Daily Walrus - Helping People Help Animals

Today I (Jenny) got a much needed haircut and found a great opportunity to inform others about animal testing.  I go to the Aveda Institute because of their great prices and great products – not tested on animals and most are vegan.  When I was in the awkward small talk phase with my hair dresser I brought up that I specifically go to Aveda because the products are animal friendly.  She was curious, and the small talk turned into a full blown discussion of product testing on animals.  After a few minutes I was able to dispel her misconceptions (i.e. testing = shampooing bunnies) and told her about the horrendous practices of spraying chemicals in eyeballs and open wounds. 

Obviously she was appalled by the practices, but commented that thankfully animal testing of cosmetics is a  faux pas and a thing of the past.  This gave me the opportunity to tell her about companies like Proctor & Gamble, Suave, and Dial that do still use these outdated techniques.  She was shocked because animals are not humans and do not necessarily respond the same way as humans do to chemicals or products.  This was a great observation on her part and opened the door for me to discuss Thalidomide.  This drug was tested extensively on animals and proved to be safe but later had to be pulled off the market due to the horrible birth defects it caused in human children. 

So since we have spent the last few days discussing animal testing now you have a little background to help spread the word.  If you find yourself in an opportunity where you can discuss animal testing with someone, DO IT!  Not only did my hair dresser listen to what I had to say, but there were neighboring customers and stylists that were also able to hear.  It isn’t the most pleasant topic of conversation, but if this stylist one day branches out and opens her own salon, she may think twice about the products she sells.