performance artist makes herself a lab animal

when you think about makeup, do you think about animal torture? for most of us, the answer is no. that is exactly what a 24-year-old performance artist, by the name of Jacqueline Traide, wants to change. she recently underwent a series of shocking procedures in a London store window to protest the use of animal testing in cosmetics. Jacqueline spent around ten hours in the make up store LUSH Cosmetics, subjecting herself to being force fed, covered in lotions, and shaving her hair – all in front of onlookers and all things that laboratory animals, like chimps, dogs, cats, monkeys, bunnies, etc. suffer during testing.

a fellow performance artist- Oliver Cronk – assumed the role of the technician, who administered the testing on Jacqueline. LUSH is a cruelty-free company and their mission was very clearly meant to shock and unnerve passers-by, and hopefully get them to understand the horror of animal testing if they didn’t already know. a lot of us as consumer,s are largely unaware of what really goes on behind the scenes of the products we buy – and the beauty industry takes advantage of this. the time we live in is incredible for technology and science, and thus, it is a ridiculous and unnecessary thing to continue testing on animals. read on here about alternatives to animal testing.

Lush’s Fighting Animal Testing campaign released a statement saying: “When we are forced to recognise that this aspirational industry depends upon the needless suffering and death of millions of innocent animals – animals that could have been our dog, our children’s guinea pigs, our neighbours’ rabbits – animals that we humanely love – we are shocked and we recoil.”

i applaud Jacqueline’s actions for her bravery and for her commitment to this cause. the Fighting Animal Testing campaign that she is a part of is half a petition, half an awareness crusade. with over 700 LUSH stores across the US, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Russia and so on, everyone is encouraged to sign the petition and join the force. you can sign the petition online here to demand an end to this ridiculous practice. you can also sign the Human Society campaign against animal testing in the US here! and learn 10 ways to help animals in laboratories here!

what’s your reaction to her performance and the awareness campaign in general? it is intense to watch the video – do you think it’s too much or necessary to alert people to this issue?

images via Facebook / Lush Limited Cosmetics