I’ve been mulling over this post for a few days, and it was actually spawned by looking up Nuxe’s animal testing policy. As someone who strictly purchases cruelty free personal care and cosmetic products, I almost always have my phone out when I’m at the drugstore or department store looking at make up.
I looked up Nuxe’s animal testing policy. While on their website they flat out say they do not test on animals and they comply with the European Union ban on animal testing (the company is based in France), external sources tell another story. I have found that you can never trust a company’s statement on animal testing (as proven by Bath and Body Works this year).
So I dug a little deeper and I found this blog post by the lovely Suzi, who reached out to Nuxe. In one reply she received, the first was completely generic, Nuxe states that while they regret the situation in China, they to sell in the market, as proven by having a Chinese website.
My gripe is this: you openly state that you and your suppliers don’t test on animals, you list off the alternative testing methods you use, and yet you lay down and let a country test on your behalf so you can make a buck. To me this kind of tactic that seems to be quite popular amongst cosmetic companies and is so brutal. For someone passively searching for a testing policy, the one on Nuxe’s website seems crystal clear, however it’s entirely untrue.
This also leads me to clarify my own stance on animal testing and what I personally consider to be cruelty free. There’s a bit of a variance on what people deem to be cruelty free, and the main issue seems to come from parent companies who test on animals owning cruelty free companies. This is a slippery slope when it comes to being cruelty free. Let me clarify with an example. Burt’s Bees itself does not test it’s finished products or ingredients on animals and is Leaping Bunny certified. Burt’s Bees, however, is owned by Clorox, a company that does conduct animal testing on it’s products and ingredients. So here’s the rub – do you buy from Burt’s Bees even though some of your money is going to end up in the pockets of Clorox?
This is a question of ethics. Do you avoid a company with a testing parent company because your money will ultimately end up funding these tests, OR do you reward a cruelty free company that has remained cruelty free after ownership changes? For me and what I’m personally comfortable with, I am ok with purchasing products from companies with testing parent companies. Here’s why:
The products and ingredients I have bought have not been tested on animals, have not caused animals any harm, and reward a company for being cruelty free. I have decided not to punish a company for wanting to expand their product’s reach through ownership, especially in the cases like Urban Decay, Burt’s Bees, and The Body Shop who have gone the extra mile and become Leaping Bunny Certified. Leaping Bunny is the gold standard for being cruelty free, and is very rigorous and costly to become certified. How is buying from a company owned by a testing parent company different than a company selling in China? Companies that sell in China sign over testing rights, passively allowing their products to be tested, unlike parent company owned brands.
I really encourage you to do some digging on your favorite companies’ testing policies and determine for yourself where you stand on animal testing. If you are not ok with parent companies, that’s fantastic, if you are, great. What I appreciate is that people care about animals and do not want to see them tortured needlessly.
Talk soon,
Xx Brianna
Cruelty Free Me 