5 things you should know about animal cruelty-free cosmetics

March 25, 2009 by admin
Filed under Cosmetics Types

One feature that sets cosmetics brands apart from their competitors is whether or not they perform animal testing with their products. Many consumers will opt for cosmetics products that specifically state they are animal cruelty free in manufacture, but this claim has its limitations.
Unfortunately, cosmetics usually require a range of different ingredients sourced from all over the world. While a cosmetics company can guarantee their putting together of the final product has not been subject to animal testing, the same cannot be said of the individual ingredients as they travel up the supply chain.
Although animal cruelty free labelling has strict definitions of the terms ‘not tested on animals’ or ‘against animal testing’, the packaging itself isn’t specifically regulated in some countries.
It’s not all bad news for animal-loving consumers. In 2008, governments of the EU and beauty industry groups came together to determine some new means of testing new cosmetics that phases out acute toxicity tests in 2009. Some of the new alternatives include using in vitro techniques, donated human organs and synthetic and reconstructed human skin.
To ensure you are only buying animal cruelty free cosmetics, look for those that have Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) accreditation on their packaging. These brands will have signed an official declaration against animal testing. In some cases, CCF accredited brands are also vegan-friendly.

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