Dove and The Body Shop join with the world’s leading animal protection groups and call on the EU to save cruelty free cosmetics in Europe
Dove and The Body Shop join with the world’s leading animal protection groups and call on the EU to save cruelty free cosmetics in Europe
Thought provoking artwork fills the streets of Paris, Berlin, Milan and Madrid this week as two of the biggest cruelty free brands stand together to end animal testing
The two beauty brands have united to urge consumers to take urgent action to save Europe’s ban on animal testing in cosmetics by signing a European Citizens Initiative – a formal online initiative allowing the public to tell Europe’s authorities what they care about.
The Body Shop was the first global beauty brand to fight against animal testing in cosmetics back in 1989. Since then the brand has been campaigning relentlessly against this practice with a fundamental belief that animals should not be harmed in the pursuit of beauty. The Body Shop helped to lead the charge towards the current ban in Europe and in 2018, an amazing 8.3 million people signed their campaign petition to end animal testing globally. Looking ahead, the activist beauty brand will also be 100% vegan certified by The Vegan Society by 2023.
Dove has spent 15 years working to change the beauty industry for the better, starting with ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ and launching the world’s biggest self-esteem programme. As a proudly certified cruelty-free brand, Dove has supported global bans to permanently end animal testing everywhere in the world, working alongside lawmakers, animal protection organisations and like-minded companies to achieve this goal.
But they can’t do it alone.
European citizens can sign the Initiative here and tell the Commission that they won’t accept the broken promise of a Europe where animals no longer suffer and die for cosmetics.
Firdaous El Honsali, Senior Director of Global Communications and Sustainability at Dove says; “At Dove, we stand passionately against animal cruelty. We strongly believe that there is no role for animal testing for beauty products or their ingredients and have pioneered safe and humane alternatives to assess the safety of products and ingredients for many years. This commitment drives us to take urgent action to protect the ban against animal testing in the EU. Together with our partners, The Body Shop and leading animal protection groups, we urge both our peers in the beauty industry and the general public to lend their voice in the fight to end animal testing in the EU once and for all by signing this European Citizens Initiative.”
Christopher Davis, Global CSR and Activism Director, The Body Shop International adds; “The Body Shop was the first global beauty brand to fight against animal testing in cosmetics and this commitment has been at the forefront of our activist campaigns for over three decades. Our work with our campaign partners Cruelty Free International led to the original European Union ban in 2013. Today, we are calling the EU – home to the world’s largest cosmetics market – to stick to the trailblazing promise they made. We are proud to collaborate with Dove and speak as one voice, along with all those working towards a global end to animal testing for cosmetics, in support of this European Citizen’s Initiative”.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
*Animal protection organisations behind the European Citizens Initiative:
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and its affiliates in Germany, France and the Netherlands
- Cruelty Free Europe
- Humane Society International
- Eurogroup for Animals
- European Coalition to End Animal Experiments
ABOUT DOVE
For 60 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. It cares about how it makes its products; what goes into them and the impact it has on the planet.
Globally, Dove does not test on animals and is certified Cruelty-Free by PETA. Since 2018, Dove has enacted a policy prohibiting any animal tests on its products, anywhere in the world. Animal testing is a part of the beauty industry that Dove is actively trying to address as part of its mission to change beauty, but it understands that there is still a long way to go, and it cannot achieve this alone.
Over 40 years ago Unilever started to use non-animal approaches to assess the safety of its products and ingredients. It is committed to using what it has learnt in this space – along with its reach and scale – to help lead efforts towards regulatory change in how chemicals and products are assessed for their safety, and to bring about an end to animal testing. Unilever’s position is underpinned by partnerships with many leading research teams globally to develop and apply leading edge non-animal product safety assessment capability and to share this openly with peers, NGOs and governments.
ABOUT THE BODY SHOP
Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand and a certified B Corp™. The Body Shop seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, body care, haircare and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. Having pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, this ethos is still the brand’s driving force. The Body Shop operates around 3,000 retail locations in more than 70 countries. Along with Avon, Aesop and Natura, The Body Shop is part of Natura &Co, a global, multi-channel, multi-brand cosmetics group that is committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact.
The Body Shop was the first global beauty brand to fight against animal testing in cosmetics and has strongly advocated for humane alternatives to animal testing since 1980. Over the last three decades, The Body Shop has worked with campaign partners Cruelty Free International and their collective efforts led to the original European Union ban in 2013. In 2017, the brand launched ‘Forever Against Animal Testing’, the biggest campaign ever to call for a ban on animal testing in cosmetics products and ingredients, everywhere and forever. Together with its partner Cruelty Free International, they gathered over 8 million signatures, calling upon the UN to push forward a global ban.
The Body Shop is also set to be the first global beauty brand to have 100% of its product formulations certified by The Vegan Society by the end of 2023. This commitment demonstrates the brand’s determination to set the highest possible bar in sustainable and ethical beauty.
ABOUT PETA
ABOUT CRUELTY FREE EUROPE
ABOUT HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN COALTION TO END ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS
ABOUT EUROGROUP FOR ANIMALS
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