Beauty brand tainted by US animal testing

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COSMETICS on sale in high-street shops were tested on animals yearsafter the practice was banned in the UK.Several popular beauty products contain an ingredient tested on livepregnant rats and their foetuses in the US. The ingredient is contained in Olay Regenerist Night moisturiser andOlay Regenerist Eye Derma-Pod, both of which are sold in high-streetstores. It is also used in Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, dueon sale in Britain in June.Scientific papers show that Procter and Gamble (P & G), which owns Olay,tested butylparaben in the US in 2004, force-feeding it to pregnantrats. The rats' unborn offspring were removed by caesarean section andtested for toxic effects. P & G said the tests had been done on behalfof the industry at the request of European Union regulators.MPs, and scientists developing alternatives to animal

testing, saidconsumers had been duped into thinking all beauty products sold inBritain were "cruelty-free".A ban on live animal testing of cosmetics was introduced in 1998 whenthe government withdrew licences for testing ingredients in make-upand other beauty products. A voluntary agreement was reached withBritish manufacturers not to test ingredients on animals.Three popular products, produced under the leading brand Olay, containa cosmetic preservative, butylparaben, that was tested on animals.A spokeswoman for the Dr Hadwen Trust, which invests in thedevelopment of nonanimal tests, said: "Cruelty-free test methods areoften faster, cheaper and more reliable than experimenting onanimals."-- full story:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3735999.ece