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A vegan-friendly testing lab has secured more than $14,000 to develop cruelty-free cosmetics and personal care products.
XCellR8, located in Sci-Tech Daresbury in Liverpool, received the funding for its six-month study in the CRACK IT Challenges competition that ‘funds collaborations between industry, academics and SMEs’. It is sponsored by Unilever and AstraZeneca.
The animal-free testing lab aims to remove animal-derived products from in vitro tests to create new products and chemical ingredients.
Vegan-friendly testing lab
Dr. Carol Treasure is the Founder and Chief Executive of XCellR8. Speaking to Liverpool Business News, she said: “The increased availability of in vitro testing services has already saved the lives of countless animals. And, it has helped to improve the accuracy and reliability of tests that humans rely on to be sure that products are safe.
“However, the ongoing use of animal components in most of these tests compromises their human relevance and can affect the reproducibility of results. [This is] a factor that has been largely overlooked until recently.
Moreover, Dr. Treasure added: “As consumer demand for vegan products, sustainable supply chains, and robust product safety grow… We’re delighted to see Unilever and AstraZeneca sponsoring work to address this gap in the science.”
Cruelty-free cosmetics
Last year, singer-songwriter Selena Gomez launched a cruelty-free cosmetics brand, Rare Beauty, in Sephora.
On Instagram, the brand wrote: “For the past few months, you’ve all been asking… and we’re proud to share that our products will be 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free. Like you, we love and care for our animals too.”
Gomez added: “I’ve had so much fun creating everything and can’t wait for y’all to try it all! I hope you love it as much as I do!”
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