Cruelty free is a phrase I love to see on beauty products, and I actively seek to purchase these products when I can. With Europe and the USA both taking leaps to ban cosmetic animal testing, it won’t be long before it’s just a practice of the past. China followed suit last year by banning all animal testing on products manufactured in its country after it being a mandatory practice for years.

RESULT! Right?

Unfortunately, this animal testing law doesn’t apply to imported beauty products, and it is still mandatory for all brands and products to go through some sort of animal testing before being sold to China’s residents. In basic terms: if one of your favourite ‘cruelty free’ brands is being sold in China, then they are knowingly participating (and also footing the cost) of their products being tested on animals at some point during in the process. As a result, several brands have pulled out of the country, including Urban Decay and The Body Shop.

Initially, The Body Shop still sold their products in airports as they acted within a loophole in the law, but they swiftly pulled out due to the negative connotations from selling at all in China. Several other companies have lost their ‘cruelty free’ status due to still operating in the country.

“While several factors were important in reaching this decision, ultimately we did not feel we could comply with current regulations in China and remain true to our principles” – Urban Decay Spokesman

So why aren’t more companies pulling out? Firstly, China boasts a £26.3 billion cosmetic market, so it would be costly to any brand, big or small, to pull out without weighing up the options. This is financially understandable, but wouldn’t it send a message to China if all major companies pulled out? Surely this movement would be strong enough to kick start action into China’s cruelty free law being rolled out into imported cosmetics? Then again, it has been suggested that this is an intentional move to try and boost China’s home brands’ sales and manufacturing, thus improving local economies. If a company like Urban Decay did decide to sell in China, all they would need to do to remain cruelty free is to set up a manufacturing factory in China itself.

Many companies have argued that, although they will remain in China, they will campaign for change in the law which will hopefully have a stronger impact if they are actually in the country. However, Wendy Higgings (the international communications director of the Humane Society) has argued that:

“Big beauty brands have been selling in China for years and not actively contributed to accelerating changes, so I’m sceptical about claims that they need to be in China”

This isn’t to say the people of China have to miss out; they can still order all the cruelty free products they know and love from online and have it shipped that way, as the law doesn’t apply to e-commerce websites. If companies were willing to offer cheaper (or even free) shipping, I doubt that pulling out of the country would impact either party much.

Many makeup artists have lashed out at the premise of animal testing, declaring it is a cruel and outdated practice which is unnecessary due to the chemicals in existing products already being deemed safe. Some companies such as L’Oreal state on their website that they never practice animal testing, with the exception of ‘when it’s required by law’ (sneaky). Holland and Barrett have dropped a plethora of brands who have insisted on operating in China, even ones which still claim to be ‘cruelty free, organic and natural’, so don’t always believe the packaging.

The one, true way you can be sure your product is cruelty free is by using PETA’s bunny safe search on their website or the app. You can search any brand and it will tell you if it’s cruelty free or not with useful and easy symbols. Check out our review of Spectrum brushes, Urban Decay’s setting spray and summer collection, and Zoellas new fabulous bath and body products; all of which are cruelty free!