How the Beauty Biz Gives

Animals the Brushoff

Although cosmetic
companies claim
otherwise, mounting
evidence indicates
animal hair makeup
brushes are anything
but cruelty-free.
By Susanna Speier

W hen Emmy-nominated hairstylist

a n d m a k e u p a r t i s t Pe g g y
Hannaman-Jones used to ask
colleagues on the studio set, “What do you
think happens to animals when they make a
makeup brush?” she noticed their general
tendency to migrate to the opposite end of
the makeup trailer. Because really, who
wants to focus on such an uncomfortable
subject? But Hannaman-Jones hated
thinking, every time she picked up a
makeup brush, that an animal might have
been harmed. Although various
manufacturers had assured her that the
animal hair used for makeup brushes had
been shaved off the source animal, much as
sheep’s wool is sheared, she had her
doubts.

Searching for Evidence

“The first step is to figure out where it is

coming from,” said Pierre Grzybowski, Fur-
Free Campaign manager at the Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS), who

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June / July 2009 37
 believes that companies have
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} an obligation to inform
customers which animal their makeup brushes
use. Natural hair makeup brushes in the US may
be made from many different kinds of animals,
including squirrel, badger, raccoon dog, pony,
sable, goat, weasel, fox tail and ox.
Animal hair cosmetic line representatives
interviewed for this story stated that their
products were derived from animals who had
been shaved or sheared, rather than killed, for
their hair. None, however, were able to provide
photographic evidence of sheared and/or shaved
animals ostensibly not harmed in the manufactur-
ing process.
“I find it very hard to believe that animal
brushes are being made in any way that doesn’t
involve killing the animals,” said Grzybowski.
“We’re still investigating exactly where these hairs
come from, but based on preliminary research
38 wholelifetimesmagazine.com
we suspect that some
of the hair is tied into the
fur industry in some way.”
In other words, if
Grzybowski is correct,
animals are suffering and
being destroyed to make
women look beautiful.
HSUS has definitive
lab evidence that raccoon
dog hair is being used in
makeup brushes sold in
the US—a fact confirmed
b y o n l i n e a d v e r t i s-
ing—and that sometimes
raccoon dogs are skinned alive in China. An
internationally sponsored report that was
updated in 2007, “Fun Fur? A report on the
Chinese fur industry,” details with photographs
the grisly production methods. These practices
were also documented by the Beijing News in
2005. However, there is currently no clear
evidence linking the practice to the hair used in
making makeup brushes.
“Here is what I want to see,” said
Grzybowski, “I want to see evidence of these
operations where the animal’s hair is being
taken off and they are not being harmed. Show
me the shaved animals that aren’t being killed and
I’ll believe it. I’ve never seen it. If this really were
the case and this truly was a selling point, then they
would have made this evidence available to the
public.”
Furthermore, Grzybowski added, it’s
logistically not feasible. “I would pay money to see
someone try to shave a badger,” he scoffed.
Creating Alternatives
Lack of compelling evidence was enough to
convince Hannaman-Jones, an animal-lover, to
create her own line of brushes. Although
prevailing industry wisdom was that synthetics
would be less effective, she had confidence in her
design concept.
“In seminars they teach you that animal hair is
used with powders and crèmes, and synthetics
are used for liquids,” Hannaman-Jones explained.
But after cutting and testing more than 300
prototypes, many of which she cut by hand, the
Sherman Oaks-based designer came up with a
synthetic that worked beautifully at picking up
powders. Her Branded J Collections uses Taklon,
a filament made from nylon that is dyed and baked
to make it softer and more absorbent. Branded J
brushes come to a fine point at the end because,
she concluded, “What matters is the way it is cut.”
Branded J isn’t the only compassionate brush
designer. Urban Decay was one of the first
makeup companies to develop a 100 percent
synthetic makeup brush line. In their search for
cruelty-free natural hair for their brushes,
cofounder Wende Zomnir and her Urban Decay
partners soon discovered that, “The animals
aren't running free, frolicking in an open field. The
thought of animals dying or living in a cage so
[consumers] could have makeup brushes” was so
distressing that they developed Good Karma
Brushes, also made from Taklon.
Consumers tend to think of anything coming
from nature as being the better option, but
concern for animal welfare prompted Hollywood
makeup artist Paige Padgett to stop purchasing
animal hair brushes. Given the fact that “almost
every makeup line how has a synthetic alterna-
tive,” it was easy for Padgett to make the switch.
“Companies are finally starting to get on board
and make synthetic stuff,” she noted. “Options
that were not available two or three years ago are
available now.”
Synthetics have other benefits, as well. In
addition to being easier to clean, synthetic
brushes are “better for crèmes, crème
concealers, crème eyeshadow, foundation and
moisturizer,” noted Padgett. And they’re easy to
work with, she said. “Every consumer can easily
use synthetics.” Padgett is particularly enthusiastic
about reasonably priced EcoTools, which have
the added advantage of being available in major
drugstore chains.
address animal derived ingredients.
A May 2009 Gallup poll reports that 35
percent of Americans are morally opposed to
buying and wearing animal fur, a concern that
likely applies to makeup brushes derived from
animals. PETA's Caring Consumer Web site
encourages those consumers to ask their favorite
makeup companies that still use real animal hair to
switch to Taklon fibers. Since we purchase these
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In a confusing labeling campaign reminiscent of
evidence indicates
organic food certification, “We have two versions animal
£ Urbanhair
Decay,makeup
urbandecay.com,
of our bunny logo,” said Ann Marie Dori, senior also available at Sephora and Ulta.
coordinator of Caring Consumer at PETA. The
brushes are anything but
£ EcoTools, eco-tools.com, also
cruelty free label “indicates only that the company cruelty-free.
available at Walgreens, Kmart, Ulta,
adheres to a no animal testing policy; and the Duane Reade, Rite Aid, Target and
cruelty-free and vegan version indicates that in
By Susanna Speier
more.
addition to not testing on animals, the company £ Aveda, aveda.com, also available at
uses no animal derived ingredients in their Aveda
henstores.

