There are no ethical mink eyelashes. Mink, like wild animals, don't need to be brushed. By nature, they are afraid of humans, and any manipulation would cause them a high level of stress and would likely lead them to lash out. Few people are also aware of the fact that the European mink is a critically endangered species.
PETA discovers that a beagle abuser illegally imported more than 1,000 monkeys into unlicensed airlines. But there's a much more sinister side to sporting mink lashes than meets the eye. It is driving the burgeoning mink fur industry, where animals suffer fear, stress, torture, illness and inhumane slaughter when considered to be no longer profitable. Even Beyoncé, who claims to have opted for “part-time plant-based”, swears to wear 100% authentic mink lashes, adding her name to the long list of celebrities who also support animal hair, such as Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Kylie Jenner.
By raising and killing minks for their fur, the industry is doing nothing to help protect and maintain vulnerable mink populations in their natural habitat and, on the contrary, participates in driving the massive global biodiversity crisis. Some mink lash brands are very specific about where minks are raised, but with the globalization of the fur trade it's impossible to know exactly where eyelashes come from and you run the risk of using fur from unethical manufacturers. To obtain their fur, minks hold on tightly to have their hair ripped off their bodies. And once their fur has been violently removed from their bodies, minks are sent to death in a variety of inhumane ways, from gassing them to electrocuting them or even breaking their necks by hand.
While the use of fur coats has become controversial in recent years due to growing concern for animal welfare, beauty enthusiasts have largely ignored the use of mink lashes, which are by no means free from animal cruelty. With the perfect balance between dramatic and subtle, the Eylure Luxe range is irresistible if you're a fan of eyelashes. Mink fur has been in the news lately because of fears that a COVID-19 mutation, which is transferred from mink to humans in Denmark, could hinder the effectiveness of a future vaccine. Fur farms are very unlikely to be “brushing minks” to get their fur and are much more likely to kill them for it.
Most mink eyelash brands make the bold claim that their products are cruelty-free, stating that they are only obtained from farms “raised outdoors”, where animals are gently combed to get their fur. Although it is often sold as “cruelty-free”, with claims that the fur has been “removed” only after brushing the minks or that it is collected on a “country farm”, the fact is that millions of animals are confined in tiny, cramped wire cages in unsanitary and unhygienic conditions before. they often remove their hair from their bodies. As a result, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that all of the country's mink — up to 17 million — would have to be sacrificed, including healthy animals.
With more than 5.9 million tags on Instagram, it's undeniable that there's a craze for mink lashes right now.
