Have You Watched #SaveRalph? Here’s the Truth Behind Your Beauty Products

TW: The following content contains images that may be distressing

Taika Waititi, Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, and more came together to create this heartbreaking, very true-to-life animated short, Save Ralph. If you haven’t seen it, it’s something you need to look up ASAP.

The short film is shot mockumentary-style, with cosmetics tester rabbit Ralph explaining to interviewers that his job is something he wholeheartedly enjoys. Viewers get an inside look into his everyday life, including a regular day in the laboratory.

While only four minutes long, Save Ralph packs a punch with its extremely disturbing and powerful message. It was released by HSI, or Humane Society International, as part of the #SaveRalph campaign, meant to raise awareness on animal testing and to ban the practice altogether.

The short film effectively pulls at heartstrings, as it should, but many should know what exactly it aims to portray.

Every year, statistics suggest that around 115 million animals are used worldwide for cosmetic testing. Conversely, only 3% of tested animals are estimated to survive lab experiments; those who make it are most likely reused for other tests or killed.

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Photo from PETA

Animal testing is the deliberate exposure of a live animal to harmful practices in the name of scientific experiments. Animals like monkeys, dogs, rabbits, rats, and even pigs are made to undergo horrific testing experiments for the production of cosmetics, household chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, among other things.

Tests include injecting or force-feeding animals with harmful substances, forcing animals to inhale toxic gases, exposing animals to radiation, and rubbing irritants on exposed patches of skin.

These tests always cause test animals pain, suffering, distress, or lasting harm.

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Photo from WILX

This is the hard truth behind many of the products we buy today. The cosmetics industry, specifically, is known to be a major user of animal testing. The skincare and beauty products sitting in our bathroom most likely have been tested on an animal somewhere out there.

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Beauty brands that continue to test on animals
Photo from PETA

And while we hate to see it, Save Ralph does its best to let viewers become more aware of this fact. It is a necessary film that showcases the reality of tester animals that suffer every year.

So what can we do?

It may seem impossible to rescue all these animals ourselves, but one of the best things we can do is put our money where our mouth is.

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Cruelty-free brands that do not test on animals
Photo from PETA

Supporting and buying into brands that don’t perform animal testing is a good way to tell other brands to get with the program. Here’s a list of cruelty-free brands that you can enjoy.

You can also help by supporting the cause. Share HSI’s Save Ralph film on all of your social media accounts and let your friends know about the real price of beauty.

It’s a small thing to do for what tester animals have to go through every day.

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