P&G To End Animal Testing

The Procter & Gamble Company has joined with the Humane Society International’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign to ban animal testing for cosmetics in all major global beauty markets by 2023.


The campaign was launched in 2012 with the aim of extending the European Union’s legal precedent—banning cosmetics animal testing and the sale of newly animal tested cosmetics—to countries where this practice is still allowed or even mandated by law. P&G’s support for #BeCrueltyFree will include joint education and capacity-building programs for non-animal alternatives, continued development of new animal-free approaches to safety assessment and advocating for the legislative end of cosmetic animal testing in key global beauty markets.


“This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to end animal testing for cosmetics worldwide through our #BeCrueltyFree campaign. By working together with forward-looking companies like Procter & Gamble, we can make this ambitious goal a reality,” said Kitty Block, president of Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States.


Kathy Fish, chief research, development and innovation officer at Procter & Gamble, added, “We are pleased to partner with the Humane Society International in the quest to end cosmetic animal testing. I’m proud of the passion and expertise our researchers have contributed already to this goal. I know they will continue to be a force for good, providing leadership and advocacy to help achieve our shared vision.”


For more than two decades, P&G, HSI, the HSUS, and the Humane Society Legislative Fund have collaborated on the development and regulatory uptake of animal-free test methods. The organizations said that they expect that by bringing their complementary strengths together, they will reach the end goal more quickly. A key focus will be gaining acceptance of new methods by regulators and enrolling many companies and governments globally to adopt cruelty-free public policies and practices.


“We’ve invested more than $420 million over 40 years in developing non-animal test methods. Our researchers have led or co-designed at least 25 cruelty-free methods that have replaced animal testing of cosmetic products. HSI and the HSUS have been powerful partners in advancing these methods globally,” noted Dr. Harald Schlatter, P&G corporate communications and animal welfare advocacy.


“Animal testing of cosmetics not only causes unnecessary animal suffering, but it also represents outdated science. For more than 20 years, we have collaborated with Procter & Gamble to advance the development and regulatory acceptance of non-animal testing approaches, but in order to finally move proposed cosmetics animal testing bans into law, in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and other influential markets, we need the active support of major industry leaders such as P&G. With the power of P&G’s household brands, I’m confident we can achieve a legislative end to cosmetic animal testing globally within five years,” added Troy Seidle, HSI vice president for research and toxicology.