Animal advocates call on L’Oréal to join efforts to end cosmetic animal cruelty

Animal advocates call on L’Oréal to join efforts to end cosmetic animal cruelty

Help us end cosmetic testing on animals worldwide – "because they’re worth it"

WASHINGTON (September 19, 2017)—The #BeCrueltyFree campaign has issued a public call urging L’Oréal to support legislative efforts to ban cosmetic animal testing and sales worldwide. Despite more than 200 companies in the cosmetics industry having already thrown their weight behind the campaign and legislation, L’Oréal—one of the industry’s largest players—has been conspicuously quiet and sidestepped weighing in on this important proposal in Congress.

L’Oréal says it no longer tests its products or ingredients on animals, but the company continues to sell its products in China, where animal testing is required for many cosmetic products. The beauty giant has also worked behind the scenes to oppose legislative efforts to prohibit the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.

The Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Humane Society International, who collectively are leading the #BeCrueltyFree campaign, are urging L’Oréal to be a leader in working to pass laws that will end the suffering and death of an estimated half-a-million rabbits, mice, rats, and guinea pigs each year worldwide.

In the United States, The HSUS and HSLF are asking L’Oréal to support the Humane Cosmetics Act. Reps. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and Don Beyer, D-Va., introduced the bill, which would ban animal testing for cosmetics ingredients and products. It would also ban the sale of products tested on animals in other countries.

"L’Oréal should sync its public pronouncements with its private actions and support an end to the use of animals in cosmetic testing," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS and executive vice president of HSLF. "It’s time to usher in a new era of ethical beauty and the Humane Cosmetics Act represents a win for the beauty industry, consumers, and animals. Collaborations across multiple sectors of the economy demonstrate that finding humane solutions is the best path forward and we welcome L’Oréal to the table."

Thirty-seven countries and major markets have already passed laws to end or limit cosmetic animal testing and/or sales, including the 28 member countries of the European Union, India, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and Guatemala. L’Oréal and other international cosmetic brands already comply with laws in these countries.

Research shows that three in four voters would feel safer, or as safe, if non-animal methods were used to test the safety of a cosmetic instead of animal testing and more than 750 cosmetics companies have already eliminated all new animal testing from their product lines. More than 200 companies including industry leaders like LUSH and H&M have already thrown their weight behind the #BeCrueltyFree campaign.

Facts:

  • Cosmetic animal testing inflicts suffering and death on an estimated half-a-million rabbits, mice, rats and guinea pigs each year worldwide as substances are placed in their eyes or smeared on their skin.
  • Animal testing of cosmetic product formulations is believed to occur only in China, where pre-market testing on animals remains a legal requirement for all imported and special-use cosmetics. New-to-the-world cosmetic ingredients may also be tested on animals, often in the context of chemical legislation.
  • The HSUS has worked in various sectors, including agriculture, entertainment, animal experimentation and others, to find mutually beneficial solutions and improve the welfare of animals. Examples include the organization’s work with SeaWorld to phase out breeding of orcas; with McDonald’s, Perdue and others in the food, retail and agriculture sectors, to improve the treatment of farm animals; with major fashion brands to end the use of fur; with the New York Blood Center to fund the care of a colony of chimpanzees formerly used in research; and across other areas of the economy.
  • HSI is pushing for legislation to ban the production and sale of animal-tested cosmetics in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and other countries.
  • There has been a global shift away from the use of animals to test cosmetics as the number of non-animal test methods and laws banning the cruel and unnecessary practice increase every year.

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.