In the last year I’ve become a bit of a hippie. I still shower though, don’t worry.
My boyfriend had been vegan for 7 years when I met him. We agreed that if he stopped smoking (which he had been doing for 14 years) that I would go vegan. Granted I was shitfaced when I made this deal so there was a lot of struggle on my part to hold up my end.
When we moved in together it was agreed that it would be a vegan household. So I became vegan…ish for a good 7 months. I still ate dairy if we were at a restaurant and definitely slipped up and ate meat while I was away from the boy.
Fast forward to now…the boyfriend decided to eat some dairy and fish (mostly due to my sushi obsession). I have now fully stopped eating meat other than fish. I know that this is not a cruelty free diet but for someone that used to crave cheeseburgers on a daily basis, it’s huge for me. I have no desire to eat beef or pork ever again. I feel too upset by the thought of what I would actually be eating. And while fried chicken is delicious, I don’t think I could kill a chicken, so therefore I should not eat one.
See, such a hippie.
Being with the boyfriend has made it impossible for me to blindly plow ahead in life with my eyes closed to how my actions don’t match up with my morals. He’s a huge animal/environmental rights guy. I have always loved animals with a fierceness that I rarely bestow on humans. Yet I was eating them, wearing them and using products that tested on them. What a load of bullshit.
In my slow going process to be more aware, I have been making sure that I research the cosmetics that I buy to make sure that there is NO animal testing involved.
Most of us have huge make-up cases full of cosmetics that we adore and that we’ve never thought twice about purchasing. We would also be disgusted to hear about the gut churning tests that are being done on animals so that can have those cosmetics. I’m not going to go into gory details here because I don’t believe in shoving information in people’s faces. There are plenty of websites that will give you the rundown of exactly what’s happening. It happens whether you read up on it or not, so I suggest looking into it. Yeah it’s uncomfortable and easier to not know the details but suck it up.
Feel like you want to be more aware and make some changes? Then I give you the challenge that I have given myself:
-Go into your bathroom and look at all your products. Do they have the little cruelty free bunny on the bottle? No? Go look up that company and whoever owns that company and see if they test on animals.
-If you find that you have a lot of products with no bunny on the back, use them cuz you already bought them and there’s no need to be wasteful.
-But then next time you go out for shampoo, moisturizer or make-up, go armed with a list of companies that are cruelty free. Need help? Try one of these sites to guide you.
If you want to know if a specific product that you love is cruelty free, just type into Google and ask. Leaping Bunny talks about how just because the bunny may be on the bottle, that doesn’t always mean it’s safe so do your research and do it well. More and more products are available that are safe, even at Target and Sephora. You don’t have to go to all natural stores.
It’s a slow transition to make. There’s always more that we could be doing. I know I shouldn’t be eating dairy or using products that have any animal products. But it’s a transition. To stop everything at once would be overwhelming. Even changing one thing is good. If everything changed one thing, it would be huge.
So all you animal lovers, put your money where your mouth is and be aware of who you’re buying from and what you’re putting on your face. It feels good and it’s great karma.
See..such a fucking hippie.
PS…wanna get really freaked out? Go watch this two minute cartoon on the toxic chemicals in our products and how we can help change it!
Like this:
Tags: animal rights, animal testing, cosmetics, cruelty free, leaping bunny, PETA, vegan
oh my gosh! congratulations on your more animal-friendly diet and lifestyle. i went vegetarian almost 6 years ago and have never looked back. about six months ago i went vegan and i love it. in the past 6 years i have slowly transitioned my cosmetics from regular to non-animal tested. it costs more now but it’s totally worth it. also, like you mentioned, some shit is so toxic to our bodies! YUUUUCK. it can be difficult to be aware of how our actions affect the world around us but at the end of the day i’d rather be aware than oblivious.
Now is a great time for natural and organic skincare and makeup. They are getting to be pretty widely available (especially if you shop online), and I’ve had some awesome finds in the last year. I think my skin looks better now that I’ve gone mostly natural too. I also make some of my own face products…which I suppose makes me as much of a hippie as you.
I want skincare recipes! Maybe you can do a guest blog and share them….?
I don’t know about a guest blog….but I’d love to chat with you about it! I use a bunch of weird face oils and essential oils. Nothing very sophisticated. I’ll whip something up for you when you are in town.
Congratulations, and what a great post! I went vegan about 4 years ago and I have been using urban decay for my cosmetics. That transition, along with changing what I eat has made such a positive impact on my skin and body. Also, kudos for mentioning sustainability vs. getting rid of non-vegan items. I just bought a composter…joining the hippie crowd. =D
@ Anja: I too would love skin care recipes…guest blog, guest blog!