LONDON, April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Avon Products,
Inc. (NYSE: AVP) today announces its support for a worldwide ban on
animal testing for cosmetics by backing Humane Society
International on its #BeCrueltyFree initiative. The campaign
is leading legislative reform to prohibit cosmetics testing on
animals in all major global beauty markets by 2023.
Avon has committed
to support #BeCruetlyFree to drive regulatory change in key
markets around the world – predominantly in Latin America and Southeast Asia – towards the desired global
ban. Avon will also support the recently launched Non-Animal
Cosmetic Safety Assessment Collaboration (NACSA). NACSA aims
to promote best practice in animal-free safety assessment among
companies and government health authorities to promote faster
acceptance and use of modern non-animal approaches, particularly in
countries such as China, where
cosmetic animal testing is still required by law for some
products. By throwing its weight behind Humane Society
International and joining its ever-growing network of supportive
beauty giants, Avon believes an
end to the era of cosmetic animal testing will be achieved more
swiftly.
Avon was the first major
cosmetics company to end animal testing 30 years ago and has
decades of experience in developing non-animal approaches to
product safety evaluation. It collaborates with partners across the
world, including advocacy organizations and NGOs to accelerate the
adoption of non-animal-test methods.
Louise Scott, Chief Scientific
Officer at Avon, said:
"Avon's been working to end animal
testing for 30 years, but as an industry there is still more to do.
I'm proud of our contribution to driving change to date. But we're
even stronger if we work with others. It's crucial that we open up
more partnerships with other change-agents to end the unnecessary
and unacceptable practice of animal testing for
cosmetics.
"We're confident that through collaborations with HSI and other
committed partners we will accelerate the transition to alternative
approaches to animal testing and result in a worldwide ban in the
foreseeable future. It's a future that we at Avon are committed to and that millions of
Avon Representatives and their
customers around the world demand."
As part of Avon's support for
HSI's campaign, it will continue to actively collaborate with
global partners to accelerate the adoption of a worldwide ban on
animal testing. The new multi-year collaboration between
Avon and HSI will include
Avon's support for robust
legislation to prohibit cosmetic animal testing in key global
beauty markets and participation alongside other leading brands to
enhance capability across companies and regulatory authorities so
safety decisions for cosmetics are based on exclusively non-animal
approaches.
HSI Vice President for Research & Toxicology Troy Seidle said: "We couldn't be more pleased
to welcome Avon to our
#BeCrueltyFree campaign family. As a household name in so many of
our priority campaign regions thanks to its direct-to-consumer
marketing model, Avon's reach will
provide a significant boost to our efforts to abolish cosmetic
cruelty across the globe. Other socially conscious beauty brands
are encouraged to join Humane Society International in supporting
meaningful legislative change to usher in a new era of ethical
beauty worldwide."
About Avon Products Inc.
For 130 years Avon has stood for women: providing
innovative, quality beauty products which are primarily sold to
women, through women. Millions of independent sales Representatives
across the world sell iconic Avon brands such as Avon Color and
ANEW through their social networks, building their own beauty
businesses on a full- or part-time basis. Avon supports women's empowerment,
entrepreneurship and well-being and has donated over $1billion to women's causes through Avon and the Avon Foundation. Learn more about
Avon and its products at
www.avonworldwide.com. #Stand4Her
About Humane Society International
Humane Society
International and its partner organizations together constitute one
of the world's largest animal protection organizations. For more
than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all
animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands
on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide
– on the Web at hsi.org.
Forward-Looking Statements
This material contains
"forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, including statements relating to Avon's involvement with the Humane Society
International. Because forward-looking statements inherently
involve risks and uncertainties, actual future results may differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, the possibility of business disruption, competitive
uncertainties, and general economic and business conditions in
Avon's markets as well as the
other risks detailed in Avon's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Avon undertakes no obligation to update any
statements in this material after it is posted to the Investor
Relations section of our website.