When I was thirteen

I took off my bordeaux nail polish last night and took the time to actually look at the ingredients list on the nail polish remover tub (I use the kind with the sponge in the tub that you stick your finger in and swish around). There's gelatin in my nail polish remover. This discovery made me all the more adamant that 2009 would be a cruelty-free beauty product year. I'll use what I have on hand, but when it comes to buying new, I'm making sure my haircare, makeup, and other beauty products are cruelty free.

This issue of animal testing for beauty products is actually what brought me to vegetarianism in the first place - I did a report on the topic in my 6th grade language arts class and it really opened my eyes. Years later, I think I'm doing so well, using natural products and being what I think is a conscious consumer, and then bam! I find an animal product in my nail polish remover. So here I am, making my New Years' resolution: I'm making the pledge to go cruelty free in 2009.

I used to be so vigilant about it but I've slacked off in the last few years. There are issues that I have chosen to either ignore or simply not ask about that used to impact how I shopped when I was passionate about the cause. In my return to this idealism, the biggest adjustment will be finding a new makeup collection - Origins doesn't test its final products on animals and doesn't use animal ingredients, but it doesn't have any rules about using animal-tested ingredients. Perhaps I'll be making the trek back to The Body Shop like I did when I was 13. No worries, though, I do promise to continue to wear deodorant and shave my legs!

The positive thing is that there are lots of readily-available products out there and it's pretty easy to make this pledge once you set your mind to it and pay attention. I'll report back with new product finds as I make my changes. By the way, that bordeaux nail polish by Essie - I've now learned it's only 50% cruelty free. Guess my nail polish choices need to be revised as well...