I learned from my college friend, via her Instagram reposts, that she wants to lead a life 100% cruelty-free. She wants to refrain from using makeup, skincare, and fragrances from brands that still conduct animal testing. I said, "That's a great idea and direction for me, someone who wants to curate and own only a few products. Thus, a minimalist lifestyle." My college friend shares information from https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com from time to time.
I checked https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com, where my friend shares information from time to time. I found that some of the products that I currently own are NOT cruelty-free. I felt terrible upon learning about it. I have been having this debate in my mind since then about being cruelty-free.
I'm a cat-lover. And, of course, there is no question that I respect all living creatures and abhor cruelty made against them. But how do I reconcile the fact that I own non-cruelty-free products?
It also came to mind about brands supporting Israel and their war in Gaza. The war over there is not on the edge of ending and is still going on to this day. It's easy to say that since we live far away, we're no distance from supporting brands that support any war. But lo and behold, I also have brand products that support the war. I learned about it from https://theislamicinformation.com.
It's sad knowing that one way or another, I am supporting cruelty in the form of purchasing products from brands listed as non-cruelty-free or brands listed that support the war. In my defense, I purchased them before learning about those sites. Then again, ignorance is bliss.
So, I have this constant debate: how do I become cruelty-free? How do I disassociate myself from brands that promote war? I want to lead a life that cares about my environment and promotes kindness.
It's hypocritical of me that I should go vegan or promote being anti-war constantly and such. For one, I cannot give up eating meat. I eat meat by-products. I also like good quality leather. I avoid watching the news altogether. Hence, my late knowledge of the brands supporting the war. Ultimately, I'm just human, living to the fullest as much as I can and being kind to everyone as much as I can. I'm not perfect.
In the movie A Hundred-foot Journey, sometime at the beginning, the mother is educating the son about food, or meat for that matter, being ghosts. We eat ghosts. We eat the souls of the ingredients we put into our cooking. Therefore, we should prepare the ingredients as best as possible and create a soulful dish. I've heard the same concept in Japanese cooking. Treat every ingredient as precious. The utmost respect we can give to each ingredient is creating a good dish. It may not be Michelin-star quality, but it is a dish that comforts the body and soul.
I asked my partner about this, and he said we were imperfect. We should live in our way wherein, as much as possible, we do not actively participate in cruelty. Such a vague answer, but fortunately, I recently came to my resolve.
As for being cruelty-free, I will use whatever I have right now and finish them. If I can find a better alternative, that's great! If I don't, I will not stop looking for one. It's easy to navigate and seek out alternatives to being cruelty-free. You can't deny the quality of non-cruelty-free products, but at least today, there are more options.
Moving forward, I will not buy from brands that support the war. I will use the products I have right now without guilt. But next time I want to purchase, I will research the brand. War is the ultimate cruelty.
Ultimately, I'd stop being guilty of what I have. Like food, I will use and respect what I have right now. In the future, I'll exercise to be more mindful. I'm just human, after all, navigating through the world in my way.
