As a trailblazer in the fight against animal testing, L’Oréal banned the practice in its labs in 1989, 14 years before European regulations came into force.
L'Oréal Groupe has always prioritised the health and safety of its consumers, while also being committed to the welfare of animals. Over 30 years ago, L'Oréal developed Episkin, a pioneering reconstructed skin technology that serves as a reliable and ethical alternative to animal testing. Episkin accurately replicates the structure of human skin and simulates the conditions for product application. Within a few hours, this technology can predict the safety of ingredients or formulas, allowing for performance comparisons even before clinical testing.
Even before animal testing became a regulatory and societal concern, L'Oréal was already at the forefront of developing alternative methods. In 1979, L'Oréal introduced the reconstruction of human skin, a groundbreaking technology at the time.
By 1989, L'Oréal had completely ceased testing its products on animals, 14 years ahead of the legal requirement. In addition to skin models like Episkin, L'Oréal employs various predictive evaluation tools that eliminate the need for animal testing, such as molecular modeling, expert toxicology systems, and imaging techniques.
It is worth noting that Episkin is currently the only reconstituted skin technology approved by the European Commission, further highlighting L'Oréal's commitment to advancing cruelty-free practices in the beauty industry.
Each year, L’Oréal’s predictive evaluation centre in France produces around 150,000 units of reconstructed tissue.
3 Episkin centers around the world:
Lyon-Gerland, France (since 2000)
Pudong, China (since 2014)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (since 2018)
