SC Johnson Point of View on Animal Testing

At SC Johnson, we believe trust must be earned. We work to earn it by doing the right thing and by being honest and transparent. That’s why we’ve always been open about where animal testing is required for our products.

Our commitment to transparency has unfortunately given people the impression that we use animal testing all the time. We don’t. We choose non-animal testing methods wherever possible. 

We must comply with legal requirements in countries that require testing for certain products, however, and given the health benefits of these products, we continue selling them even as we keep fighting to end the testing requirement.

These include products like insect repellents that help protect people from mosquitoes that may carry Zika, West Nile Virus, malaria or other diseases; disinfectants that help people maintain a clean, safe home; and even hand sanitizers that kill harmful bacteria. 

But we’re committed to alternative, non-animal test methods. For more than 20 years, SC Johnson has been a sponsor of the Institute for In Vitro Sciences, a research and testing laboratory dedicated to the advancement of non-animal testing methods worldwide.

We’ve been active in developing, validating and applying alternative testing methods, such as corrosivity assays and human tissue equivalent models, which have dramatically reduced the number of animals used in testing products.

These innovations are important, because efforts like REACH in Europe and TSCA in the U.S. require more testing, not less. Our entire industry is trying to find the right balance.

But we are hopeful for the future. We feel a strong sense of responsibility as a company that makes products to help people live better, healthier lives, and we will continue to work tirelessly to promote and support alternative testing methods.

We look forward to a day when there’s no more animal testing.