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I love makeup.
I was a loyal Avon customer since my pre-teens. The Avon Lady was a common thing in our community and that's where I got my nail polish and, when I became old enough, my first lip tints (lip conditioner with a hint of color). When my mother approved makeup, I had a tutorial with a Mary Kay Lady and received their book (at the time), however, Avon was always my brand – makeup, skincare, shower gel, and more. I even have several dresses and a pair of boots from Avon.
Today, I'm a loyal Ulta customer, I have so many beauty products that I've been relegated to the second bathroom, and I have plans with girlfriends to attend the grand opening of a new Ulta in our area (that'll make TWO!). I also love animals and will not allow my love of makeup lead to supporting animal testing, therefore, when news broke in 2012 that two of my favorite brands, Avon and Clinique, tested on animals, I had to walk away.
Does Avon Conduct Animal Testing?
There is an article from 2012 that still circulates social media and I shared it the other day. One comment to the article inspired this blog post:
“Please STOP sharing this old, misleading article. NOT HELPFUL! Keep the Tail Wagging please learn facts and truths. You can Google this. Avon does NOT test on animals. Need to combate [sic] the hate with truth…. misleading info does not help.”
Facebook Comment
This gave me pause because I don't want to be a person who spreads “misleading information,” however, everything I've read tells me that Avon, Mary Kay, and Estee Lauder continue to conduct animal testing. While some companies do their own testing, others pay for third party testing on animals which allows them to say “we don't test on animals.” That statement should be followed by “but we pay others to do it for us.”
- Avon is NOT Cruelty Free, by Cruelty Free Kitty
So I kept digging and learned that in August 2019, there was a change. The New Avon split apart from Avon Worldwide. The New Avon Company does not participate in animal testing for their products. However, Avon Worldwide is not considered cruelty-free. From the below information, I gather that Avon purchased within the United States is cruelty-free.
“In August, 2019, New Avon LLC, the privately-held North American company that split from Avon Products, Inc. (Avon Worldwide) in 2016 has entered into a definitive agreement with South Korean consumer goods giant LG Household & Health Care, Ltd., which will purchase the direct-selling cosmetics business for $125 million in cash.”
~ Wikipedia
I wonder if the New Avon will rebrand/rename their company. Although they say that they're not affiliated with each other, two companies that go by the name “Avon” is confusing (to me) and makes me think that they are very much affiliated with one another.
As a friend recently stated, it's like they're trying to get us focused on their right hand, while their left hand continues to test on puppies.
Why Some Companies Still Test on Animals
Of course, I say that companies are testing on animals because they're staffed by cruel, sadistic people who love to torture helpless creatures. But that's my emotional reaction to some of the images I've seen of animals in these labs. Do we really need that moisturizer or mascara so badly that a bunny needs to lose their eyes?
Someone joined the conversation to explain why we're still seeing some companies test on animals:
“This is the basic run down… China conducts animal testing on certain products. If a company sells that certain product to China, they are in turn put on the naughty list. The smaller companies that do not sell to China stay off the naughty list. Many of the big companies that we all use everyday on are the naughty list. Sad to me that it is actually China that is responsible for animal testing.”
~ Lisa Lanae Edwards Lohman
Is this true? Is this why some cosmetic companies continue with animal testing?
Further online reading taught me that the Chinese government requires animal testing for all cosmetics coming into their country before they can be widely sold to that nation's consumers.
Some people believe that the cosmetics companies are innocent and that the Chinese government take the products, perform animal testing, then release the product to the public for consumption. Does this make sense?
Did China Stop Testing on Animals?
Avon and Mary Kay representatives are quickly circulating information as “proof” that their beloved companies do not test on animals and one such meme claims that China has announced that they will no longer require animal testing for cosmetic products.
Is this true?
According to EthicalElephant.com, in “March 2019, China announced that post-market testing for finished imported and domestically produced cosmetics in China will not include animal tests.”
People in the cruelty-free movement are stating that although some tests have been replaced with animal-alternative test methods, China has yet to eradicate all animal testing at this time. According to CrueltyFreeKitty.com, post-market animal testing, which means products can be pulled from store shelves and tested on animals, isn't a normal practice. So what is China really giving up?
Although this may not be what I wanted to learn, I have to admit that as a global community, we are moving slowly in the right direction. However, we aren't there just yet. There is no need for an animal to suffer because I love eyeshadow pallets.
Therefore, Avon Worldwide, Clinique and Mary Kay will remain OFF of my shopping list.
My Personal Thoughts on this Topic
I gave this a lot of thought as I followed the discussion on my Facebook page and realized that it would be easy for me to get on a high horse and say that I'd rather be safe and sorry and avoid brands (Avon, Mary Kay, Clinique, etc.) that engage in animal testing, however, when I walk around my house, I have to ask myself one question…
How many things have I purchased (laundry detergent, batteries, light bulbs) that come from companies that practice animal testing?
That being said, unless my life is 100% cruelty-free, then I need to step down from that high horse and start looking at things reasonably.
However, when it comes to MLM/Direct Marketing companies, I will admit that I am 100% biased. I don't expect them to give me an honest answer. Instead, I expect a response with half-truths that serve to get me to stop asking questions and start buying their products. This may not be true for all MLMs, but my experience with direct marketing hasn't endeared me to the industry. So their claims to be working with China from the inside to stop testing on animals doesn't ring true to me.
There is a fantastic podcast that does a great job shining the light on the truth behind MLMs called The Dream; here are the first three episodes:
The New Avon vs. Avon Worldwide
There were a lot of people, I'm guessing Avon representatives, who joined the discussion to state that Avon doesn't test on animals. The New Avon states that they are cruelty-free (although they haven't been recognized as such on the sites I visit) and Avon Worldwide, which sells products internationally, is not cruelty free.
As of 10/10/2019, the New Avon isn't listed on the Leaping Bunny website. I have contacted Leaping Bunny directly to ask about the new company and will update this blog post with their response.
Mary Kay Cosmetics
I heard from a number of Mary Kay consultants as well who promised me that Mary Kay no longer tests on animals. As you can see from the Mary Kay website, they don't test on animals “except when absolutely required by law.” To me, this isn't cruelty-free.
Cruelty-Free Cosmetics I Purchase
The following is a list of all of my favorite cosmetic, beauty, and hair brands; I confirmed their cruelty-free status on CrueltyFreeKitty.com:
- Anastasia Beverly Hills
- bareMinerals
- Becca
- Burt's Bees*
- Buxom
- China Glaze
- Derma E
- DevaCurl
- Essence
- IT Cosmetics*
- Mario Badescu
- NYX*
- PUR
- Shea Moisture
- Tarte
- Too Faced
- Urban Decay
*I was saddened to see that a few of my favorite brands had an asterisk (*) leading me to believe that they may be straying away from cruelty-free, so I did some more homework.
- Burt's Bees – read their statement about selling in China and cruelty-free status
- IT Cosmetics and NYX are cruelty-free, however, they have been purchased by a parent company that still practices animal testing.
Cruelty-Free Apps
If you're interested in finding out if your favorite products are cruelty-free, here is a list of apps my Facebook followers recommended:
Cruelty-Free Websites
Brands that Test on Animals
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