand. Vikram Patil , an animal lover, says, “Skinning an animal for its fur is inhumane. Companies that sell animal products certainly seem to turn a blind eye as long as they’re making profits.”
A clothing brand like Forever 21 that is popular, not only in India, but across America and Europe, has major influence on the youth and was shamed for not being considerate. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also stepped in and spoke up against the cruelty against animals for fur. They put up posters asking people to steer clear of the brand and to force them into stopping their cruel ways.
“Contrary to what a lot of these brands believe, animals are not mere objects that we can toy around with. It’s important that we make ourselves heard and be loud against those who think otherwise,” says Bidisha Singha, an aspiring veterinarian.
Nimish Sharma, an animal lover, says that youngsters need to stop thinking that wearing clothes made out of animal fur and leather is fashionable. “People need to be more aware of the damage they are doing and firm laws must be imposed. This brutality must stop,” says Sharma.
Another equally cruel form of animal torture is testing products on animals to validate their safety for human beings. Brands that introduce many youngsters to the world of skincare and cosmetics, such as Neutrogena and Maybelline, have been recognised by PETA for their animal cruelty. As popular as these brands are, there is also an equal amount of dissent surrounding them. “Since when is using other living creatures as dummies for testing okay? It is highly disgusting and unjustified,” says Mariana Rosario adding that people cannot harm anyone or anything because they want fancy cosmetics and clothes. “There are enough substitutes and it’s high time brands started exploring alternative methods,” she adds.
Being aware and conscious requires the youth today to follow certain spoken and unspoken norms, which include not promoting or supporting brands that aren’t cruelty free. Using this to their advantage, many brands have started promoting themselves as animal friendly and vegan brands.
Clothing brands such as H&M and Zara cater to the fashion needs of youngsters while being known for their animal friendly ways. They have been known for their use of only faux fur and leather. There are many cosmetic brands that use natural ingredients in their products and are verified by PETA as safe brands to use, especially for all the animal lovers.
“I think consumers are looking to make purchases that are in line with their personal values. It all boils down to capitalism versus compassion. That cruelty free cosmetic companies produce inferior products is a misconception. Development of techniques such as in-vitro testing or artificial human skin testing can eliminate animal cruelty altogether,” says Midhila M, a 21-year-old activist.
Indian brands such as Khadi Naturals, Lotus Herbals and Forest Essentials use only environment friendly, organic ingredients. Other brands such as The Body Shop, Lush, Biotique, Smashbox and many more also use safe and natural ingredients to manufacture their products. Since most brands produce similar products with only certain differences in ingredients, a shift towards the more environmentally conscious brands can help make a lasting difference and prompt other brands to follow the same path.
