In news that will come to many as a relief, the Chinese government have recently announced their plans to end the requirement for animal testing on beauty and cosmetic products by 2020.
This has been long awaited by the public and animal welfare activists who have been angry at the seeming barbaric requirement, which has long since been outlawed in other parts of the world.
Due to what is estimated to be a beauty industry worth £28 billion pounds, many brands, including Mac, Estee Lauder and L’Oréal, to name a few, have found the chance to be part of this market irresistible and as such, have chosen to sell products there, despite public protestations.
This has come after years of anger from consumers who did not wish to purchase from brands associated with animal testing, a practice which has not been carried out in European countries in relation to cosmetics for many years. It should be noted, however, that only the products to be sold in china were ever tested on animals. None of the products sold in Europe or USA have been tested. Many have boycotted big name brands in order to show their disdain at brands choosing money over animal welfare.
Historically, the Chinese government has required all cosmetic brands to submit their products for animal testing if they want to sell them in China, despite how safe they may have otherwise been proven to be. However, after years of lobbying, the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) has announced that the Chinese government has approved nine non-animal-based methods, with the new legislation coming into play in 2020.
Cosmetic brands like Mac have responded to these calls from their customers and have been working for many years to bring this change around. According to the release, the new regulations are set to become law by January 1st, 2020, and the new regulations will become the preferred way of testing for all cosmetics, after the IIVS assured Chinese authorities of the reliability and safety of in vitro methods.