The good news is animal testing is declining as companies respond to ethical concerns and new regulations. The UK banned all forms of animal testing for household cleaning products in 2015… but the RSPCA still has concerns:
Although ‘end product’ animal testing is rare, testing on individual ingredients still happens. The problem is manufacturers of substances such as cleaning chemicals must prioritise testing safety during research and development. As such, some clauses can be overridden to satisfy other legislation such as the EU Chemicals Regulation (REACH).
As a result, animals are sometimes still used to test if inhaling, ingesting or just being exposed to a chemical product or ingredient causes symptoms such as:
💀 Toxicity.
💀 Long-term illness.
💀 Skin sensitivity, pain, allergic reactions, burns.
💀 Damage to eyesight.
💀 Reproductive and pregnancy issues and birth defects.
And it is not just mice that suffer. Dogs, cats, rabbits, frogs, fish, farm animals and more are all tested on for the sake of producing cleaning chemicals.
In addition, brands don’t advertise their animal testing, so it’s not always easy to know which do. Cruelty-Free Soul lists some of the
well-known brands that still use animal testing. You may be surprised by some of the names on the list; some newer brands that are genuinely cruelty-free have larger parent companies that still test on animals.
The good news (in case you didn’t see this coming!) is probiotic cleaning products are animal loving and intrinsically safe and supportive of health and life. They are not tested on animals and they don’t cause the symptoms listed above. You can simply swap your chemical hand soap, washing up liquid,
floor cleaner, air freshener and kitchen and bathroom sprays for probiotic versions.
