Cruelty-free cosmetics: Good for business

I run Bunny Army, a website that helps consumers locate cruelty-free cosmetics such as mascara, shaving cream, and nail polish. So I know that there’s a huge demand for cruelty-free cosmetics. Fewer Californians may be visiting my site if the state’s Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, SB 1249, becomes law. That’s OK by me.

Nothing would make me happier than for Californians to be able to simply walk out their doors and know they will find only cruelty-free products in grocery stores, drug stores, department stores, and anywhere else that sells cosmetics.

If the law passes, California would join the European Union, Switzerland, India, Israel, and many other countries that have banned or restricted animal testing on cosmetics. 

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Social Compassion in Legislation, would make it unlawful for any cosmetic manufacturer to import or sell any cosmetic, including personal hygiene products such as deodorant, shampoo, or conditioner, in California if the final product or any component of the product was tested on animals after Jan. 1, 2020. Don’t believe the industry hype: The bill won’t ban any products already on the market, and gives companies extra time to comply with international testing requirements. 

If the law passes, California would join the European Union, Switzerland, India, Israel, and many other countries that have banned or restricted animal testing on cosmetics. 

It’s about time. Before Bunny Army, I established White Rabbit Beauty in 2004. It was the first internet retailer of only brands approved by Leaping Bunny, which certifies cruelty-free cosmetics. Back then, they were nearly impossible to find.

White Rabbit Beauty was created to help save the thousands of animals who die for our cosmetics, but it was also about protecting human health. As an engineer with the Environmental Protection Agency and later for environmental engineering firms, I often assessed public health risks. I understand the importance of risk assessment in protecting public health.

Because of their biological differences, testing cosmetics on rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, and rats isn’t a reliable way to assess the potential health effects of cosmetics for humans. Tests using human cells or computer modeling can more reliably predict human reactions and are often faster than animal experiments. Many such tests exist, which is why the EU and other governments require those, rather than animal tests, for cosmetics. By requiring companies to use these better tests, human health wins, too.

A decade after I started White Rabbit Beauty, cruelty-free cosmetics were easier to find, but there were still barriers. In 2015, White Rabbit Beauty and Leaping Bunny asked on Facebook, “What is your biggest challenge to going cruelty free?” Many answered local availability and selection. The Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act would overcome these challenges in California.

California is a successful state because it ensures ethics go hand in hand with economics. We have a chance to use our market power to lead the world, and I hope we take it.Because California’s market is so large—California is now world’s fifth-largest economy—this law could have a big impact on all cosmetics and cosmetics ingredients for sale in the United States.

That’s good news for consumers who are clamoring for cruelty-free cosmetics. Multiple polls show that U.S. consumers support ending animal testing for cosmetics, and a 2015 Nielsen poll found that “not tested on animals” was the most important consumer packaging claim.

The cruelty-free cosmetics market is projected to grow 6 percent in the next five years. In the United Kingdom in 2017, beauty brands with cruelty-free certification accounted for 20 percent of the women’s face skincare market and grew by 18 percent compared to the overall category which grew only 7 percent. In 2016, Lush, which sells handmade cruelty-free cosmetics, saw worldwide sales increase 26 percent from the previous year to $900 million.

It’s clear that consumers are putting their money—and their cruelty-free lipstick—where their mouths are. California should pass the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act to save animals, better protect human health, and meet consumer demand.
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Ed’s Note: Jean Knight is the editor of Bunny Army.