After watching an animal cruelty documentary called Earthlings one year ago, junior Jasmine Pineda decided to become a vegetarian. She then started to make sure the beauty products she used were cruelty-free or vegan.

     “I just couldn’t handle it anymore,” Pineda said. “I didn’t want to be a part of that [cruelty]. These animals are so innocent and pure. It’s important to me because I can’t imagine people treating them so poorly.”

     While Pineda wishes others would also become vegetarians and stop using harmful products, she said she understands that it will not happen, because many do not feel as strongly as she does about it.

     “In a perfect world — if everyone was a vegetarian — there would be no animal cruelty, there would be no worries of extinction, [there] would just be harmony,” Pineda said.

     Pineda feels as though one of the reasons many do not care for vegetarianism or veganism is because they were brought up differently and it is easier for them to stick to what they know.

     “We were [raised] to have meat in our bodies,” Pineda said. “We were brought up to get our protein [from animals], but that’s not the only way. We have so many other ways to get our nutrients and our protein. That’s just the easy way. I substitute meat with beans, chickpeas, lentils, and tofu to get my proteins in.”

     Despite using makeup on a daily basis, Pineda is cautious of using brands that test on animals or have harmful chemicals in them. Those brands can often lead to individually specific health problems, which is why many prefer products with natural ingredients.

     “In the beginning of when I was a vegetarian, I was looking into big-name brands,” Pineda said. “But I don’t do it on a daily basis or anything. I look at the back of the bottle. Ninety percent of the time, if they don’t say [that they are humanitarian or vegan], then I don’t use it.”

     Pineda argued that it is fairly easy to be informed and make wise choices. From her experience, she has not had a problem finding out more about cosmetic brands and products.

     “I just Googled it,” Pineda said. “On the websites of each cosmetic brand, it tells you, and they always say it on the back of the bottle, so it makes it easier for me. You literally just turn the bottle around. It’s so easy.”

     For Pineda, using these products and staying away from meat is not so much about her personal health, but about the things animals are submitted to in order to have those things.

     “Yeah, there’s this beautiful lipstick and everybody has it,” Pineda said. “But you have to think about what animals have to go through for that.”

     Because many people go hunting and continue to eat meat after seeing documentaries and statistics, Pineda feels as though people often become a vegetarian based on what they can handle.

     “I think it’s just a personal thing,” Pineda said. “I couldn’t handle much. I can’t deal with the sight of that, but some people can block it off and shut that out. I just couldn’t.”