Sephora Will Phase Mink Fur False Eyelashes Out of Its Stores

Nicola Dall'Asen
·3 min read

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What was your last pair of fake eyelashes made out of? It might not be the first thing to cross your mind while browsing your favorite beauty retailer's website, but there's a chance they came from mink fur. Yes, minks: the adorable little mammals that are well-known for their soft fur, sometimes used to make coats. It goes without saying that using mink fur to create falsies isn't cruelty-free, and for that reason, Sephora has just vowed to stop selling mink-based lashes online and in-store.

The company told Allure they had already started 2020 with plans to phase mink lashes out of its stock. And this week, after a campaign by animal rights activist organization PETA for the brand to do so, the retailer confirmed that it will cease acquisition and sales of all mink-based falsies. "Following a PETA campaign and emails from more than 280,000 concerned shoppers, Sephora has confirmed that it has banned mink-fur eyelashes and will purchase only synthetic or faux-fur lashes going forward," a statement from PETA reads.

PETA's campaign included a video of a fur farm, where minks fur is often harvested for coats and fake eyelashes. You can watch that video here, but be warned: The content is graphic and might be upsetting.

The organization further outlines the actions of fur farms in its statement: "As PETA pointed out in its letters to Sephora, mink fur typically comes from fur farms, where stressed minks frantically pace and circle endlessly inside cramped wire cages and many languish from infections or broken or malformed limbs. Some minks even self-mutilate as a result of the intensive confinement, chewing into their own limbs or tails. At the end of their miserable lives, they're gassed or electrocuted or their necks are broken."

The remaining stock of mink-fur lashes at Sephora will be the last it ever carries, a statement from the company confirms. "At Sephora, we have always been committed to upholding the highest standards of beauty, and we take our responsibility to communicate transparently and honestly with our clients about the products we carry seriously," the statement reads. "As we shared with PETA, earlier this year we had already decided to begin phasing mink products out of our assortment in 2020. We have only ever offered products our clients can trust and we stand by the people and partners who have made the Sephora experience what it is today."

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Originally Appeared on Allure