Behind the Brand: L’Oreal

Peter Salisbury (2011) wrote that in 2009, L’Oreal published a report on its sustainable practices, which repeated the claim that it does not test finished products on animals. In this report, L’Oreal said that it has not used animals to test its finished products since 1989, except in the case where national legislation requires it. This is the case in certain countries where L’Oreal operates and in those locations regulations require testing using animals before substances can be registered for commercial use. As L’Oreal operates on an international scale, it is obliged to comply with the current national legislation for products that are manufactured locally and sold locally. L’Oréal do face a tough set of choices; either innovate in order to maintain their market share, or use existing ingredients and allow less ethical competitors to launch new products, or continue developing within the limits of regional legislation.

Reference

Salisbury, P. (2011) ‘Behind the Brand: L’Oreal’, Ecologist, 10 August, Available at: http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/behind_the_label/1008667/behind_the_brand_loral.html (Accessed: 3 February, 2014)