Beiersdorf, the organisation behind the NIVEA brand, does not test on animals. As a global company, all our affiliates including Australia and New Zealand, are aligned on this stance. We believe animal testing is not required to prove the safety and effectiveness of our products.
In China, however, animal testing is mandated by law for the official registration and certification of the safety of certain product categories. In this case, the tests are conducted by local institutions authorised by the state not by the companies selling the product. Our goal is to convince these authorities that animal testing for cosmetic products is unnecessary and to advocate for the international acceptance of alternative testing methods.
Does Beiersdorf Germany test on animals?
The manufacturers of NIVEA products, Beiersdorf Germany, does not test on animals. Animal testing has been completely banned for all cosmetic products in the EU since 2004, and for all the ingredients of these products since 2013. Beiersdorf, the organisation behind the NIVEA brand, complies with this law and has long done without animal testing whenever it was possible.
What is animal testing?
Animal testing refers to experimentation carried out on animals to assess the safety and effectiveness and compatibility of a product. In relation to the development of cosmetics , this may involve testing either a finished product or the individual ingredients of a finished product on animals, often rabbits, but also mice, rats, and other animals. The manufacturers of NIVEA, Beiersdorf Germany, and NIVEA Australia do not test on animals.
What are alternatives to animal testing?
Beiersdorf is actively working on the development and recognition of alternative methods to animal testing. For more than 20 years we have engaged with expert panels and associations on in-vitro procedures and are one of the leading and most well-known and accepted research companies in the world.
We are working together with external partners such as the European cosmetics association, Cosmetics Europe, and the EPAA (European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing), toward the development and recognition of alternative testing methods that will replace animal testing.
We are also actively advocating for the worldwide acceptance of existing animal test-free alternative methods by respective authorities. Further, we support both in terms of personnel and financially, the scientific efforts to fill the gaps where alternative methods are not yet available.
