Shiseido to end animal testing

Shiseido announced last Friday that it would no longer be selling animal-tested cosmetics. The decision was spurred by the European Union, which is about to finalise a ban against all sales of such products within the EU.

However, there will be a few exceptions to this policy, notably when animal testing is the only way to prove that certain products already being sold are safe, or in certain countries, such as China, that legally require animal testing for products sold. Shiseido’s new policy goes into effect this April, and applies to all its cosmetic production sites, including those run by suppliers. Additionally, Shiseido suppliers will cease animal testing on materials provided to Shiseido.

Shiseido stopped animal testing at its own labs in 2011, but has now taken the policy one-step further. Europe is a key market for the Japanese firm, and in future, its cosmetics will have their safety proven through other means, such as using data from previous experiments, human volunteers, or other forms of testing.

Kanebo, as part of the Kao Group, says it already has similar policies in place.

According to Korean media sources, similar policies are expected to be followed by Korean cosmetic manufacturers.