The makeup world was up in arms earlier this month, as beauty mega brand Nars announced that they would no longer be cruelty free. The decision comes after the choice was made for the brand to sell their products in China, where animal testing is mandatory before any cosmetics can hit the market place.

After waves of criticism hit the brand on social media via the #BoycottNars tag, the company released this statement on Instagram.

 

We want you to know that we hear you. The global elimination of animal testing needs to happen. We firmly believe that product and ingredient safety can be proven by non-animal methods, but we must comply with the local laws of the markets in which we operate, including in China. We have decided to make NARS available in China because we feel it is important to bring our vision of beauty and artistry to fans in the region. NARS does not test on animals or ask others to do so on our behalf, except where required by law. NARS is committed and actively working to advance alternative testing methods. We are proud to support the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), a globally recognized organization at the forefront of advancing non-animal methods in China and around the world. NARS is hopeful that together, we can work toward a cruelty-free world. For more on the good work IIVS is doing, see: http://bit.ly/2rVjnwV

A post shared by @narsissist on Jun 27, 2017 at 8:18am PDT

With a report saying that “China is projected to become the largest market for personal care and cosmetics products globally in the next five to ten years,” it is not a huge surprise that Nars would want to get in on that market as quickly as possible. Still, that has not stopped the condemnation from both former customers and other heavy weights in the beauty industry. Kat Von D recently posted images of suffering animals to her Instagram account with a message against Nars’ recent turn towards animal testing, saying “I was so sad to hear this news because for years I’ve supported NARS beauty products because they were one of the few artistry brands that didn’t test on animals, and now I am so confused/heartbroken that after all these years they would choose a paycheck over compassion.”

For those wishing to join the boycott, or looking for an extensive list of cruely free brands, I recommend checking out Cruelty-Free Kitten. They have a comprehensive list of companies with detailed information about each one.