25 February 2013
As Europe Bans Sale of Animal-Tested Cosmetics, Safe, Lush And Humane Society International Call on New Zealand Industry
to End Cosmetics Cruelty
As the European Union prepares to ban the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics on 11 March, Lush Fresh Handmade
Cosmetics CEO Mark Constantine and Andrew Rowan PhD., president of Humane Society International, one of the largest
animal protection groups in the world, have written an open letter to Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Inc.,
New Zealand and its counterparts worldwide calling for the cosmetics industry to turn its back on animal testing once
and for all.
In New Zealand whilst there is no cosmetics animal testing currently licensed, there is no legal ban preventing animal
testing in the future, and products tested on animals overseas are still sold in shops throughout the country.
Both HSI and Lush have campaigned for many years to end cosmetics animal testing. Lush, which has more than 80 shops in
over 50 countries, first launched its strictly ‘no animal testing’ policy in 1991, becoming a beacon for ethical,
compassionate cosmetics. HSI has led an intense and high-profile campaign to see the EU sales ban enforced and in April
last year launched its global Be Cruelty-Free campaign to end cosmetics animal testing worldwide. The New Zealand arm of
the campaign is being run in partnership with SAFE, which has campaigned against animal testing for over 80 years and in
2011 launched SAFEShopper, the New Zealand guide to cosmetics not tested on animals.
In a letter to the executive director of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Inc., New Zealand, Garth
Wyllie, and cosmetics industry trade associations in Australia, India, Brazil, Russia, Korea, Japan, Canada and the
United States, Lush and HSI call on animal testing companies across the world to choose the EU sales ban as the moment
to go cruelty-free. The letter reads:
“On 11 March, we will witness a truly landmark moment in the history of the beauty industry. The world’s largest
cosmetics market, the European Union, which has already banned cruel animal testing of cosmetics within its own
boarders, will also close its doors to the sale of cosmetics tested on animals overseas. This sales ban carries with it
a clarion call from consumers: cosmetics animal testing is not welcome and it needs to stop. Surely this must signal a
turning point for the beauty industry worldwide to finally kick its animal testing habit and commit to going
cruelty-free?
Lush, Humane Society International and others have campaigned tirelessly to end cosmetics cruelty. Over the years we
have heard every excuse in the book from cosmetics companies clinging on to animal testing, yet one by one those excuses
have been exposed to be hollow and self-serving.
Animal toxicity tests represent outdated science; decades-old techniques that cannot reliably assure consumer safety.
The future of safety testing lies with modern, human-biology-based methods. So there is no scientific excuse for animal
testing. There are also thousands of existing cosmetic ingredients that have long been established as safe for use
meaning they don’t require any new testing. Myriad combinations of these allow companies such as Lush to innovate to
their heart’s content. So there is no business excuse for animal testing.
And of course animal testing causes unimaginable suffering as rabbits and other animals have chemicals dripped in their
eyes or spread on their delicate skin. Swollen eyes, skin rashes and organ damage are the ugly hidden secrets of a
beauty industry that has dragged its feet on ending animal testing. So there is no ethical excuse for animal testing.
So as we celebrate the EU going ‘cruelty-free’, we urge all those companies still testing cosmetics on animals in the
United States, China, Brazil, India, Canada, South Korea, Russia and beyond: do the decent thing and stop the suffering.
Show your global customers that beauty isn’t just skin deep—that it has a heart. You have it within your collective
power to stop cosmetics cruelty today. Do it. Enough is enough.”
To mark the historic EU sales ban, sign the Be Cruelty-Free pledge at safeshopper.org.nz and hsi.org/becrueltyfree to
help HSI and SAFE end cosmetics animal suffering in New Zealand and worldwide.
ends