So you've been using, say, Burt's Bees hand lotions and facial astringent. Maybe some of their creamy colored lip balms. Then you find out that Burt's Bees has been purchased by Clorox. What does a conscientious animal lover do? Burt's Bees is still a cruelty-free company, using almost all vegan ingredients. But its parent company? We're not so sure.

The first thing to do would be to check into the Clorox company and see if they use animal testing in their other products and brands. As it turns out, there's a mixed bag. Clorox has a new line of cleaning products called Green Works^TM, and they are not tested on animals. However, I can find no word from Clorox about their animal-testing policies on any of their other brands - and my research indicates that they do, indeed, continue to torture helpless animals.

Who's Seducing Who?

The question is: Will Burt's Bees bring Clorox up the ecological ladder? Or will Clorox eventually pull Burt's Bees down?

Many animal lovers have stopped using Burt's Bees - and other vegan or non-animal tested products - that have been bought out by big companies that don't maintain accountability. The reasons are many: morality, economic boycott, or it simply turns their stomach.

Others are continuing to buy their vegan products, in the hopes of keeping that small sector of the big corporation cruelty-free.

I need to know what you, my dear readers, think.

Click the Contact Us button

at the bottom of any My Makeup Mirror page, and tell me your opinion. I'm currently doing research for a page that will list the animal-friendly companies that operate under the Sadist in the White Lab Coat's big corporation. At least then we'll have a more complete idea of who's working for who, and we can make more individually informed purchasing decisions.

If you don't want me to publish your comment, just let me know and I'll keep it confidential. Otherwise, I may publish comments if space provides. And your email address, if you do include it, will get tossed (unless you want a reply - and then I'll delete your email addy after replying).

Suzann