L’Oréal has been committed to a world without animal testing for more than 30 years.
L’Oréal does not test any of its products or ingredients on animals. We have been at the forefront of alternative testing methods for over 30 years.
Our consumers’ health and safety have always been an absolute priority for L’Oréal.
As is the support of animal welfare.
The question of animal testing was raised by civil society or within a regulatory framework in the 2000's. Well before that time, L’Oréal developed alternative methods based on a unique technology: the reconstruction of human skin, followed by other kind of structures such as cornea or other mucosae.
A true pioneer, L’Oréal has been reconstructing human skin models in laboratories since 1979. Then, these methods have been endorsed by competent Authorities. Other tools were created allowing to elaborate authentic integrated strategies of safety evaluation as an alternative to animals. In 1989, L’Oréal completely ceased testing its products on animals, thus 14 years before the regulation required so.
F.A.Q.
Read all the answers
1
Does L’Oréal test on animals?
L’Oréal does not test any of its products or any of its ingredients on animals. It has been at the forefront of alternative methods for over 30 years. In 1989, L’Oréal completely ceased testing its products on animals, thus 14 years before the regulation required so.
2
What alternative methods to animal testing has L’Oréal developed?
Since 1979, L’Oréal has been reconstructing human skin models in laboratories to elaborate safety tests in vitro that don’t involve animals. The Group has thus been at the forefront of alternative methods for safety evaluation. Since then, L’Oréal has opened Episkin centers* in Lyon (France), Shanghai (China) and Rio (Brazil) where reconstructed skins are produced. Besides reconstructed skin models, L’Oréal has a large set of tools as part of its predictive evaluation, that does not involve animals, such as molecular modeling, expert toxicology systems, imaging techniques, and many more.
To learn more about predictive evaluation click here.
3
If you don’t test products on animals, why is L’Oréal still on the PETA list of companies who test?
L’Oréal does not test any of its products or ingredients on animals. Nevertheless, because our products are sold in China, L’Oréal still figures on PETA’s list of companies that do test on animals. In China, health authorities still require and carry out animal testing for certain products.
4
So why are you still present in China?
By being present in China, L’Oréal can help the regulation about animal testing to evolve. L’Oréal is the most active company working with Chinese authorities towards a complete cease of animal testing. As a result, the vast majority of products we sell in China are no longer tested on animals.
5
What actions are being implemented by L’Oréal to put an end to animal testing in China?
For more than 10 years, L’Oréal has been committed to working alongside Chinese authorities and scientists to have alternative testing methods recognized and enable the cosmetics regulation to evolve towards a total and complete cease of animal testing. Thus, today the majority of our products manufactured and sold in China called “non-functional” (without any biological activity) are no longer tested on animals. These “non-functional products include skincare, make-up, and shampoo. We have opened an Episkin* Center in Shanghai in 2014 enabling us to produce reconstructed skins. These skins are used for in vitro safety tests that do not involve animals and are made available for Chinese authorities.
*Episkin is a reconstructed human skin model
L’Oréal does not test any of its products or ingredients on animals and has been at the forefront of alternative methods.
Nevertheless, certain health authorities may decide to conduct animal testings themselves for certain cosmetic products, as it is still the case in China. L’Oréal has been the most active company working with Chinese authorities and scientists over the last 10 years to have alternative testing methods recognized, and enable the cosmetic regulation to evolve towards a total and definite elimination of animal testing.
Since 2015, the majority of our products manufactured and sold in China, like all our non-functional skincare (without any biological activity), are no longer tested on animals.
Since the 1980s, L’Oréal has believed that the future of safety evaluation depends on the development of alternative, “predictive” strategies to end animal testing. This approach has been built thanks to the substantial scientific progress made in the fields of human reconstructed skin models, molecular modeling and high-performance data processing. It’s been twenty-seven years since our top expert scientists created the first reconstructed human epidermis: an international revolution! This meant animal testing could be stopped as soon as 1989, 14 years before it was legally required and without making our products any less safe. Our alternative and predictive assessment models are supported by the international scientific community as “toxicology of the 21st century”.
It shows our laboratories’ efforts and expertise, and fuels our innovations.
Tissue engineering is the production of reconstructed human tissue, and others such as skin mucous membranes or cornea. L’Oréal uses this advanced technique to test the effects of new molecules and scientifically predict their beneficial effects (filtering out sun rays, combatting skin aging, etc.) or harmful effects (irritations, allergies, disturbances to the hormone system, etc.).
Various reconstructed skin model exists. They can be used to test active ingredient molecules, either alone or by associating them together. L’Oréal uses these models to understand how the molecules will react on certain skins and thus predict its efficacy even before the molecules are integrated into the final formula of a cosmetic product.