Yesterday, I found out a disturbing news. The Rose Ointment
I have from Young Living contains mink oil. I did not bother to research it
more when I read it because I thought that mink is just some type of plants,
until someone ask about it at the oil group on Facebook that I am in. "Was
the mink oil ethically sourced?" Then, it just clicked on me about
"mink fur" and how cute minks are. I was scared to know where the
mink oil came from.
Yesterday, I had the reply from product information at YL:
"The minks that we use as the source for our mink oil
are minks that are
farm raised for their fur. Humane euthanasia techniques
practiced on
fur farms are those recommended by the American Veterinary
Medical
Association in the United States and by the Guelph
University Research
Facility in Canada. The only method of euthanasia for mink
certified
by FCUSA Animal Welfare Committee is pure carbon monoxide or
carbon
dioxide bottled gas. The animals are immediately rendered
unconscious
and die without stress or pain. Due to the larger physical
size of fox,
the American Veterinary Medical Association approves lethal
injection as
the most humane method. This is the only method recommended
by the FCUSA
Animal Welfare Committee. These are the same methods used by
many local
humane shelters. In the United States, the U.S. Department
of
Agriculture (USDA) includes fur farming in annual
agriculture production
statistics and reports, as do most state agriculture
departments. In
Canada, fur farming is licensed and regulated by the
provincial
departments of agriculture.
Mink oil is made from the thick fatty layer minks have just
under their
skins. This fat is removed from the pelt when the mink is
skinned and is
then rendered into mink oil. Mink oil is a source of
palmitoleic acid
which possesses physical properties similar to human sebum,
therefore
mink oil is used in several medical and cosmetic
products."
That just does not sit well with me. I am appalled. Bear in
mind, I am not an animal activist, I still eat meat and all.......but this just
is not right on many level.
1) There is a botanical alternative, why not use it?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil
2) Gas chamber as supposed to lethal injection?
3) How can this be cruelty free? I need a new definition of
cruelty free :(
By the way, I also questioned whether YL is TRULY cruelty
free, when they claim to be. Why aren't they listed at PETA or the Leaping
Bunny? Companies can claim whatever without third party accountability.
Now, I just don't know what to do with my rose ointment. I
can't use it when I think of the minks, although I used to enjoy the smell of
it.
