Animal testing is torture. It’s hard to believe that many household and personal care products are still tested on animals. Some are even tested on household pets that we hold so near and dear.

Nearly 65,000 dogs, most of whom are beagles are subjected to torture at the hands of U.S. laboratories each year. They’re kept in tiny, cold cages where many of them never see the light of day. Research can involve electrical shocks, radiation, burns, surgeries or mutilations. Animal testing is real; a cruelty that still goes on regularly. But a new smartphone app is making boycotting products that cause animal cruelty that much easier.

Few of us would choose to support companies that tested on animals. It’s just that not all products are clearly labeled. But with the Cruelty-Cutter app you can scan the barcode of a product in a store instead of having to check online. Australian model and animal activist Catherine McNeil has become the new face of Cruelty-Cutter. The app was developed by the Beagle Freedom Project.

Scan a product and then share the results with friends on social media. Stay up-to-date on animal welfare issues by joining the app’s Cruelty-Free community. Stand up to animal testing with knowledge and refuse to support companies that still participate is this disgusting practice.

Don’t be fooled by companies that were once cruelty-free. The world of multinational companies means you could be sending your money to animal testers without even knowing it. According to Cruelty-Cutter:

The Body Shop which was once considered a forerunner in working against animal testing is now owned by L’oreal, an experimenter on animals. Likewise, the popular Tom’s of Maine product line is now owned by Colgate-Palmolive. The list continues with Johnson and Johnson which owns Aveeno, Clorox owns Burt’s Bees and Estee Lauder owns Aveda, Origins and MAC Cosmetics. These once cruelty-free brands have become a source of considerable profit for these larger companies.

Download the Cruelty-Cutter app.

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At one point in the not-so-distant future, it’s bound to happen that all cosmetic companies see the light and support the Humane Cosmetics Act. Because, let’s face it, rabbits don’t ever need to wear lipstick (Jessica Rabbit aside).

The Humane Cosmetics Act is moving us closer to a cruelty-free America. Introduced by Representative Jim Moran (D-VA), the bill would ban all animal testing in the U.S. for cosmetic products. Similar acts exist throughout the EU, Norway, India and Israel.

More than 130 companies have signed on in support of the bill, with five more companies just adding their support–Sappo Hill Soapworks, It’s a 10 Hair care, Whip Hand Cosmetics, Darla Makeup, Malin+Goetz–bringing the total now to 138 companies who want to end animal testing.

“Safe, innovative cosmetic products can be created without harming animals. The Humane Society of the United States is delighted to see 138 cosmetics industry members have now endorsed this bill,”said Leah Gomez, project manager at The Humane Society of the United States. “Through our Be Cruelty-Free USA campaign, we continue to urge members and stakeholders of the cosmetics industry to support this legislation that would bring the U.S. in line with a growing worldwide momentum away from animal testing for cosmetics.”

California recently passed Senate Joint Resolution 22 (the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Resolution), which is putting the pressure on Congress to come up with a reasonable deadline on prohibiting animal testing.

Here’s the current list of companies supporting the Humane Cosmetics Act. We hope the list gets a lot longer very soon:

1. 100% Pure
2. 3 P Organics
3. 4 Elements Bath Products
4. ACURE
5. Afterglow Cosmetics
6. Alaska Glacial Mud Co.
7. Alder New York
8. Andalou Naturals
9. Aroma Naturals
10. Aspen Clean
11. Athar’a
12. Aubrey Organics
13. Auromère
14. B True Beauty
15. BALM Baby
16. Batty’s Bath
17. Beauty Without Cruelty
18. Bebeani, Inc. for Skinflow
19. Bee Naturals
20. Bella Mari
21. BelláPierre
22. belle & bianca, Inc.
23. Bello Moi, Inc.
24. Belly Buttons & Babies
25. Better Botanicals
26. Biao Skincare
27. Black Sheep Lacquer
28. Blissoma Holistic Skincare & Apothecary
29. BodyHonee
30. Booda Organics
31. Botanicals for Hope
32. Bum Boosa Bamboo Products
33. By Valenti Organics
34. California North
35. Chantecaille
36. CherlynTM Skincare
37. Clean George
38. Coastal Classic Creations
39. Concrete Minerals
40. Crazy Rumors
41. 
Dancing Dingo
42. Darla Makeup
43. Davids
44. demes
45. DeVita Natural Skin Care Systems
46. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
47. Dr. Desai Soap
48. Earth Pure Organics
49. Earthly Body
50. Elixery
51. Emerald Essentials
52. Everyday Minerals
53. Exfoliating Minerals
54. FACE atelier
55. FACEFACTS
56. FAR Botanicals
57. FíOR Mineral Cosmetics
58. Galiano Island Soap Works
59. Gloss & Toss
60. Golden Path Alchemy LLC
61. Gourmet Body Treats
62. Herbal Choice Mari
63. Hot Tot Haircare
64. Indie Lee & Co.
65. Infinite Aloe
66. Integrity Botanicals
67. Intelligent Nutrients
68. Isis Essentials
69. It’s a 10 Haircare
70. Jack Black
71. Juice Beauty
72. Just the Goods
73. Kahina Giving Beauty
74. Kaunis
75. Keeki Pure and Simple
76. Kelly-Nehemiah Cosmetics
77. Kokokahn
78. L’uvalla Certified Organic
79. Lakon Herbals
80. Lotus Garden Botanicals
81. LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
82. MALIN+GOETZ
83. Max Green Alchemy
84. Mi-Me Handmade Bath & Body Products
85. Mind Your Beeswax (Beecause Organics)
86. MIYU Beauty Corp.
87. Modern Minerals
88. Moroccanoil
89. Naturopathica Holistic Health
90. NuCèlle Inc.
91. Nurture My Body
92. O&N Collective
93. OSEA
94. Overstock. Com
95. Parissa
96. Patrick Smith Natural Health
97. Paul Mitchell
98. Pittstown Soapworks
99. Polish Cosmetics
100. Pristine Beauty
101. Priti NYC
102. Purple Prairie Botanicals
103. ReNew Botanicals
104. Rosemira Organics
105. Saavy Naturals
106. Salon Naturals
107. Sappo Hill Soapworks
108. Schmidt’s Deodorant
109. SeabuckWonders
110. Seventh Generation
111. Slice
Soap Cauldron
112. Soapwalla Kitchen
113. SoapyLayne
114. Solay Wellness
115. Sound Earth
116. Spa Organica
117. Spirit Free
118. Stark Skincare
119. SULA NYC
120. Suntegrity Skincare
121. Swipes Inc.
122. Tallulah Jane
123. Tata Harper
124. The Body Shop
125. The Vintage Soap Factory
126. Taylor House
127. Truth
128. Tsi~La Organics
129. US Organic Group Corp.
130. Vargas Cosmetics (Tilth Beauty)
131. Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery
132. Veria Naturals
133. Vermont Soap
134. Warm Earth Cosmetics
135. Whip Hand Cosmetics
136. Waxelene
137. ZENMED
138. Zosimos Botanicals

The form at this link easily allows the public to contact their representatives to ask them to co-sponsor the Humane Cosmetics Act: www.humanesociety.org/humanecosmeticsact.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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