Estée Lauder, along with its subsidiaries and brands such as MAC Cosmetics, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, and Origins, was a well-known and long-standing member of PETA’s cruelty-free cosmetics list for over two decades. However, in 2012, PETA discovered that the company had changed its policies and started paying for painful animal tests in order to expand its business into China. Despite these tests duplicating safety information already obtained from non-animal tests, Estée Lauder did not contest the Chinese government’s demand and continued marketing its products as “cruelty-free” without informing PETA or consumers of the change.
In contrast, truly cruelty-free companies such as Paul Mitchell and Juice Beauty have chosen to either withdraw from the Chinese market or refrain from entering it until regulations that require animal testing are eliminated. PETA has been actively working with expert scientists to encourage the Chinese government to approve non-animal testing methods and to end the country’s requirement for cruel and outdated tests on animals for cosmetics.
To help stop animal testing, individuals can access PETA’s online database of companies that do and do not test on animals or obtain a free copy of PETA’s global Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide and pledge to only purchase products that have not been tested on animals. Additionally, it is recommended to express disappointment to Estée Lauder and inform them that their products will no longer be purchased as long as they continue to conduct animal testing.
