The Body Shop Canada commends the federal government’s measures to prohibit testing cosmetics on animals in Canada. The measures, which are being tabled through the 2023 Budget Implementation Act, also will prohibit the sale of cosmetics that rely on new animal testing data to establish product safety as well as false or misleading labelling pertaining to cosmetic animal testing.
The activist beauty retailer worked with the Canadian government for several years to advance the legislation, alongside a committed alliance of advocacy organizations and industry partners, which includes Cruelty Free International, the Animal Alliance of Canada, Humane Society International, the Cosmetics Alliance Canada and Lush Cosmetics.
“The Body Shop applauds Minister Duclos and Health Canada for their work in bringing forth this legislation,” said Hilary Lloyd, vice president of marketing and corporate responsibility for The Body Shop North America. “As a leader in cruelty free beauty, we’re celebrating this milestone and reflecting on the passionate hard work from our campaign partner, Cruelty Free International, our retail teams and of course, our activist customers, who delivered more than 625,000 signatures to Parliament Hill in 2018 asking to end cosmetic animal testing.”
The Body Shop has been fighting for the rights of animals around the world since 1989 and was the first international beauty brand to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics. In 2017, as part of its global Forever Against Animal Testing campaign, the beauty retailer implemented an aggressive, ambitious push to ban the practice in Canada. This effort involved several years of petition collecting and government relations tactics at both a federal and municipal level with the support of its passionate retail employees and customers. The company participated at national pet events, presented more than 926,000 store-collected petitions to local MPs on their designated Day of Activism and to Parliament Hill during their “Pet March” protest in Ottawa. Leaders within the business also met with key staff in the Minister of Health’s office and other government officials, including skeptics of the legislation.
“This tremendous effort is an example of how business can and should shape positive change in society,” Lloyd said.
According to Cruelty Free International, more than 500,000 animals worldwide may be used in cosmetic testing in a single year. Despite this, alternative approaches exist that are widely used and proven to be more effective and reliable.
“In Canada, there is no reason for cosmetic animal testing to still take place,” said Monica Engebretson, head of public affairs North America for Cruelty Free International. “We are thrilled to see government officials, industry leaders and advocates unite so that beauty no longer has to come at the expense of another living creature.”
Canada will join more than 40 countries worldwide that have enacted laws banning cosmetics testing on animals.
As a certified B Corporation, The Body Shop was founded on the belief that business should be a force for good. Throughout 2023, the retailer is opening seven Changemakers’ Workshop concept stores across Canada to empower customers to speak up and spark change through collective action efforts just like its groundbreaking Forever Against Animal Testing campaign.
