No animals need be harmed in the pursuit of beauty, writes

Harriet Pudney.

Idon’t think many of us welcome the idea of animal testing – if you do, yikes – but it can be hard to know exactly what brands are up to.

If you’ve ever stood in a department store with a new foundation in your hand, Googling “[brand name] cruelty free”, to inconclusive results, there’s a reason for that. It’s complicated.

There’s a lot going on here, with regards to globalisation, ethics, capitalism and animal rights, and where you end up on the issue will depend on your own world view. The best we can do is arm ourselves with information and decide where our money goes.

China is the last major country in the world to mandate animal testing, and requires brands to provide samples which are then tested in government labs. If brands want to be part of China’s US$30 billion ($43b) skincare and cosmetics market, they need to hand them over – even though the products themselves will have been safely formulated without animal testing.

However, as Bloomberg reported in January, China is moving away from the practice. Peta even said it sees it ending in the “near future”.

Heavyweights such as Estee Lauder Companies and L’Oreal are among those that don’t test their own products on animals, but they do still sell in China. Estee Lauder owns MAC, Bobbi Brown, Too Faced, Bumble and bumble and Clinique – they’re big names, and ones you’ll often see on these pages.

Estee Lauder doesn’t test on animals or ask others to do so, but as its website says: “If a regulatory body demands it for its safety or regulatory assessment, an exception can be made.” You could call that the China clause. Whether it’s good enough or not is up to you.

However, the company is working with In Vitro Sciences, a nonprofit organisation which last year opened a Shanghai lab to train scientists on non-animal testing methods.

The language L’Oreal uses is stronger again. Its policy says the company “no longer tolerates any exception” to its ban on animal testing, but then goes on to say that yes, its products are tested on animals in China by the local health authorities.

Like Estee Lauder, it is working with China to have non-animal testing methods approved and adopted, but at this stage, L’Oreal-owned brands including Lancome, Kiehl’s, Giorgio Armani and

Yves Saint Laurent can’t be called cruelty free.

One tricky brand is Urban Decay. It’s L’Oreal-owned, but isn’t sold in China because of the brand’s cruelty-free values. Is that a little like buying free-range eggs from a company that also battery farms? Again, you’ll have to make up your own mind. Affordable Instagram favourite

Nyx Professional Makeup is in the same boat. The good news is many genuinely great products aren’t tested on animals. Josie Maran Cosmetics has a number of vegan products, as well as being cruelty-free. Try its Argan Enlightenment Illuminising Veil ($47). RMS Beauty is one of the big guns in the natural beauty world, and it doesn’t test on animals. Try its Lip2Cheek tint ($57), or go for Mecca Max’s HoloJelly Face Gloss ($24) if you want a more shimmering look. The Mecca house brand isn’t tested on animals. Lush is very outspoken on its cruelty-free stance, and it’s won the brand fans worldwide. If you haven’t yet, try Fresh Farmacy facial soap ($18). It’s soothing and antiseptic, which makes it perfect for acne-prone skin. And if you are OK with Urban Decay’s status, its new Lightbeam eyeshadow palette ($43) might be your next must-have. It’s designed to mimic the setting sun, and it’s beautiful.

If you want to clean up your makeup bag, I wouldn’t recommend throwing everything out and starting again. Waste doesn’t help. But when you’re next in need of a new mascara, you’ll know what to think about.