Doing Right Can Cost You

I'm running out hair conditioner and face moisturizer and I can't buy anymore Herbal Essences after reading about them and their animal testing practices. If they and Proctor & Gamble can't get on board with cruelty-free products, I'll have to abstain from purchasing them.

This is the beginning of the revolution.

It's not as simple as that, though. During my toiletries run to Target with Noah, I was frustrated to find limited products that have this symbol

Target carries Burt's Bees, Say Yes To Carrots and Shea Moisture products in their Natural Beauty aisle that have this symbol, but are really expensive! A face cream from Burt's Bees can cost $17. Body lotion from Shea Moisture can cost $10 for a 8oz bottle and is not a purchase I can continually make.

So I ended up getting a $15 bottle (1.7oz) of moisturizer from Say Yes To Carrots. I also found an $8 bottle of organic argon oil conditioner that promises to be cruelty-free. I came away from Target feeling like a chump. This is a lot of money to spend on taking care of my skin and hair, but if this continues, I will have to start making my own concoctions.

What I don't like is that people with a lot less money than myself can't even worry about this if they wanted to. If you need soap, you buy the cheapest and spend the rest of your money on the necessities like rent, food, and utilities. Buying expensive stuff draws a clear line in the sand. I can afford to live a heath and environmentally conscience life while someone else can't. 

Class division is not something you should ignore. It should be known that there are better products available. Companies are making organic cruelty-free products but not everyone can afford them. And really, it's not even in my budget to continue to buy high-end beauty products.

In a country where there is so much, there shouldn't be a reason for people to have sub-par products that are tested on animals. I don't believe companies have our interests in mind when they make shampoo with ingredients we can't pronounce and test them on rabbits and mice. I believe they are cutting corners, saving themselves money and keeping stockholders happy.

We shall see how February goes. Protest is harder than it looks and for now, it's a little hard on my purse.