Action Alerts

Avon, Mary Kay and Estée Lauder Are Paying for Tests on Animals

For more than two decades, Avon, Mary Kay and Estée Lauder have been among the largest mainstream international companies on PETA US' cruelty-free lists. Avon banned all tests on animals following PETA US' massive "Avon Killing" campaign, and Mary Kay pledged to go cruelty-free after cartoonist Berkeley Breathed mocked the company in his popular Bloom County comic strip. Since then, all three companies have enjoyed the support of PETA US and millions of consumers who choose to buy cosmetics from companies that don't harm animals. But now PETA US has learned that all three companies have been paying for tests on animals at the requirement of the Chinese government – and they did not inform PETA US or consumers that their policies had changed. There is no choice but to downgrade them by placing them on PETA US' list of companies that test on animals.

Upon learning that the Chinese government requires tests on animals before many cosmetics products can be marketed in China, PETA US immediately contacted all three companies. Even though it is understandable that China is an enormous market that these companies aren't willing to ignore, PETA US had hoped they would take action to eliminate this requirement or push for non-animal test methods to be accepted. Mary Kay had taken some steps to work with officials in China, and at PETA US' urging, promised to continue this effort – but Avon and Estée Lauder appear to have gone along with the painful animal tests without objection and have largely ignored the call for them to work to change China's requirements.

PETA US is supporting the efforts of the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), which is putting together a coalition of corporate experts, providing scientists in China with training in the use of non-animal test methods and working with officials there to promote the acceptance of non-animal methods that are used in the US, the European Union and much of the world.

You Can Help
Please take a moment to let Avon, Mary Kay and Estée Lauder know that you are disappointed in their backsliding and that you will no longer buy the companies' products as long they are tested on animals. You can contact Avon and Mary Kay via the form below, and you can contact Estée Lauder via the company's online contact form.

Mandatory fields are marked with *

First Name

Last Name

E-mail Address *

Address 1

Address 2

City

State

Pin / Postal Code

Country

Mobile / Cell Number

Phone Number