Studies of potential drugs to slow or reverse the aging process usually involve testing on animals in order to prove the effectiveness of anti-aging elements. While the practice is acceptable the animal testing methods have raised concerns, particularly if used by cosmetic manufacturers. In the UK and in European Union countries, animal testing of cosmetics and skincare products is strictly prohibited, in light of ethical concerns over animal welfare. Foreign brands can sell, as well as advertise their cosmetics, including anti-ageing treatments, only if they are certified as cruelty-free.
Although animal testing and experiments are not prohibited in the U.S., guidelines for the Validation of Alternative Methods were set up by the Interagency Coordinating Committee in 1997. The initiative aims to promote the use of various alternative methods to animal testing based on 3 guiding principles, “Refinement, Reduction and Replacement,” also known as the 3Rs.
Global Support for Alternative Methods of Testing
Aside from supporting the battle against cruelty to animals, global support for alternative methods of testing has since grown because non-use of animals has been proven as less costly and less time-consuming.
Moreover, where cosmetic products are concerned, the differences in the structures and immune responses between human and animal skin, make animal experiments less reliable. The results of animal testing cannot be regarded as totally reflective of testing results based on human skin applications.
That being the case, several countries, like Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and Guatemala, as well as the states of California, Illinois, and Nevada in the U.S., have promulgated laws prohibiting the use of animal testing on cosmetic products.
Besides, the EU Commission and the UK not only prohibit animal testing on cosmetic products. The sale or promotion of foreign brands of cosmetics in EU member countries and in the UK is also not allowed unless their products are certified as cruelty-free. The certification denotes that no animal was involved in the scientific research and testing of their cosmetics.
Citing Crepe Erase as an Example of Cruelty-Free Brand of Skincare Products
Crepe Erase, the manufacturer of a leading brand of skin rejuvenating skincare systems, with a particular focus on treatments for loose and crepey skin, is a California-based company.
Popular for its anti-aging products, the company is a certified cruelty-free manufacturer of age-defying treatments as all its products make use of a patented, proprietary formula known as TruFirm® Complex. The TruFirm® formula consists mainly of phytonutrients provided by shea butter, cocoa butter, and cassava extract, as well as Vitamin E, beeswax, and anti-aging hydration oils.
Numerous crepe erase reviews attest to the efficiency of the anti-aging and skin rejuvenation treatments of Crepe Erase, as the company has tested its products using sophisticated vitro methods applied on human tissues and cells while aided by advanced computer modeling techniques. As a matter of fact, proponents of cruelty-free cosmetics include Crepe Erase in their list of “Cruelty-Free Brands List of Cosmetics.”