Beauty that isn’t cruelty free, isn’t beautiful; it’s ugly!

A beauty industry based on the pain, suffering and lives of innocent animals isn’t beautiful. We want to change the way beauty products are created – and we’d love you to join us on the journey!

Didn’t New Zealand outlaw testing of cosmetics on animals?

Well, technically, yes! In 2015 the government finally changed the law to ban animal testing of cosmetic products, or ingredients intended solely for use in cosmetics, in New Zealand. Sadly, although this is a positive gesture, 90% of cosmetic products sold in New Zealand are tested and made overseas, and the law does not stop Kiwi cosmetic companies testing their products on animals overseas. There are also bans on animal testing for cosmetics in the EU, Israel and India.

However, many companies already send their products to China for animal testing, like international beauty companies Avon and Estee Lauder, who had claimed to be cruelty free. The companies were outed in 2012 as paying for animal testing to be done in Chinese government labs.

In fact, any cosmetic brands imported for sale in China are required to do testing on animals. Some companies who aspired to be cruelty free, like Revlon, knowingly had their products tested on animals so they could be sold in China.

The hard facts of animal testing in New Zealand – it isn’t a pretty picture

We’re far from a cruelty free paradise; SAFE say that around 300,000 animals are used in experimentation, testing and teaching in New Zealand every year. The National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee reported that in 2014 a heart-breaking 8,555 animals were subject to “very high impact” experiments, and 106,739 animals were killed (that’s 300 lives a day). Only 9.7% of that animal testing was for medical research.

If the law won’t stop animal testing, you can – Just vote with your dollar!

It’s a simple economics equation – buy cruelty free beauty products and the demand will drive more companies to get their act together. The beauty industry is already changing, and we already have some amazing cruelty free beauty brands right here in New Zealand!

Huge multinationals like Unilever, Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson have a cruelty soaked legacy, but as demand for cruelty free beauty increases more and more businesses are starting up with a clean slate and going cruelty free. Large brands are creating cruelty free sub-brands, like Urban Decay, which is owned by infamously animal testing mega company L’Oreal.

How can you be sure your beauty products are cruelty free?

So, we have cruelty free laws, but companies can get testing done overseas. We have ‘cruelty free’ brands who test on animals so they can sell their beauty brands in China. We have ‘cruelty free’ beauty brands who claim ‘Finished product not tested on animals’ or even ‘Not tested on animals’ – neither of which rules out the testing of their ingredients on animals. And there are bunny logos on all sorts of products which are not third party authenticated.

One easy way to buy cruelty free beauty brands is to shop online at Oh Natural, your conscious beauty store. We do the work for you, by ensuring that no brand in our shop uses animal testing.

If you are shopping out and about, SAFE have created the SAFEshopper app which you can download for iPhone or Android now, to ensure you are not buying products tested on animals overseas.

Thank you for working to make the world a better place for animals!