Cosmetics, including our shaving soaps, after shave balms and beard products, have not been tested on animals in Belgium, the Netherlands and the EU for many years. We at Manandshaving.nl and many of our customers think that is a good thing.
Animal testing for cosmetics and skin care products has been prohibited by law within the EU since 2004. Under the Cosmetics Regulation, products whose ingredients have been tested on animals may no longer be traded within the EU. In fact, all cosmetic products in the Netherlands and Belgium are not tested on animals. The claim 'not tested on animals' or 'not tested on animals' may be made according to the law if the manufacturer can prove that no animal testing has been used throughout the entire production chain from raw material to end product. This claim is quite difficult because this usually happened in the very distant past. In the past, much more testing was done on animals to investigate the safety of the ingredient.
As you know, we always try to inform our customers as best as possible. If the manufacturer explicitly states that its product is not tested on animals, we will also mention this on our website.
The following product categories fall within this Cosmetics Regulation and are therefore not tested on animals:
- Shaving products, such as shaving soap , shaving cream , shaving foam and shaving gel
- After shave products, for example after shave balm
- Skin care, such as moisturizer and anti-wrinkle cream
- Beard oil , beard balm and beard shampoo
- Shampoo and pomade
- Other care products, such as bath soap, body lotion and deodorant
Do not confuse 'cruelty-free' with 'cruelty-friendly'. Products may still contain ingredients of animal origin. Some shaving soaps contain various animal fats, such as beef fat, lanolin (wool fat) and milk solids. But of course also shaving brushes made from badger and pig hair. Most shaving products are made from vegetable ingredients and oils and of course many shaving brushes are now made from synthetic bristles.
Unfortunately, a lot of testing is still done on animals for cosmetic products in China. These products are therefore also not allowed to be traded within the EU. If you regularly order a shaving product, beard oil or skin care cream via, for example, AliExpress or another Chinese online platform, you run the risk of purchasing a product that has been tested on animals. Of course everyone makes their own choice. But you have to ask yourself whether you feel comfortable with a shaving soap or beard oil that has been tested on an animal.
After reading this blog, you can now shave yourself with peace of mind in the early morning with your razor and delicious shaving soap or use your favorite beard oil in your beard.