W
Emmy-nominated hairstylist and
products,” explained Dori. The non-vegan Branded
£ makeupJartist
Collection,
Peggy Hannaman-Jones
companies, she added, are “not 100 percent brandedjcollections.com, also
used to ask colleagues on the studio
cruelty-free in the fullest sense of the word,” but
available
set, “What at Frends
do you think Beauty
happensSupply,
to animals
since “they have taken a significant step toward when they
5270make a makeup
Laurel Canyonbrush?” she noticed
Boulevard,
eliminating animal suffering [it is] important to their North
general Hollywood
tendency to migrate to the
91607,
recognize the meaningful steps that any individual opposite end of the makeup trailer. Junkie,
Because
818.769.3834; and Makeup
or company takes to help animals.” really, who wants to focus on this uncomfortable
online at shopmakeupjunkie.com,
Exacerbating the confusion, subject? But Hannaman-Jones hated thinking,
and coming soon to a
every time she picked up a
the logo of the Leaping Bunny
makeup Tarzana location.
brush, that an animal
Program, which is administered by
the Coalition for Consumer might have been harmed.
Information on Cosmetics, Although various
manufacturers had assured
acknowledges companies that
her that the animal hair used
have pledged to eliminate animal
for makeup brushes had
testing from all stages of cosmetic product
been shaved off the source
development. It has animal, much as sheep’s wool
stricter animal is sheared, she had her doubts. Flor de Mantra Organic Beater Tank
Transform your body, speech and mind while wearing this
testing standards 100% Organic Super Soft Cotton Tank. Made in the USA by:
than PETA’s bunny Searching for Evidence
logo, but does not superbuddha.net
June / July 2009 41