11 March 2009 - The End Of Animal Testing!?

Image courtesy of DailyMail

Skin Ethic Labs which is owned by L'Oreal is making and selling fake human skin! Wait, don't be grossed out, it's a good thing!

Although I just found out about this yesterday, this isn't new news but for animal activists, it's the greatest news of all!

If you can speak 'scientist' head over to the lab's website to read how it's done. Here's an easier to understand translation by Treehugger:

A team of researchers at L'Orèal have just invented an artificial skin, dubbed "Episkin," that may soon take the place of all those beleaguered creatures in future trials. Grown from cells obtained from the top layer of pieces of skin, Episkin can be manipulated and adapted based on the tester's needs: it can be made to resemble older skin, can be made to tan and, by using donor cells from women of different ethnicities, can assess the efficiency of sunscreen for various skin tones.

This is proof you should believe in your activist power to change government policy. Pressure from organisations like WSPA, individual activists like Anita Roddick and groups of activists like The Body Shop staff has culminated in the European Union passing a directive which provides for a ban on animal testing of finished products (applicable from 11 September 2004), and a complete ban on animal testing of cosmetic ingredients as soon as alternative methods are validated and adopted by EU legislation.

The final deadline of 11 March 2009 applies even if alternative tests are not available then.

This very strong legislation has been successful in forcing the cosmetic industry to search for alternatives!

I called the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council's Ethics Section and they didn't know of any cosmetics companies actually testing in Australia (I'll investigate this in the near future). If there are they would be required by the Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes 7th edition 2004 to demonstrate there are no other alternatives to animal testing available.

The Body Shop is famous for never testing on animals. The investment into developing Episkin supports the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments when they said they were optimistic about L'Oreal acquiring The Body Shop. They recognised the opportunity The Body Shop has to positively influence its parent company on the issue of animal testing in the cosmetics industry.

Episkin is going to save the lives of thousands of rabbits. Kinda speaks for itself huh?

Hooray!


Adam Valvasori - Values Manager