All our products are CRUELTY FREE and NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS…
… and so are all other cosmetic products sold in the EU.
Animal testing of cosmetic products and ingredients is banned in the UK and all other EU member states since 2013. Statements such as ‘Cruelty free’ and ‘Not tested on animals’ are marketing slogans that shouldn’t be used as they imply that other brands may be engaged in animal testing.
We, the UK are leaders in this field with a ban in place since 1998. The EU introduced the animal testing and marketing ban in 2009 but imported animal tested products were still allowed. 2013 saw a complete ban on animal testing of products and ingredients sold in all EU member states.
Sadly, animal testing continues in many countries like Australia, Japan, China and others. In fact, in China, for example, animal testing on products and ingredients is required by law! Brands are required to submit tests showing that their products and ingredients are not toxic to small mammals such as mice, rats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Australia is proposing a ban on animal testing and, hopefully, other countries will follow soon.
Many major cosmetic brands proudly proclaim that they are cruelty free and yet, they sell their products in China, where animal testing is required. Double standards?
Some ingredients are classed as medical and are exempt from the animal testing ban. An example is Botox. Animal testing for medical research is a very difficult moral question which attracts very strong views on the opposing sides but surely, animal testing for the ‘improvement’ of human appearance should only have one side, a resounding NO.
We comply with the law and all our products and ingredients are not tested on animals and even if we could, we never would! Having said that, we manufacture products for pets and here is a question. Take our shampoos. We start with formulating in theory knowing which ingredients are good and safe for dogs, which will leave their coats clean, soft and shiny, which won’t dry the skin, what the right pH is and so on. Then, we produce samples which we change and adjust to get to the right consistency, bubbliness and feel. Finally, we use the samples to wash our beloved Monty the Labrador and ask family and friends to try the samples of their lovely pets. Now, how do we answer the question: ‘Is your shampoo tested on animals?’