A World Without Animal Testing?

We have the technology to test cosmetics’ safety without animals. In fact, in most cases, it’s cost-efficient. A cruelty-free beauty industry may no longer be a fairy tale. 

- Elizabeth Siegel

Google “cosmetics tested on animals in 2017,” and amazingly, you won’t get zero results. While almost no companies still test on animals inside the U.S. and the practice has been officially banned in the E.U., there’s one major reason you’re still going to get all those hits: China. “China’s regulatory agencies require animal testing of imported cosmetics and domestically manufactured ones, with some exceptions,” says Erin Hill, a cofounder and the president of the Institute for In Vitro Sciences, a company that promotes non-animal testing. Hill recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government on adopting nonanimal testing methods. In other words, she’s lobbying against the country’s animal- testing mandate. “One reason the Chinese authorities are cautious about changing regulations is that the burden of safety in China lies with the government, not the manufacturer,” she says.