Dermalogica is the latest company to be penalised for testing on animals
The Leaping Bunny is a universal symbol awarded to brands that don't test on animals at any time during their preparation and here in a candid interview with Sue Leary, Chair of the Program, CosmeticsDesign.com USA finds out why Dermalogica has lost the right to feature the symbol on its products.
“Well, firstly we received a tip that Dermalogica’s website listed two distribution contacts in The People’s Republic of China, which undoubtedly makes the company a party to animal testing," Leary explained.
“We had also heard from our European Partner that a shopper in Beijing saw unspecified Dermalogica products for sale in a store there earlier in the year, then we found a website for a spa in Beijing that was also featuring Dermalogica products,” she added.
CCIC's investigations are said to have been carried out during the same time Urban Decay was planning to enter China, whereby the organization was working to verify the animal testing requirements in the region and what options cosmetic companies have in the process.
Accountability
On contacting Dermalogica about its findings, Leary says that their response was of a positive nature; "After we made our formal inquiry with the company in August, they responded immediately. And it indicated that there probably was going to be an issue with their certification status and we scheduled a time to talk."
The nature of the following conversations Leary says, concenred the skin care giant explaining that they were monitoring their supply chain to guard against animal testing, but not their distribution system.
“Dermalogica does not condone animal testing and is in the process of actively withdrawing our product registrations and undertaking the necessary actions to suspend our distribution to the Chinese market," sayd Dermalogica’s CEO Daniel Ginsberg.
Despite the explanation, the CCIC told the company it was still accountable as it had profited from sales in China. "We believe that Dermalogica regrets that this happened and is now responding to the situation, but it will take some time before they sort this out," Leary concluded.
Industry hot topic
Animal testing is an industry hot topic at present, and many companies, from suppliers to manufacturers, have already made an effort to abstain from this type of testing.
In recent years, it has become widespread knowledge that those looking to sell in China are required under new, specific guidelines to test (or be a party to testing of) finished cosmetic products and/or ingredients on animals, ultimately thrusting the spotlight onto many cosmetic companies in the process.
