Estée Lauder Companies has become the latest beauty company to join the #BeCrueltyFree campaign – the world’s largest ever initiative to ban cosmetics animal testing.

The company, which owns over 25 beauty brands including Estée Lauder, Clinique, Prescriptives, MAC, La Mer and Bobbi Brown,” was one of the first cosmetics companies to eliminate animal testing as a method of determining cosmetic product safety more than 30 years ago”.

Anna Klein, senior vice president, for ELC’s global corporate affairs said the company is proud to partner with Humane Society International (the creator of the #BeCrueltyFree campaign) to “work together towards our common goal to bring an end to cosmetics animal testing”.

She said the company does not test its products on animals and does not ask others to do so on its behalf but does acknowledge “its brands are sold in countries where animal testing on cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients is required by law”.

“As a global company dedicated to bringing many of the beauty industry’s most beloved products and experiences to consumers in more than 150 countries and territories, ELC believes it has a responsibility to contribute to the sustainable solution to end animal testing for cosmetics and that through strong partnerships, sharing of its science and engaging with communities in a meaningful way, it can contribute to the global end of cosmetic animal testing.”

She said ELC  is  working to foster meaningful and sustainable change to cosmetics animal testing in countries where it is still practiced or mandated by law, through three key focus areas:

• Demonstrating proven scientific alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics: ELC continues to support research and adoption of alternatives to animal testing to determine cosmetics safety.
• Supporting and aligning on legislation: ELC works closely with key stakeholders to align on legislation that balances animal welfare, existing regulations and science.
• Global approach: ELC is committed to working with both global and local partners to promote alternatives to animal testing in the cosmetics industry.

Humane Society International president Kitty Block said the #BeCrueltyFree campaign is an “unprecedented education and consensus-building effort among federal legislators, regulators and corporate and other stakeholders to ensure that all newly manufactured cosmetics are both safe and cruelty-free” – and “has already helped shape cosmetics animal testing and sale bans in nearly 40 countries”.

“Animal testing is last century’s science, but to legislate it out of existence requires us to join forces with forward-looking industry leaders like ELC,” she said.

“I’m confident that by working together with beauty companies through our #BeCruelty campaign, we can help bring an end to cosmetics testing on animals by 2023.”