Despite a change in legislation in March 2013 that made it illegal to sell animal-tested cosmetics in Europe, even if the testing was conducted outside Europe, animal testing remains one of the hottest topics in beauty. With so many grey areas, confusing loopholes and different legalities surrounding practices outside of the EU, it's no surprise that it remains one of the issues my readers are most concerned with. The 2013 ban was the culmination of a vigorous and long-standing public campaign against animal-tested cosmetics (critically not just for finished products but also for their ingredients.) Until this point (after a 2009 update to the law) tests were banned in Europe, but products tested elsewhere could still be imported; from 2013 onwards no product or ingredient that has been tested on animals will be able to be sold in the UK, but crucially those developed before 2013 could still have been tested on animals at some point. Further confusion erupts around the fact that although companies can?t sell animal-tested cosmetics in Europe, they can continue to test cosmetics on animals outside Europe and sell them in other markets. Many large emerging territories, including the hugely controversial Chinese market, are still demanding that cosmetics be tested on animals in the 'interests of safety'. So your favourite lipstick brand may be refusing to test their ingredients or finished products on animals within the European Union, but if they want to sell in ...