Animal testing alternatives: The Body Shop appoints XCellR8

XCellR8 describes itself as the only lab globally to make its tests entirely animal-product free in a regulatory environment; eliminating all animal components from their tests.

“Celebrating their shared visions to be a force for good, both companies firmly believe there is no scientific requirement for animal testing in the beauty industry,” XCellR8 said in a statement.

Jason Matthews, International Director of Regulatory at The Body Shop International commented on the appointment: “The Body Shop has been campaigning against animal testing in cosmetics for more than 30 years, and we are pleased that since the EU ban, there’s been great industry progress in animal-free alternatives.

“We’ve recently started working with XCellR8 because it’s an innovative, women-founded, British, animal-free testing business. We both share a strong commitment to animal testing alternatives and we’re passionate about the scientific and ethical advances in this field.”

XCellR8 is an exclusively animal-free laboratory and provides entirely animal-free safety and efficacy tests to the cosmetics, personal care and chemical industries. The company does not use serum, tissues or antibodies extracted from animals.

Campaigning efforts​

As well as the services XCellR8 will be providing The Body Shop, the organisations say they are also working together to lobby for a worldwide ban on animal testing.

XCellR8’s founder, Dr Carol Treasure, spoke at a recent UN general assembly on their combined efforts.

As one of The Body Shop’s testing partners, XCellR8 was able to explain how animal-free safety tests have now become the default choice thanks to scientific innovations in human cell culture techniques.

Dr Carol Treasure said of the partnership:​

“Our aim is to become the global leader in animal free testing. Our in depth, academic understanding of physiology and how chemicals react with the body, mean that more accurate and reproducible results are achieved when tests are conducted on human skin cells instead of animals.

"Partnering with The Body Shop has been the icing on the cake of a fantastic year for XCellR8 and our continued investment in innovation, research and development keeps us at the forefront of cosmetic science.”

Find out in-depth recent report on the current state of animal testing bans around the world for 2019 here​.