Fashion

This App Knows What Products Use Animal Testing

by Alexa Tucker

Have you ever wondered if the products you use have been tested on animals? Well, now there's an app for that. Cruelty Cutter, which was developed by the Beagle Freedom Project, allows you to scan items in the store for an immediate rundown on the company's stand on animal testing.

According to the website, as many as 115 million animals worldwide are used in lab experiments every year. 65 million dogs are tested on in the U.S. alone, most of them beagles. "In product testing, corrosive substances are smeared on their skin or into their eyes and toxic products are forced down their throats or inhaled," the site says. As an animal lover, this almost makes me feel sick, and definitely guilty for not knowing more about the products I use and whether they have made it to my vanity through testing on animals cooped up alone in cold, sterile labs. Some companies that I was surprised to see on the list of groups that test on animals? Clinique, Neutrogena, and Aveeno. It's not just beauty brands, though — household and health companies do it, too.

The app allows you to share your results on social media, as well as allowing you to voice your concerns to the companies themselves (or, thank them.) And as you share, you earn "doggie dollars," which add up to discounts on cruelty-free items. The list of companies that do and don't test on animals, which took over three years to compile according to the Beagle Freedom Project, is constantly updated and added to.

The app costs $2.99, and is available for iPhone and Android. All proceeds go to the not-for-profit Beagle Freedom Project.

Image: Instagram/@beaglefreedom