The Body Shop And Cruelty Free International Campaign To End Cosmetic Product And Ingredient Animal Testing Globally Once And For All

NEW YORK, June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Body Shop has today launched a new campaign for a global ban on cosmetics animal testing on products and ingredients by 2020, revolutionizing the beauty industry and protecting millions of animals around the world. Partnering with the leading non-profit organization working to end animal testing, Cruelty Free International, The Body Shop will take the campaign to the highest authority, the United Nations, and request an international convention banning cosmetics testing on animals.

The potential for animal testing is still a huge risk around the world, with over 80% of countries still having no laws against testing in cosmetics. This is despite the fact that most countries do not require safety data based on animal tests and reliable alternatives are available, and that beauty companies like The Body Shop use innovative and effective cruelty-free ingredients in their products. Cruelty Free International estimates that approximately 500,000 animals are still used in cosmetics testing every year.

Rules on animal testing in cosmetics are currently patchwork, with legislation differing around the world leaving consumers ill-informed. Traditional animal tests have never been validated for their use in reliably detecting the safety of cosmetic products and ingredients. There are now modern alternatives such as artificially grown human skin, that are, in the majority of cases, as effective as the animal test they replace and have been validated by authorities. 

Jessie Macneil-Brown, Senior Manager International Campaigns and Corporate Responsibility, The Body Shop, says: "The Body Shop passionately believes that no animal should be harmed in the name of cosmetics and that animal testing on products and ingredients is outdated, cruel and unnecessary. This is why The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International have partnered to deliver the largest and most ambitious campaign ever to seek a global ban on the use of animals to test cosmetic products and ingredients.

"This campaign will finish what we both started back in the 1980s.  We are calling on at least 8 million people from every corner of the globe who care about animal welfare to join our cause and sign our petition. We will take this petition to the United Nations to call on them to support a global ban on animal testing in cosmetic products and ingredients. With an international convention enforced, consumers would finally be confident that any cosmetics they buy are cruelty free. It's time to end animal testing for cosmetics purposes once and for all.  Join us to make it happen."

Michelle Thew, CEO of Cruelty Free International says: "People are confused about animal testing.  The world over, people want this cruel practice to end, yet existing laws are a patchwork of different rules with some very big gaps. While more and more countries require non-animal safety tests and many have taken steps to prohibit cosmetics testing on animals, there is more work to be done.  Where animal testing is allowed – on both products and ingredients – most countries do not require testing data to be made available to the public or even to regulators. This makes it extremely difficult to know how widespread animal testing is. What we know is that one single test may involve hundreds of animals.  If just one company or one country relies on animal testing, the impact on animal lives could be huge. Because 80% of countries around the world still allow animal testing for cosmetics, a global ban is the only way to truly eliminate animal suffering. We are delighted Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop are together campaigning for a ban that would finally end animal testing forever."

The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International's new campaign is calling for an international ban on animal testing in cosmetics, on both products and ingredients, everywhere and forever. It is the most ambitious campaign ever against animal testing, and aims to engage eight million people to sign the petition calling on the United Nations to introduce an international convention to end the practice once and for all. The petition can be signed online or at any of The Body Shop's 3,000 stores across the world. Consumers are being encouraged to use the campaign hashtag, #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting, on social media to raise awareness of the issue.

About The Body Shop
Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand. The Body Shop seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. The Body Shop pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good and this ethos is still the brand's driving force. The Body Shop has more than 3,000 stores in more than 60 countries.

The Body Shop and Against Animal Testing
The Body Shop was the first international beauty brand to campaign against the practice of animal testing in cosmetics in 1989, leading the way to a European Union-wide ban on animal testing in 2013. The campaign, conducted in partnership with Cruelty Free International, collected 1 million signatures and triggered significant progress across the Asia Pacific region. 

About Cruelty Free International:
Cruelty Free International is the leading organization working to create a world where nobody wants or believes we need to experiment on animals.  One of the world's longest standing and most respected animal protection organizations, it is widely regarded as an authority on animal testing issues and called upon by governments, media, corporations and official bodies for advice and expert opinion.

Educating, challenging and inspiring others across the globe to respect and protect animals, Cruelty Free International investigates and exposes the reality of life for animals in laboratories, challenges decision-makers to make a positive difference for animals, and champions better science and cruelty free living.

For more information, please contact:
ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS
Kristin Breen and Jolie Bruch
[email protected]/[email protected]

SOURCE The Body Shop