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2013 Cosmetics Directive Finally Implemented After 20 Years!


Today is a big day for the Cosmetics Industry, with the EU passing the third & final part of the European Cosmetics Directive.

In 1976 The Cosmetics Directive began it's life by defining what a cosmetic product is.

The Directive identified cosmetics as "any substance or preparation in contact with external parts of the human body, or with teeth & the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, with a view exclusively or principally to cleaning them, perfuming them, protecting them... keep them in good condition, change their appearance or correct body odours".

Furthermore it governed the labeling, safety data & contents of cosmetics; such as colourings, preservatives, UV Filters & so on.

Throughout the 80's & 90's there was an increase in public awareness about the use of animals for the testing of cosmetics & so following public outrage, in 1993 the EU government responded with legislation banning animal testing.

The European Legislation banned:

Animal testing of finished cosmetic products.
The testing of cosmetics ingredients on animals.
Banned the import & selling of cosmetics products that have been animal tested outside the EU.

This meant that many companies would have to change their animal testing ways & find alternatives & so the Government gave them 5years to prepare & set the date to implement the new ban as January 1st, 1998.

Unfortunately, during this time, a number of the largest cosmetic's companies lobbied the European Commission & so the ban was postponed until 30th June, 2000

This date was then again delayed & the ban was postponed a further 2 years!

Meanwhile, out of the public eye, amendments were being made to the cosmetics directive which stated that parts 1 & 2 of the ban could be implemented in 2009 BUT with the exception that testing for repeated dose toxicity, toxicokinetics & reproductive toxicity would still be allowed, until full of the implementation of the marketing ban which was granted a delay until 2013.

Today,  the final part of the legislation has FINALLY been implemented. 

This means that cosmetics companies will no longer be allowed toconduct repeated dose toxicity tests, toxicokinetics & reproductive toxicity tests for their cosmetics 
& ingredients on animals in European Laboratories. 

It also bans companies selling products in the EU which have been animal tested in other parts of the world.
^^^ This was the loophole which allowed products which had been tested on animals to be sold upon European shelves. The Chinese Government require all cosmetics to be tested on animals, even though, they've been safely used within the EU! Companies choosing to deal in China, will have had to adhere to this...


Manufacturers use a number of terms to sugar-coat their animal testing policies. Globally successful L’Oreal Paris have never been accredited by the BUAV or PETA, however, they claim that they have not tested their ‘final products’ on animals since 1989, yet they openly admit that they do submit their ingredients for additional testing (on animals).

A company may say that they do not test their products on animals; however they may test it along the way, use ingredients that have been tested on animals by a third-party, or purchase their ingredients from a supplier which conducts tests on animals, this allows them to use the guise ‘we do not test on animals’.

The ambiguous statement ‘we do not test on animals, unless required by law’ should not be swept under the carpet. Estee Lauder, the parent company of 28 branded companies including Bobbi BrownMac & Clinique state in their company policy, when asked if they test their products on animals replied: ”No. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is committed to the elimination of animal testing. We are equally committed to consumer health safety, bringing to market products that comply with applicable regulations in every country in which our products are sold. We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law.”

So as consumers where does this leave us? Do your homework, check out the policies & check out the parent company policies. The easiest way to do this, is to research the bigger companies & see which smaller companies they own.

Thankfully, there are already 100's of companies worldwide who already adhere to these humane guidelines. Ethical manufacturers & consumers will look to the BUAV's Leaping Bunny Programme & PETA's Caring Consumer Programme for guidance. Both organisations, consider a product to be cruelty free when there is no form of animal testing at any point during the products creation. In addition to this, products will be suitable for vegetarians & vegans.

Both Leaping Bunny & the Caring Consumer carry out thorough & in-depth checks to ensure that companies are honestly actively cruelty free through the entire process of their products creation, not just at the point of completion.  It is worth remembering that not all cruelty free companies will choose to display these logos, equally not all companies who do not test on animals are considered cruelty free.
  
The Leaping Bunny Standard is short for the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals, a voluntary pledge that cosmetic, personal care and household product companies make to eschew animal testing from all stages of production development & creation. The company’s ingredient suppliers make the same pledge and the result is guaranteed to be 100% free from animal testing. All companies approved by the Leaping Bunny must be open to independent audits & commitments are renewed on an annual basis.

It is possible for a company to be cruelty free & not be Leaping Bunny approved. The Leaping Bunny programme is free for companies to join & the only cost associated with the programme is the optional licensing fee of the Leaping Bunny Logo. Leaping Bunny cannot guarantee that a company is truly cruelty free unless they have applied for the certification process. 

It is important to bear in mind that although a product may not have been tested on animals that it is not necessarily cruelty free.  Many products contain animal by-products & derivatives. Commonly used ingredients include: honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumen, carmine, cholesterol gelatine. It is up to individuals to research the ingredients to determine whether or not they are suitable for their personal criteria.
Making changes doesn’t have to be expensive; time consuming or difficult. There are a plethora of brands & products available in both supermarkets & on the high street which are both high quality & affordable. 

You can read more about cruelty free supermarkets here.http://glam-eye-am.blogspot.co.uk/p/cruelty-free-supermarkets.html

6 comments:

  1. So glad to see you back in the blogosphere! And this is such a happy day for cruelty-free advocates everywhere. If only they would implement similar measures here in the U.S. and elsewhere.

    Thank you for pointing out the trouble with ‘we do not test on animals, unless required by law’...such a loophole. Long live the Leaping Bunny!!

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    1. Thank you Martha! I'm glad to be back... Funnily enough, I've been busy Fighting Animal Testing, today I went to a lovely school & spread the word..


      Thank you for sticking by! xx

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  2. Still can't quite believe it's taken so long to actually pass this since the original date!

    On the subject... can you recommend a Leaping Bunny approved hair dye? I'm currently red but I'm looking to go blonde again! I'm pretty sure I am going to have to bleach the hell out of my hair to get blonde again :-( x

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    1. I know & until it's a global ban, the fight isn't over! There's also another ongoing campaign, REACH but I'll write about that in more detail, meanwhile you can have a google...

      I would recommend Superdrug's own brand hair colour's. They're BUAV approved & really reasonably priced. I use the pre-lightener & it's under a fiver & often on offer... My Mum's used the 10-minute colour & she's stuck with it, I think it's about £6, but they have a few different Superdrug ranges at different prices.

      Good Luck! xx

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    2. Thanks :-) I'll give them a go! I think it's brilliant that Superdrug's own brand is BUAV approved because their products are good and great value!
      Is the pre-lightener like a bleach? I'd probably have to gradually lighten... maybe pre-lighten and then put a mid/dark blonde colour on and then get a lighter colour each time?

      xx

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    3. Yup, the pre-lightener works like a bleach & it tends to remove most of my colour, leaving my hair looking a bit like cheese! You may have to gradually lighten it, it depends how much build-up you have to remove..

      I also use Lush DaddyO & Marilyn when I'm lightening my hair, they brighten the blonde & remove any brassiness ^__^

      xx

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