Nishanti Evani at Lush India to support 'Fight Against Animal Testing'

On 11 March, we witnessed a truly landmark moment in the history of the beauty industry. The world’s largest cosmetics market, the European Union, which has already banned cruel animal testing of cosmetics within its own boarders, will also close its doors to the sale of cosmetics tested on animals overseas. This sales ban carries with it a clarion call from consumers: cosmetics animal testing is not welcome and it needs to stop. Surely this must signal a turning point for the beauty industry worldwide to finally kick its animal testing habit and commit to going cruelty-free?

Lush, Humane Society International and others have campaigned tirelessly to end cosmetics cruelty. Over the years we have heard every excuse in the book from cosmetics companies clinging on to animal testing, yet one by one those excuses have been exposed to be hollow and self-serving.

Animal toxicity tests represent outdated science; decades-old techniques that cannot reliably assure consumer safety. The future of safety testing lies with modem, human-biology-based methods. So there is no scientific excuse for animal testing. There are also thousands of existing cosmetic ingredients that have long been established as safe for use meaning they don’t require any new testing. Myriad combinations of these allow companies such as Lush to innovate to their heart’s content. So there is no business excuse for animal testing.

And of course animal testing causes unimaginable suffering as rabbits and other animals have chemicals dripped in their eyes or spread on their delicate skin. Swollen eyes, skin rashes and organ damage are the ugly hidden secrets of a beauty industry that has dragged its feet on ending animal testing. So there is no ethical excuse for animal testing.

So as we celebrate the EU going ‘cruelty-free’, we urge all those companies still testing cosmetics on animals in India: do the decent thing and stop the suffering. Show your global customers that beauty isn’t just skin deep—that it has a heart. You have it within your collective power to stop cosmetics cruelty today. Do it. Enough is enough.

Humane Society International/India and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world's largest animal protection organizations. For nearly 20 years, HSl has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands-on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide.

Lush: Since establishing 17years ago, Lush Cosmetics has been driven by innovation and its ethics. Creators of pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath ballistic, shower jellies, solid shampoo bars and Toothy Tabs solid toothpaste. Lush places emphasis on fresh ingredients like organic fruits and vegetables. Lush operates a strict policy against animal testing and supports Fair Trade and Community Trade initiatives. Lush leads the cosmetics industry in combating over-packaging by running public awareness campaigns and developing products that can be sold ‘naked’ to the consumer without any packaging. Lush has been awarded the RSPCA Good Business Award for 2006 and 2007, the 2006 PETA Trailblazer Award for Animal Welfare and the International Fund for Animal Welfare ‘Business of the Year’ award for 2010. Co-founders Mark and Mo Constantine were awarded OBEs for services to the beauty industry in the New Year’s honors list 2010. Lush currently has over 800 shops worldwide and are present in over 50 countries, with manufacturing sites across the world.