An email from herbal essences

[MegTheFish]

About a week ago, I emailed the herbal essences company, asking if they tested their products on animals (because it didn't say on their products, like most companies that don't test on animals do) because I've been doing some research and I've decided that I will only use products that don't test on animals. I really like the herbal essences products, but I would stop using them if they did. Here is the message sent to me:

----------------------

Thank you for contacting us regarding our use of animal testing. We are glad to have the
chance to share the facts about our product safety testing program with you.

P&G has consistently refrained from making claims related to animal research on our products
and packaging, and in keeping with this policy, we are phasing out that language from our
packaging. This does not represent a change in our research and manufacturing process, but is
simply a matter of making our labels consistent with P&G policy.

We at P&G want to ultimately eliminate the need for all animal testing of products and
ingredients for human use. We have already ended the use of animals for evaluating the safety
of all current non-food, non-drug product formulations, except where required by regulations OR
WHEN THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TEST AVAILABLE TO ENSURE HUMAN SAFETY. When evaluating the safety
of foods, drugs, new technologies and never-before-used ingredients, we always look first to
existing safety data and then to alternatives. A minimal amount of animal research is used
only when we're unable to verify safety any other way -- let us stress that resorting to animal
research is the exception rather than the norm. We'd rather use alternatives; not only is the
use of animals avoided, but reliable alternatives generally cost less and take less time.

We're committed to the ultimate elimination of animal testing FOR PRODUCTS INTENDED FOR HUMAN
USE. In order to reach this goal, we're doing a number of things. We've invested almost $160
million in alternatives, making us an industry leader. We're working with the FDA and
respected animal welfare groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States, to work on
reforming regulations and validating alternative methods so that we can reach our goal. These
are just a couple of our efforts in the area of alternatives. To learn more, we invite you to
visit our website: http/www.pg.com/animalalternatives/

For additional information about alternatives, you might visit the following websites:

http/www.biorap.org(Biological Research for Animals & People)
http/altweb.jhsph.edu/(Alternatives to Animal Testing site)
http/www.hsus.org/(Humane Society of the United States site)
http/www.ampef.org/(Americans for Medical Progress Educational Foundation)

We hope this explanation of our position will serve to answer your inquiry and assure you of
our continuing attention to this matter.

The Consumer Affairs Team


Megan wrote:

> E-mail address: [email protected]
> Name: Megan
> , ON
> Age: 14
>
> Comments: Are your products tested on animals?
>
> -- Submitted: 3/21/2005 5:27:25 PM Central Time
>
> -- Browser: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; Win 9x 4.90; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)

----------------------

I think they are saying that they only have to test on animals when they have to, and it sounded like she/he knew it was a bad idea, but should I still boycott their products? Any suggestions?
Thanks
-Meg

 

[OohFeeshy]

Hmm.... I hate it when people don't give straight answers. As far as I can tell, they don't say yes or no. I'm bored, so I'll try to google you a list of companies who test on animals.

Heres a few links-
http/www.allforanimals.com/cruel1.htm

These companies don't-
http/www.idausa.org/facts/crueltyfree.html

 

[Earthgirl]

In my experience when a company says either a straight yes or no, they are testing on animals.
The reason that they proabably gave you the run around is because an informed customer will not buy and will therefore, tell their friends (and the ones on line ) and they will boycott that product.

Good for you for taking them time to write to them.
I will not be buying their product any more and shall tell everyone I know what they said to you (neither a yes or no) and let my friends and family make the choice for themselves.

Elizabeth

 

[MegTheFish]

I will not be buying their product any more and shall tell everyone I know what they said to you (neither a yes or no) and let my friends and family make the choice for themselves.

THANK-YOU THANK-YOU THANK-YOU!!!
If anybody else wants to join me in buying only products that don't test on animals, please do!
I will defently be boycotting them!

Thank-you for the links, OohFeeshy!

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

how are they giving the run-around

We at P&G want to ultimately eliminate the need for all animal testing of products and
ingredients for human use. We have already ended the use of animals for evaluating the safety
of all current non-food, non-drug product formulations, except where required by regulations OR
WHEN THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TEST AVAILABLE TO ENSURE HUMAN SAFETY.

it says right there they dont test on animals unless they absolutely have too

 

[MegTheFish]

So I guess they are saying that if they have to, they will test on animals, so right now they might be not be but in the future, without me knowing, they could test on an animal. So I'm not taking any chances.

 

[Sorrell]

According to peta's list of companies that do and don't test on animals, herbal essence does. Their list shows companies that do animal tests that are beyond what is required by law.


Good for you for taking this kind step

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

may i ask what goes on in these tests?

 

[The-Wolf]

may i ask what goes on in these tests?

google vivisetion, but be warned you will be horrified at some of the results

 

[MegTheFish]

According to peta's list of companies that do and don't test on animals, herbal essence does. Their list shows companies that do animal tests that are beyond what is required by law.

I bookmarked that page, and I did look it over but I must have missed them when I was looking over the "do test on animals" section.

 

[MegTheFish]

http/www.stopanimaltests.com/index.aspx

http/www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/ani...nts/index.shtml

http/www.petitiononline.com/pawsclub/petition.html

http/www.peta.org/about/faq-viv.asp

 

[pnyklr3]

may i ask what goes on in these tests?

Washing their hair, of course!

If you boycott place for testing on animals, will you also refuse medicine that had been tested on animals, or medical treatments tested on animals, or even the companies who do use animals for testing?

Animal testing is essential to drug and vaccine research. In particular, animal experiments have been vital in discovering drugs that slow the progress of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. Similar advancements have occurred in developing treatments for herpes and hepatitis B because of animal testing.

Animal research leads to Nobel Prize in Medicine
An American and two British scientists share the 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their groundbreaking research on the genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death.  All three scientists conducted their research with the C. elegans nematode worm.  In announcing the award, the Nobel Committee noted the research was of prime importance in the understanding of AIDS, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, stroke and heart disease.  read more.

Here's a scenario. A woman who has suffered emotionally her whole life is finally diagnosed with manic depression. She finds, to her amazement, that taking the drug lithium ends her regular descents into depression. She can now enjoy life and function at a much higher level.

This woman may not necessarily agree with animal testing, but she cannot help but feel grateful for the animal experiments on guinea pigs that led researchers to discover lithium's soothing quality.

 

[MegTheFish]

Animals should not be used to experiment with. Thats not what they were put on the earth to do. Anybody who thinks its right to turture and cause pain to an animal (and in most cases, death) just so we can enjoy shampoo should be locked up because at the moment they could just be testing on animals...but whats next?

 

[pnyklr3]

I'm not saying that it's ok for animals to be "tortured" so that you can wash your hair. I'm asking if you will also be boycotting medicine, because it too is tested on animals.

EDIT: Instead of using animals for medical testing, should we use people instead?

 

[mm_simb]

Instead of using animals for medical testing, should we use people instead?

Is the product suppose to be used on people? Then I guess so. They test animals for their own product so why not test humans for their own product also?
In case you didn't know they do have alternative test for products that companies can use. People just think that animals are just some disposable thing that you can do whatever you want to them and if it doesn't work, get rid of it, and try it with another one. It's disgusting and it should be terminated. If I knew about all the companies that do animal testing I would boycott.