The beauty and cosmetic industry has grown massively during the past few years and is now generating almost $600 billion every year. This growth is mostly contributed by the fact that consumers have increased their demand for it and they view makeup as a means of self-expression and empowerment. Moreover, new brands are emerging every day and they can launch themselves through e-commerce which makes them more accessible to consumers. However, not all brands are against animal testing. Every year, more than 100 million animals are killed because of animal testing – only 3% of the animals survive. Animals are consciously exposed to toxic chemicals, live in horrible cages, and are mostly killed after the experiment.
On the 6th of April 2021, a short film was premiered by The Humane Society of the United States called, “Save Ralph.” The video is a four-minute mockumentary that follows a rabbit, named Ralph, through his day as an animal tester. He explains how the rest of his family died because of animal testing and he is simply following their legacy, “because humans are more important.” By the end of the video, Ralph is in a horrible state with severe chemical burns on his back, he’s blind, deaf in one ear, is wearing a collar on his neck, and has seemed to lose his sense of awareness because he is unable to identify the camera. The video ends with their slogan, “No animal should die or suffer in the name of beauty.” It has been translated into several languages including, Spanish and French, and has over 42 million views on Instagram.
The poster for the short film
Several associations have been fighting against animal cruelty for many years but they have not had the kind of success that this animation had. Its success is contributed to by its animation and the talent behind it. By hiring leading Hollywood celebrities like Zac Efron, Taika Waititi, and Ricky Gervais, they were able to gain the attention of other celebrities that spread the news very fast and caught the attention of many people. By choosing to animate the short film, they were able to catch the attention of the younger population as well and create an emotionally moving short film that, like the director wanted, “conveys a message without being too heavy.” He further adds, “I hope the public falls in love with Ralph and wants to fight for him and other animals like him so that we can ban the tests once and for all.” Moreover, the short film emphasizes its message through its dry and ironic humour that sets in with its audience that may be tired of hearing about sustainability and animal cruelty.
The mockumentary allows consumers to link the image of animal cruelty with Ralph, which evokes more emotional senses because the audience sees Ralph as a real character with its identity. The writers showed the audience Ralph’s friends with him in the lab, heard him talk about his family, and saw him living his life in the condition that he was in, all of this makes us see him as a living thing. This emotion can then be projected on all the animals like, mice, rabbits, fish, hamsters, dogs, and many others, that are used for animal testing and it makes us want to go against it because it is not morally correct for us as, not only consumers but also as people.
There are several brands that we purchase without realizing that they are not animal cruelty-free. As a consumer, it is our job to boycott brands that are not cruelty-free and promote brands that are against animal testing.
Brands that are not cruelty-free
On the other hand, several businesses make sure that they provide their consumers with cruelty-free goods. The Body Shop, for example, has been going on with their cruelty-free products since 1987. None of their ingredients or products is tested on animals, moreover, they make sure that their suppliers aren’t testing on animals either. The company refuses to sell its products in mainland China or any other country that requires animal testing by law. They have made sure to live up to their policy for almost 40 years now.
In March 2020, the Senate of Republic approved a bill regarding the prohibition of animal testing in the production, research, and development of cosmetics in Mexico. However, it still has to be approved by the higher authorities. In the meantime, we can make a difference by doing some important research on the businesses we are supporting and consuming to make sure that no one is harmed and ensuring a sustainable environment. We have the power to choose what we buy.
To help fight cosmetic and ingredient testing on animals, you can sign this petition.
