We’ve been fighting for the rights of animals since 1989. Approximately 80% of countries currently have no laws around animal testing, and together with our friends at Cruelty Free International, our Forever Against Animal Testing campaign is working towards a worldwide ban on animal tested cosmetics… forever.
The EU animal testing ban is under threat. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is proposing new animal testing on ingredients that have been safely used by consumers for years. If this goes ahead, millions of animals could be subjected to cruel and unnecessary tests. This also threatens much-welcomed progress to get a global ban on all animal testing for cosmetics by 2023 – something EU politicians have been campaigning for since 2018.
We’ve joined forces with Dove and over 100 leading animal protection organisations to campaign for urgent action against animal testing in Europe. Together, we’re mobilising our communities to collect one million signatures on the European Citizens’ Initiative to bring the matter to the European Commission. Will you add your voice to the ECI?* Sign, share and support an end to animal testing. Let’s rally to #SaveCrueltyFreeCosmetics.
*Available for European citizens only.
According to Cruelty Free International, over 500,000 animals may be used in cosmetic animal testing worldwide, every single year. Alternative testing options exist that would allow neither animals or consumers to suffer, and in fact, non-animal tests are often more effective, more reliable and faster, proving that animal cruelty is an unnecessary evil. That’s why we’re fighting to wipe out animal testing in cosmetics for good, so animals no longer have to suffer for our beauty.
On October 4th 2018, World Animal Day, The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International took 8.3 million signatures against cosmetic animal testing to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, to create a global framework to end animal testing while advancing the United Nations’ sustainable development agenda.
The celebration of these signatures is a culmination of more than 30 years of advocacy between The Body Shop, the first international beauty brand to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics, and our long-time campaign partner, Cruelty Free International, the first global, non-profit organisation dedicated to ending cosmetic product and ingredient testing on animals. The joint effort is the most ambitious campaign ever against cosmetic animal testing, and serves as a model to inspire action from businesses, governments and citizens.
The petition signatures, collected from supporters around the world in just 15 months, call on the countries of the UN to formalize an international framework to end cosmetic animal testing, everywhere and forever.
Our products undergo extensive testing to ensure they’re safe, effective and animal-friendly. We use three main testing methods involving computer data and laboratory-created tissues. All cosmetics companies can adopt these kinds of animal-friendly testing methods.
In-silico (computer-based) analysis uses readily available, existing data to help us to assess the suitability of similar materials through extrapolation.
Laboratory-produced skin is grown from human skin cells. It allows us to conduct safety checks on cells that react in virtually the same way as human skin, without harming any people or animals.
Finally, to ensure good tolerance on people, we will often test our products using patch testing. This involves placing a very small amount of product on a person's skin to ensure that it is safe and effective, usually at the final stage of testing a new formula.
We will also carry out controlled user trials where people test our products for both skin compatibility and cosmetic effectiveness, under the supervision of medical experts when required.
Since presenting our petition to the UN in 2018, countries around the world are taking steps to change their policies on animal testing in cosmetics, will the full support of our local teams.
The Australian government has ended its reliance on new animal test data for ingredients in cosmetics.
The Canadian Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act has been brought forward for a first reading in parliament.
The Plenary of the House of Representatives in Colombia unanimously approved a bill to prohibit the use of animals in testing cosmetics products and their ingredients, both manufactured in and imported into the country. The bill must now go to the Senate.
Cosmetic animal testing restrictions have come into force.
Regulators have launched consultations on an animal testing waiver for imported, non-special use cosmetics. Bulldog has become the first international brand to sell in China as part of the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny pilot programme.
The Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act has passed the Senate.
The Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act has passed the House and moves on to the Senate for consideration.
The Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act has been signed into law!
The Illinois Humane Cosmetics bill has been signed into law!
The Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act has been signed into law!
The Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act has passed the Senate moves to the House for consideration.
The Senate has voted to outlaw animal testing in cosmetics, as well as the manufacture, import or marketing of cosmetics tested on animals anywhere in the world after the law comes into force. The bill will now move on to the next stage of the legislative process in the Chamber of Deputies.
The new federal Humane Cosmetics Act has been introduced in the US House and the US Senate, to end animal testing in cosmetics across the entire United States.
