China moves towards ending testing of cosmetics on animals – good news for cruelty-free brands
Having relaxed testing rules for domestic cosmetic brands, regulator emphasises its commitment to exploring alternative safety tests for foreign-made cosmetics
It has been little more than a year since French cosmetics firm NARS’ controversial decision to sell its make-up in China caused a major rift in the global cruelty-free beauty scene.
Fans of the brand and animal-lovers may soon be able to make peace. China is mooting a change in its policy of testing cosmetics on animals which could pave the way for cruelty-free brands to tap into the country’s US$33 billion cosmetics market.
China’s National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) recently issued a statement about its commitment to overhauling testing in the cosmetics industry and exploring viable alternatives to animal tests that are commonly used in countries where the practice is banned. The NIFDC emphasised that research, development, and the standardisation of testing methods that don’t use animals are its top priorities.
Animal-protection organisations have been working closely with Chinese stakeholders to replace animal testing – which, for cosmetics alone, requires the use of an estimated 500,000 animals per year around the world – with more modern and predictive technologies.
Notable progress has been made in recent months. Troy Seidle, vice-president of research and toxicology for Humane Society International, tells the Post that the recent NIFDC statement, published on its official WeChat account last week, is particularly promising.
