“Global society is taking steps towards the abolition of animal testing and the Kao Group supports such endeavor. In our development of cosmetics, we do not and will not conduct animal testing nor do we outsource this task to anyone. This excludes instances where we need to respond to societal expectations to evidence the safety of a product or when required to do so by government agencies in particular countries.

For products other than cosmetics, our policy is to not conduct animal testing unless it cannot be avoided due to lack of availability of alternative methods, regulatory requirements or other similar reasons. If testing on animals is unavoidable, we keep such testing to a minimum following the principles of animal welfare of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).”