Beautiful, Sure, Yourself with the right products? Gladly, but without animal suffering!
All YIONN products have a few things in common.
They help you feel Beautiful, Sure, Yourself, are free from fragrances and colorants, contain no parabens, and are made from natural ingredients with traceable origins.
And also very important: everything has been tested through cruelty-free research.
A quality that we want to highlight today, on the occasion of World Animal Testing Day.
Because although there has been a ban on animal testing for cosmetics in Europe for several years, many animals still face a terrible fate in chemical laboratories.
How did this happen? And what can you do about it? In this article, we explain.
No tests!
Less than 20 years ago, more than 50,000 animal tests were carried out annually in Europe for and by the cosmetics industry.
Most of these animals did not survive and were killed afterward.
But today, fortunately, testing makeup on animals is no longer allowed.
How did this come about? And what was needed to make this happen?
A mini history lesson
- In 1991, the European Commission made plans to retest all cosmetic ingredients. Millions of animals would lose their lives.
- arious animal rights organizations across Europe joined forces, and the enormous public pressure gradually led to the complete ban on animal testing for cosmetics in 2004—something that had already been prohibited in the Netherlands since 1997.
- In 2013, the trade of animal-tested cosmetics from outside the EU was also banned—with a small exception, which we will discuss later.
In short: a huge victory!
Yet, every year, around 10 million animals are still used in the EU. And it doesn’t stop there.
You also have to consider the breeding surplus: animals that are killed without being used in an experiment.
There are about 12.6 million of these annually.
Whether you’re good at math or not, this sum clearly results in a number that is far too high! (22.6 million for those who don’t have a knack for math.)
A less beautiful victory…
And what about the global number? It’s estimated at 115 million.
A real shame.
Why are there still so many test animals?
Reason #1: Animal testing can’t (yet) be fully abolished
In the Netherlands, about 500,000 animals are used annually for scientific research.
Add the breeding surplus of around 400,000 animals, and you get a “considerable” sum.
Most experiments are conducted on mice and rats, but guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, monkeys, birds, fish, and amphibians also suffer.
Why don’t the same rules apply here as in the beauty industry?
Well, the animal tests currently allowed in Europe (and therefore the Netherlands) are for our health and safety.
And in some cases, they are even mandatory.
For example, more than half of animal tests are conducted to study diseases and conditions and develop medications and vaccines.
A complete abolition is therefore not immediately possible, but progress is being made.
In 2019, a new global guideline was introduced with the aim of reducing medication testing on animals.
Before, 1,500 rats and 1,000 rabbits were used annually to test a new drug; now, that number would drop to about 200 rats or rabbits.
A huge difference.
This reduction is made possible by more in vitro (petri dish) testing and abolishing the use of a second species.
By the way, this was already proven 10 (!) years ago to be unnecessary.
The big downside? It’s a guideline, not a law. So, it’s allowed, but it’s not required.
Reason #2: Animal testing around the world
The time when animal testing was considered the “golden” standard is thankfully over.
At least in Europe. Because while animal testing is banned here, it is actually required in China.
Cosmetic brands exporting to China, for example, have to submit samples for testing on animals.
If they don’t do this, the foreign product is not declared safe for sale.
This means that everything that is cruelty-free here is tested on animals in China.
Cosmetic brands active in China—and there are many!—cannot claim to be fully cruelty-free. They choose not to operate cruelty-free there.
And it gets even more complicated!
In our mini history lesson, you read that Europe has an import ban on cosmetics tested on animals.
Unfortunately, an exception is made. For whom? You guessed it… China!
Products available in both Europe and China are therefore declared safe through cruelty-free methods (for the EU) and through animal testing (for China).
This allows them to be sold in both markets, even though they are not truly cruelty-free.
China is not the only country where animal testing is still performed for and by the cosmetics industry.
European cosmetic brands that sell or produce outside the EU are therefore not automatically cruelty-free.
And what about YIONN?
Fortunately, YIONN belongs to the cruelty-free group.
EVERYTHING in our range is 100% cruelty-free.
Tip! Curious if your favorite brand is cruelty-free? Check out this Dutch Cruelty-Free Cosmetics List!
How can you help?
When there was still a lot of (well-deserved) fuss about makeup and animal testing, everyone was talking about it.
Photos of cute white rabbits having harsh chemicals put in their eyes caused a lot of outrage.
We all signed petitions to stop this unnecessary animal suffering as quickly as possible.
Since the European ban on animal testing for cosmetics, however, it’s no longer being discussed—or at least not enough.
Many people don’t even know that so many test animals still exist.
These little animals still deserve our attention! And as the previous bans have shown, we can make a difference with our voice.
Here’s what you can do:
- Check your favorite brand on the cruelty-free cosmetics list and choose only 100% cruelty-free cosmetics
- Actively participate in World Animal Testing Day
- Support organizations like Animal Rights, Proefdiervrij, and/or PETA
- Sign and share petitions on social media
- Use your voice!
Feeling Beautiful, Sure, Yourself is important. And the right products can help with that.
Animal suffering, however, has no place in this.
That’s why we don’t test on animals at YIONN, but on ourselves ;) (And we’re so happy with our hairless and silky smooth results!)
Would you like to receive more interesting tips? Check out our shop, follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram, and Let’s stay in touch!
To shave or not to shave is a choice, shaving irritation now thankfully also!
YIONN has developed the perfect product for every step of your shaving routine!
You’re fed up. Those annoying red bumps, ingrown hairs, and itching after shaving your bikini line, underarms, and legs. It leaves you feeling frustrated and anything but confident.
No woman should ever feel that way, and neither should you!
First, let me reassure you: there’s nothing wrong with your skin. Your skin is simply doing what it’s designed to do, reacting to the stress of shaving, which leads to unwanted side effects like itching and red bumps.
That’s not the result we women want, so we need to give our skin and nature a little extra help. And that’s exactly what YIONN products are designed to do!
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(Trust score 4.6 out of 5)
YIONN Raka is really a top product!
A gentle solution to those pesky painful ingrown hairs, especially when combined with the scrub. Cindy
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OMG!!! So I really should have done that earlier.
I am now 37 years old and for the first time I proudly dare to wear a bikini bottom.
What a miracle cure!
No more irritation to be found.
Still bizarre.
And it really bothered me a lot. Nikkie zijlstra
By now have almost all products and for me no other.
After 2 weeks I already noticed a difference.Almost no more bumps and itching after shaving.
I will definitely try more products.
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I often used such things but with me it never helped while others were always satisfied with it and I had exactly the same with this product, but had ordered it anyway and it took a little longer with me but it definitely helped!
Maria Ilgun
The shaving gel and raka are really my favorite, last time out of necessity shaving cream immediately again bumps and irritation… Angelique
Get rid of your shaving irritation within 3 weeks: or your money back
That is my promise to you!
From registered nurse to hair removal expert:
I am Wendy, the founder of YIONN.
I know better than anyone what it is like to go through life with shaving discomfort.
After desperately trying every possible way and remedy for red razor bumps and ingrown hairs, I was fed up.
I decided to find a solution to my shaving irritations that worked and it did!
I developed Raka, a caring lotion based on rose water, camphor and willow bark, which, by applying thinly to the problem area, easily and quickly calms the skin after hair removal, prevents red bumps and allows the hairs to grow out – instead of in – again.
And with that, I could finally say goodbye to my insecurities and discomforts.
Hallelujah.
When it later turned out that Raka was not only for me, but also for many other women, I started making several other products around it that can make hair removal a pleasant experience again.
And because I’m so convinced it works and I don’t want to keep your money in the rare case you’re not satisfied with it I came up with the unique YIONN within 30 days money-back guarantee (a guarantee you never normally get on hygiene products).
