Are products made with feathers inhumane?

We hear from many people who have been told by friends or salespeople that the squirrel hair in make-up brushes, the boar bristles in hair brushes, the beeswax in lip balm, or the ostrich feathers in feather dusters are humanely derived from animals who are frolicking somewhere on a farm. As well meaning as these people may be, they are simply misinformed.

 

Even if it could be done, no one would take the time to keep a herd of cows and periodically anesthetize them to extract their collagen when the millions of cows being killed in slaughterhouses are creating plenty of inexpensive collagen. The situation is similar for products that are made from feathers. Please make it a point to look for synthetic alternatives. They are easy to find and are often clearly labeled

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 Ingrid E. Newkirk

“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind