V
vanessabyrne
Guest
Hi,
I’m 15 years old, a catholic living in Ireland. Recently, I gave some thought about cruelty free products. * * * * * * * * * **
*
I came across a small mention of cruelty free makeup in a magazine and it really got me thinking. I started to do some research on the internet. This happened a short time before my brother’s Confirmation. I usually don’t wear a whole lot of makeup but I wanted to wear makeup for my brother’s Confirmation.
After some research on the internet, I found out that the makeup I already have (NYC) may not fully be cruelty free. So I looked for one that is. I came across “Essence.” I remember using one of their lipglosses for my own Confirmation. They state on their website how they don’t tests on animals, so I got a mouse foundation, cover stick and a lipgloss.
But then I did some more thinking. Not just makeup, what about the shampoo my family use? Or toothpaste? Or hygiene products? Or cleaning products? This played on my mind a lot and knowing that we couldnt literally change every single product to that of a cruelty free one, I started to feel bad. I still don’t feel great but I’m trying to trust that God is helping.*
So I started to internet research shampoo. I found out that herbal essences is owned by p and g who (apparently) do test on animals. I found out that also l’oreal test on animals, but apparently on their website they say that they’re working with “The Skin Ethic Tissue Engineering Organistation” which got me thinking even more. loreal-paris.co.uk/faq.aspx
So if they use cells (or make something similar) where does the Catholic Church stand on this? Is it moral? I dreaded to think that they would use aborted fetus cells. Would a company really do that?
But to my horror, I found out that companies actually do. (I’m not accusing the skin ethic tissue engineering organistation.) EWTN said on their question and answer website that a brand “Neocutis” (a one I think is to expensive and one I would never use anyway) actually include the cells of an aborted male baby. ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=587151&Pg=&Pgnu=&recnu=*
I felt disgusted this would actually happen. So again, more research.
Even worse was that I discovered (apparently) food and drinks even use aborted fetus cells to make “resepters” to test their products on. (Senoymx) You may have heard of the pepsi thing, which makes me very confused and unsure of the actual story.
Not that I’m saying that *“the skin ethic engineering organistation” has much to do with this, or anything at all, (not that I think) but all this got me thinking.
Moving away from that however, I thought about my face wash and moisturiser. Were they cruelty free? For years, I’ve used “Neutogena visibly clear pink grapefruit facial wash.” It worked great, helping my skin to be clearer (now not completely clear of spots and blackheads, but still, more clear.) With it, I used “Simple kind to skin hydrating light moisturiser” again, another product which worked. It includes vitamins and says it contains “no animal derived ingredients.” But I still wondered about whether they were cruelty free or not. As a result of (apparently) reading they’re not, I haven’t used them in weeks. Meaning my face is far from clear, just a very short time away from my cousin’s wedding.
All this as genuinely just left me confused. I’m the kind of person who over thinks things a lot and let’s things really get to my mind. I feel guilty about not knowing what products I can actually use. I feel confused over what am I actually eating or drinking. I feel guilty when I see people drinking mountain dew in school, or when my home ec teacher mentioned tropicana, or when I see people in public with pepsi. I told my family about what I found out on this. I feel guilty because not everything my family buy or use is cruelty free, or fairtrade. Not all our meat can be cruelty free, nor all our hygiene products can not be tested on animals, or all our clothes or food fairtrade. We’re not great for money, and it’s hard to find products that are cruelty free or fairtrade, especially when they’re hard to find and not very local.
So I wash my hair less because I feel bad that it was tested on animals, and I don’t use my face wash and moisturisiser (also the moisuriser has “urea” is that okay?) because it may of hurt animals, which makes my skin not look very nice. I don’t like eating chocolate or other foods if they may not be fairtrade.*
All this has left me confused, anxious, guilty and upset. Things do upset me and play on mind - like I said, I read a tiny paragraph and all this happens. It also left me wondering that if something isn’t cruelty free to animals, is it to humans, like for example, aborted babies?
I’m sorry I wrote all this, I’m praying about it but I need advice. What should I use? How should I feel and approach all this? Am I over reacting? What do “cruelty free to animal products” actually test on? What does the Catholic Church feel about cruelty free/non cruelty free products and their use? Should I feel guilty, upset, etc? Can I still use some of these products, eg. Face wash and moisteriser? Do you think I may be acting scrupulous? What actually is “The Skin Ethic Tissue Engineering Organisation”? Is it moral amd what does the Catholic Church think about this? Please don’t let it upset you. Please Pray for me and my family and these organisations. Thanks.
God Bless
I’m 15 years old, a catholic living in Ireland. Recently, I gave some thought about cruelty free products. * * * * * * * * * **
*
I came across a small mention of cruelty free makeup in a magazine and it really got me thinking. I started to do some research on the internet. This happened a short time before my brother’s Confirmation. I usually don’t wear a whole lot of makeup but I wanted to wear makeup for my brother’s Confirmation.
After some research on the internet, I found out that the makeup I already have (NYC) may not fully be cruelty free. So I looked for one that is. I came across “Essence.” I remember using one of their lipglosses for my own Confirmation. They state on their website how they don’t tests on animals, so I got a mouse foundation, cover stick and a lipgloss.
But then I did some more thinking. Not just makeup, what about the shampoo my family use? Or toothpaste? Or hygiene products? Or cleaning products? This played on my mind a lot and knowing that we couldnt literally change every single product to that of a cruelty free one, I started to feel bad. I still don’t feel great but I’m trying to trust that God is helping.*
So I started to internet research shampoo. I found out that herbal essences is owned by p and g who (apparently) do test on animals. I found out that also l’oreal test on animals, but apparently on their website they say that they’re working with “The Skin Ethic Tissue Engineering Organistation” which got me thinking even more. loreal-paris.co.uk/faq.aspx
So if they use cells (or make something similar) where does the Catholic Church stand on this? Is it moral? I dreaded to think that they would use aborted fetus cells. Would a company really do that?
But to my horror, I found out that companies actually do. (I’m not accusing the skin ethic tissue engineering organistation.) EWTN said on their question and answer website that a brand “Neocutis” (a one I think is to expensive and one I would never use anyway) actually include the cells of an aborted male baby. ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=587151&Pg=&Pgnu=&recnu=*
I felt disgusted this would actually happen. So again, more research.
Even worse was that I discovered (apparently) food and drinks even use aborted fetus cells to make “resepters” to test their products on. (Senoymx) You may have heard of the pepsi thing, which makes me very confused and unsure of the actual story.
Not that I’m saying that *“the skin ethic engineering organistation” has much to do with this, or anything at all, (not that I think) but all this got me thinking.
Moving away from that however, I thought about my face wash and moisturiser. Were they cruelty free? For years, I’ve used “Neutogena visibly clear pink grapefruit facial wash.” It worked great, helping my skin to be clearer (now not completely clear of spots and blackheads, but still, more clear.) With it, I used “Simple kind to skin hydrating light moisturiser” again, another product which worked. It includes vitamins and says it contains “no animal derived ingredients.” But I still wondered about whether they were cruelty free or not. As a result of (apparently) reading they’re not, I haven’t used them in weeks. Meaning my face is far from clear, just a very short time away from my cousin’s wedding.
All this as genuinely just left me confused. I’m the kind of person who over thinks things a lot and let’s things really get to my mind. I feel guilty about not knowing what products I can actually use. I feel confused over what am I actually eating or drinking. I feel guilty when I see people drinking mountain dew in school, or when my home ec teacher mentioned tropicana, or when I see people in public with pepsi. I told my family about what I found out on this. I feel guilty because not everything my family buy or use is cruelty free, or fairtrade. Not all our meat can be cruelty free, nor all our hygiene products can not be tested on animals, or all our clothes or food fairtrade. We’re not great for money, and it’s hard to find products that are cruelty free or fairtrade, especially when they’re hard to find and not very local.
So I wash my hair less because I feel bad that it was tested on animals, and I don’t use my face wash and moisturisiser (also the moisuriser has “urea” is that okay?) because it may of hurt animals, which makes my skin not look very nice. I don’t like eating chocolate or other foods if they may not be fairtrade.*
All this has left me confused, anxious, guilty and upset. Things do upset me and play on mind - like I said, I read a tiny paragraph and all this happens. It also left me wondering that if something isn’t cruelty free to animals, is it to humans, like for example, aborted babies?
I’m sorry I wrote all this, I’m praying about it but I need advice. What should I use? How should I feel and approach all this? Am I over reacting? What do “cruelty free to animal products” actually test on? What does the Catholic Church feel about cruelty free/non cruelty free products and their use? Should I feel guilty, upset, etc? Can I still use some of these products, eg. Face wash and moisteriser? Do you think I may be acting scrupulous? What actually is “The Skin Ethic Tissue Engineering Organisation”? Is it moral amd what does the Catholic Church think about this? Please don’t let it upset you. Please Pray for me and my family and these organisations. Thanks.
God Bless
