News in the beauty community has been circulating for a while that China has finally banned tests on animals for cosmetic use. But are the rumours really true? Can we finally indulge in Mac and Nyx Cosmetics without a guilty conscience?
In China, their laws state all makeup sold and made must first be tested on our furry friends allow it to be sold on the market. This means companies that sell to China such as L’Oreal, Mac, NARS and other major brands technically aren’t cruelty free as they trade with the country knowing their animal testing policies.
However, headlines being thrown about in the past few months have suggested the country has changed their laws and will no longer be testing on animals. When I read this I was ready to go on a frenzied shopping trip and clear out the shelves of all the brands which I’d previously steered clear of. Mac, here I come. However, I decided to look into this a little more, and found this isn’t the revolutionary news we all thought it was.
The announcement, made by the Gansu Province National Medical Products Association, states they are ending cosmetic animal testing for all post-market cosmetics (finished and imported products).
But what does post-market testing even mean? Tashina Combs, cruelty free beauty advocate perfectly defined it in her article about the controversy (which you can find on logicalharmony.net):
“Post-market animal testing is one way that required by law animal testing has been happening in China. It occurs when the products are already on store shelves and have been released into the consumer market.
“The government would, at any time, pull products and test them on animals. The Chinese government is not required to get permission from the brands in order to do this or to tell the brands if their products have been pulled. When entering the market in China, brands are aware of post-market animal testing and the rules regarding it.”
So, what’s changed in China’s laws?
The Humane Society International summed it up in an easy way to understand:
“China recently released for the first time its post-market testing plan, & it reveals that no animal tests are listed for routine post-market surveillance.
“However, in the case of non-routine tests, eg: a consumer complaint about a product, unless/until authorities accept modern non-animal eye/skin irritation tests, & invest in local infrastructure to use such tests, animal testing could still be the default.
“Pre-market cosmetic animal testing in China for foreign imports and special-use products, remains unchanged.”
What does this all mean? To put it bluntly, China is not yet cruelty free. The headlines and rumours have been exaggerated, and it’s another lesson of not believing everything you read. However, important steps are being made in China and this is a good sign of where we are headed, and it could prompt further change in China’s laws. For now though, I’ll be sticking to cruelty free brands to save some fluffy bunnies!
By Eve Watson