5 Ways Choosing the Right Personal Care Products Saves Your Furry Friends

You know dog people, and you know cat people. You may even know horse or bunny people. Everyone loves a good little debate about which pet is better (it always happens in the office). Generally, though, everyone can agree: we love our furry friends.

Some people take their love of pets to the next level. Picture a crazy cat lady or an obsessive dog dad. They'll buy anything that improves their pets' lives, like beds, gourmet treats, fancy toys, and luxury collars. There might be one thing they're missing, though, and that's buying personal care products that are cruelty-free.

All the lotions and potions, makeup, skincare, and fragrances we use are usually tested to ensure they are safe for our skin. However, not all product testing is equal. Hundreds of brands still test their products on animals.

We encourage everyone to switch to cruelty-free products that aren't tested on animals. We feel so passionately about our furry friends that we put together a list of five reasons why the cruelty-free movement is the way to go and benefits everyone, including your pets at home.

1. Cruelty-free products protect animals.

Okay, we had to go for the low-hanging fruit first. Of course, cruelty-free products don't involve animals in product testing, but we wanted to go into a bit more detail.

Bunnies, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, cats, and dogs are all animals commonly kept and loved as household pets. But they are also commonly used for animal testing. These animals are poked and prodded with ingredients that are not known to be safe on human skin. Ingredients are dropped into their eyes and slathered on their skin, and if they aren't safe, the animals feel the effects. These animals are put through pain so companies can use cheaper ingredients in their products, which we'll go into next.

2. They use safer ingredients.

Products that aren't tested on animals use ingredients known to be body-safe already. One of the reasons that companies use animal testing is because they want to use ingredients that make their product cheaper but less safe.

Carcinogens and formaldehyde are often used in makeup and skin care products. However, they can be irritating to the skin, in addition to having links to cancers and other serious health issues. These brands test on animals first to ensure that an outwardly "safe" level of these ingredients is used in their products. This keeps their products cheap but unhealthy for us or our furry friends.

Ingredients used in cruelty-free items are known to be safe and tend to be much cleaner than those in animal-tested products. Switching to cruelty-free products means saving the animals and your skin from nasty, harmful ingredients.

3. Products are more environmentally friendly.

Typically, cruelty-free items are sold by brands that care not only about animals but also about the planet. These products keep animals in their natural habitats and out of lab cages, which promotes a healthy ecosystem with lots of biodiversity. Additionally, many cruelty-free brands value sustainable products that use recycled materials in their packaging and have recycling schemes that keep waste out of landfills.

Because cruelty-free products use safer, higher-quality ingredients, you might also end up buying fewer personal care products after making the switch. Because these products are higher quality, they are more likely to work well with your skin and prevent irritation or other adverse side effects. That means you won’t have to spend money trying to find better alternatives that keep your skin looking and feeling its best.

You might also find that one or two of these good products will substitute for half a dozen sub-par ones, meaning they can clean, moisturize and protect against aging without help from all kinds of expensive toners and serums. Not only will your wallet thank you, but the planet will also thank you for participating in less wasteful buying.

4. Cruelty-free products make you feel good.

That's right, items that aren't tested on animals will put you in a better mood. It might sound crazy, but when you realize that your purchases make a difference, you will feel like a superhero.

The term "voting with your wallet" isn't new, but it is still so important. When you take profit from companies that test on animals and move it to ones that don't, you are showing the market that people really do care about the issue of animal cruelty. You are taking a stand against practices that are unethical and inhumane.

Making purchases that align with your values and beliefs always feels good, and knowing that you might be saving an animal similar to your pet feels fantastic.

5. They might just become your new favorites.

With so many great options for cruelty-free products ranging from makeup to skincare to fragrances, your new favorite product might be out there waiting for you. Try a cruelty-free body wash or hair conditioner that works just as well, if not better, than your current choices but has the added benefit of being all-natural and doesn't hurt any furry friends.

Next time you're shopping for personal care products, keep an eye out for any logos or statements that show a brand's commitment to protecting animals from cruel testing. If there isn't one, look up the brands to see if they participate in the battle against cruelty or continue the barbaric practice.

Here at Packer’s Pine, our all-natural pine tar soap, along with our body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, are all cruelty-free. We love our furry friends and go to great lengths to protect them. Join us on our mission to shop cruelty-free, no matter the brand, and show companies that it's time to end animal testing.