Editing Avon Products (section)

==Controversies==
===American corruption charges===
Beginning in 2008, the conduct of various employees and executives of Avon were investigated for possible violations of the law, including bribery and violations of the [[Foreign Corrupt Practices Act]].<ref name="Reuters">
{{cite news
|last=Wohl
|date=April 13, 2010
|first=Jessica
|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/avon-china-idUSN1318680420100413
|title=UPDATE 2-Avon suspends four execs in China bribery probe
|work=[[Reuters]] 
|access-date=June 29, 2020 }}</ref>

Avon began a probe of its China division after an internal whistleblower alleged bribery in June 2008.<ref name="Reuters"/> At least four executives, both in Asia and in the United States, were suspended in 2010,<ref name="Reuters"/> and later fired for their roles in the activities being investigated.<ref name=Bloomberg>
{{cite news
|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-04/avon-says-it-fired-four-executives-in-china-over-bribes.html |title=Avon Says It Probes Possible Corruption After Firing Four
|work=[[Bloomberg News]]
|access-date=June 29, 2020 }}</ref> According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', Avon spent over $170 million on legal fees and costs related to the investigation: $59 million in 2009 and $95 million in 2010, and $22.5 million for the first quarter of 2011.<ref name=NYTimes>
{{cite news
|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/the-high-price-of-internal-investigations/
|title=The High Price of Internal Inquiries
|work=N.Y. Times|date=May 6, 2011
|access-date=June 29, 2020 }}</ref> The final tally was about $500 million.

The Times reported that Avon would report the findings to the [[United States Department of Justice]] and the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) and try to negotiate the penalties that those entities may impose.<ref name=NYTimes/> On February 24, 2011, Avon filed a report with the Securities and Exchange commission highlighting the investigation as a corporate risk factor that could cause investor loss.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/8868/000119312511044531/d10k.htm#tx125165_2 |title=Avon 10-K report |publisher=Sec.gov |access-date=September 3, 2012}}</ref>

In 2014, Avon settled the bribery charges for a total of $135 million; $68 million in criminal penalties, with the remainder in interest, [[disgorgement (law)|disgorgement]], and fines from a civil case brought by the SEC.<ref name="crain's">{{cite news|title=Avon Products settles bribery charges for $135M|url=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20141218/RETAIL_APPAREL/141219842/avon-products-settles-bribery-charges-for-135m|access-date=December 21, 2014|work=Crain's New York Business|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=December 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Berfield|first1=Susan|title=Avon's Ugly China Bribery Probe Ends With a $135 Million Settlement|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/avons-ugly-china-bribery-probe-ends-with-135-million-settlement|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503204603/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/avons-ugly-china-bribery-probe-ends-with-135-million-settlement|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 3, 2014|access-date=December 21, 2014|work=Bloomberg Business Week|date=May 1, 2014}}</ref>

===Animal testing===
Avon vowed in 1989 that as a company located in the United States, it would no longer participate in animal testing.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.avoncompany.com/corporate-responsibility/about-cr/positions-policies/animal-welfare/|title=Avon Products, Inc. & Consumer Safety: Commitment to Science...Respect for Animal Welfare|website=www.avoncompany.com|access-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref> Avon has since claimed to be working globally to introduce safer methods of testing cosmetics that do not require animals. These methods include ''[[in vitro]]'' testing, [[computer simulation]]s, and testing cosmetics on human volunteers.<ref name=":0" />

Although Avon does not practice animal testing of its cosmetics that are sold in the United States, certain specialty products do require extensive testing in other countries. In China, specialty products that require degrees of animal testing include but are not limited to: sunscreen products, whitening/pigmentation products, and hair dye/perm or growth products.<ref name=":0" /> Despite laws that require animal testing in some countries, Avon chooses to distribute its products in those jurisdictions. Laws in various countries require companies to pay for animal testing through a commercial business in order to sell certain products in that country.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/avon-tests-on-animals/|title=Urge Avon to Stop Paying for Cruel Tests on Animals in China|work=PETA|access-date=March 16, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> Because Avon is not globally animal-testing free, [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]] (PETA) has not included Avon on their cruelty-free list.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/avon-mary-kay-estee-lauder-and-revlon-are-paying-for-tests-on-animals/|title=Avon, Mary Kay, Estée Lauder (and Subsidiary MAC Cosmetics), and Revlon Are Paying for Tests on Animals|work=PETA|access-date=March 16, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.peta.org/living/beauty/search-cruelty-free-companies-products/|title=Search for Cruelty-Free Companies, Products, and More|date=June 9, 2010|website=PETA|access-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref>

In 2019, Avon ended all regulatory-required animal testing, making it the first global beauty company selling in China to stop all animal testing of ingredients and products across all its brands by developing new ways to deliver products that do not require animal testing, such as reformulating products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avonworldwide.com/about-us/our-values/policies-positions/animal-welfare|title=Animal Welfare position {{!}} Avon|website=Avon Worldwide|language=en|access-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref> PETA has since announced that it has added Avon Products Inc. to their list of companies "Working for Regulatory Change".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avonworldwide.com/news/peta-recognizes-avons-change|title=PETA Recognizes Avon's Commitment to "Working for Regulatory Change"|website=Avon Worldwide|language=en|access-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref>