Top of the list for Hanalei Company was developing a cruelty-free skincare brand with botanicals from the island. Are you the type of customer that…you know, cares about animals? If you are, first off: we love you! And secondly, we do too! We love animals so much that we purposely created Hanalei to be cruelty-free. In our minds, beauty isn’t worth it when it’s hurting another living creature.
First things first: what exactly does “cruelty-free” mean? The dictionary definition is pretty simple: “products developed by methods that do not involve experimentation on animals.” Simple, right? You’d think. It’s 2020 and a ton of companies and countries still push testing on animals.
Every single product that we sell is cruelty-free because it’s extremely important to us that we don’t pump out products at the expense of living, breathing creatures. When we created Hanalei, being cruelty-free was the easiest decision we made! Besides helping animals, cruelty-free products have their benefits.
You may be a person that’s on the fence about animal testing. Totally fair! There’s a ton of misinformation out there. We love facts, so here are some points to consider if you’re wanting to make the switch to cruelty-free skincare:
1. Cruelty-free Products Are Generally Healthier
When you think about it, it makes sense. When you turn your back on non-cruelty free products, you’re also scrapping those unnatural chemicals and preservatives. Sure, the skincare may have a shorter shelf life without the preservatives, but your skin will thank you! Your skin will be less irritated and inflamed when you decide to not subject animals to testing those same ingredients.
2. There Are Tons Of Safe Beauty And Cosmetic Ingredients
To be exact, there are over 7,000 safe ingredients out there! Insane, right?! With so many options, why are we just…actively not choosing them? Companies that go this route are actively saying that finding “new” and “ground-breaking” ingredients are more important than animals. We don’t need to keep reinventing the wheel over and over again.
3. Mice Aren’t the Only Animals Tested
Rabbits, cats, and even dogs are also subjected to testing, and they’re not “pets,” so cruelty and abuse laws don’t apply to them. They’re kept in small cages and often maimed or killed. We shouldn’t even be doing that to lab mice and rats!
4. Voting With Your Dollar Can Make A Difference
Money talks, unfortunately. If a company sees they’re losing money because they’re actively testing on animals, they might change and look for more humane ways to test (or, you know, use one of the 7,000 safe ingredients that are already out there). We know it shouldn’t be put on the consumer to instigate these changes, but here we are.
5.There Are Already Alternatives To Animal Testing Out There
Yeah, we said it. But apparently testing on animals is “low cost” and “affordable” so companies chose to keep doing it instead of finding a more ethical route. Scientists can use in vitro testing, cultured cell tissues, and computer models to avoid hurting animals!
Those are just some of the reasons Hanalei is staunchly and proudly cruelty-free. People and corporations have been asking how we can safely stop testing on animals to keep humans safe, but the answers have been out there! Beauty isn’t worth actively hurting living creatures for.
About the Author
Melissa Hedges currently resides in Colorado with her two chihuahua mixes, Pele and Siggi. In her free time, she's scoping out fancy brunch spots, playing with makeup, spoiling her dogs, and co-editing CEO, a literary magazine. Find her on Instagram: @hedgesmc
