To claim to be "cruelty-free" for a French brand is to expose yourself to various risks. Its most common translation, "not tested on animals", is an allegation considered abusive, and is not authorized by the French authorities. "Cruelty-free", it would be forbidden to say so. ALL TIGERS resists! Why Do We Reiterate that ALL TIGERS is Cruelty-free? For a French brand to declare itself as cruelty-free, a lot is involved. Its most common translation of “Not tested on animals” can be considered deceitful, since this is already not authorized by French authorities. But this doesn't stop the motto from being repeated ad nauseam. “All French brands are cruelty-free,” a pro in the field retorts, mocking a recent survey by OpinionWay that revealed 73% of the population thinks that the cosmetics sold on French soil are tested on animals. They’re wrong, says the pro in question. “This practice has officially been banned in Europe since 2004.” ...But can we really say all European brands are cruelty-free?

The term “cruelty-free” made its way to Europe after American brands wanted to highlight their refusal to test on animals (a practice still performed across the Atlantic, even though it is banned by European regulations). And it became an easy marketing hook for European brands: who would want to hurt animals, especially for a beauty product? It would be pointless, really.

So why do we continue to present ALL TIGERS as a cruelty-free brand? Do we just not know the rules? Or is it a marketing scheme? Or perhaps it’s for good reason? (Here’s a hint: it’s actually for several good reasons).

Here’s the Scoop #1: Just because you work in the cosmetics industry does not mean you are necessarily informed about animal testing. It is kind of a delicate subject (let’s avoid saying taboo), because even if your line of work is in the industry of cosmetics, it is not always easy to have complete and objective information.  

Here’s the Scoop #2: Cruelty-free goes beyond animal testing to also include total refusal to contribute to any animal suffering. One example? It’s always strange to see brands label themselves as cruelty-free and use carmine, a red pigment that is made by grinding up cochineal insects... You can respect animals more than that! Same goes for products that use food industry ingredients derived from animal carcasses. We can cite quite a few other examples. So, if we take a step back and look at it from a larger perspective, the term cruelty-free is really part of current discourse and goes beyond the idea of animal testing.

Here’s the Scoop #3: Has animal testing been completely abolished since 2004? The short answer? Not really. Let’s go over the history of it all. In 2004, European regulations (finally) banned tests of finished products on animals. But in 2006, REACH, a new regulation focused on implementing new ingredients, started to shake up some of these requirements regarding animal testing. In 2009, tests on ingredients in cosmetics are then banned. And to prevent certain brands from having tests conducted outside of Europe, a new law in 2013 prohibited the use of results from tests performed outside the EU to market a cosmetics product. But there's an exception: if an ingredient has been used by another industry (like the pharmaceutical sector), cosmetics can use the results from these tests to sell a cosmetics product in Europe. In 2014, as part of the REACH regulation, and largely to protect workers from being exposed to components during the manufacturing process, certain tests on animals are once again required for exceptional situations, “as a last resort.” In 2014, PETA UK filed a complaint with the European Ombudsman to finally end animal testing in Europe and lost. Appeals were filed in 2017, 2018, and 2019, with little progress made. And in early April 2021, Cruelty Free International launched a petition to close a Spanish lab after a video was leaked showing animals subjected to toxicity and safety studies for sanitary product, cosmetics, and food industries. And don’t forget that certain countries outside of Europe, like China, conduct tests on animals for brands that wish to distribute to the local market.  A European brand that exports to these countries can then see its products tested on animals before they are sold. But change is happening. China had recently announced that foreign companies can eventually avoid these kinds of tests even if they are targeted for the Chinese market. All of this shows that the fight against animal testing still makes sense today.

Here’s the Scoop #4: No, animal testing within the cosmetics industry is not any less “cruel” than other industries. This isn’t for the faint of heart! Animals tested for cosmetics undergo toxicity tests, which expose them to large quantities of a certain ingredient see how they react. Irritation tests involve applying products directly to an animal’s eyes or shaved skin as it is held in a cage for weeks on end, without any means to wipe or wash itself, before being killed. In some cases, the animal is force-fed while pregnant, and after it gives birth, the animal and its young are killed and dissected to measure the effects of the product.

In the end, we can ask ourselves what is really the point of animal testing? Animal testing exists because the cosmetics industry is always ushering in new substances with unknown and potentially dangerous effects whose safety for the consumer must be proven through such experiments. And with all that comes the supposition that these results can automatically be applied to human beings. Strange, what with the arsenal of beneficial but risky molecules slathered onto, injected into, and ingested in our bodies, our wrinkles and cellulite still exist... All for cosmetics. We’re not going to cure cancer or win a Nobel prize with it. So, what if we hit the brakes on cosmetic innovation? Let’s be honest: we don't need to reinvent the wheel, the range of cosmetics out there is already incredibly vast and exhaustive. And if we need to turn to putting animals in harms’ way for a particular ingredient, it should already be getting the major side eye.

Yes, ALL TIGERS is cruelty free.

ALL TIGERS defines itself as a natural, vegan, and cruelty-free brand. This deserves some explanation.

The natural aspect is probably the simplest. While a large majority of cosmetics are made from synthetic ingredients like crude oil, ALL TIGERS favors natural and preferably organic plant and mineral-based ingredients. We use synthetic ingredients only when an acceptable alternative does not exist.

Vegan means that ALL TIGERS formulas do not contain any animal-based ingredient. So, no animals are killed, and no animals are exploited (by collecting what they produce, for example). Opting for vegan cosmetics can be beneficial for several reasons. Check out this article on our blog which presents the different kinds of animal-based ingredients most found in cosmetics and banned in our products.

The term cruelty-free encompasses both a refusal to exploit animals in general (like we previously mentioned) and a no to animal testing. In accordance with European regulations, ALL TIGERS makeup is not tested on animals. For us, not only is it cruel, but it’s pointless. We use well-known ingredients whose safety has been established for a long time. Plus, they benefit from regulation and organic label recognition and do not require animal testing for any circumstance whatsoever. Some countries outside of Europe can, in some situations, impose animal testing on foreign brands. If that happened to us, we would stop selling our products in those countries or via those channels.

This article will be regularly updated according to current regulations and practices.

You want to take the reins of ALL TIGERS? There’s one thing you can do: follow us on Instagram and let your voice be heard. We consult our community every step of the way. Ready to roar? ROAARRR! 

Source: Politico |  EcoMundo  | PETA | Curia |  Cosmeticobs  |