The British Beauty Council, alongside 80 companies from across the cosmetics industry, have co-signed a letter to the Home Secretary with Cruelty Free International, urging the Government to uphold its 1998 policy ban on animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients.
The 1998 policy ban on animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients set the precedent for cosmetics products and ingredients to be used safely without subjecting animals to cruel and unnecessary tests. The policy was the first of it’s kind and was a huge driving force behind the EU animal testing and marketing bans that followed. The UK was a pioneer in its stance on animal testing and a leader on the world stage.
Now however, eighty companies from across the industry – large corporates, small and medium-sized enterprises, ingredients manufacturers, retailers and animal-free testing facilities – have joined together to speak out after civil servants in the Home Office said they were aligning with a decision made by the appeal board of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to expand the use of animal testing to ingredients used exclusively in cosmetic products.
The British Beauty Council stands firmly against animal testing in the pursuit of beauty and will continue to push to maintain reputation of the UK beauty industry as leaders in scientific alternatives to animal testing.
Read the letter here.