yves rocher

Animal testing in the cosmetics and beauty industry is still prevalent, despite the effort made by consumers and activists alike to get the practice b

Every year Beauty Inc ranks the world's top 100 beauty companies and this morning, the results came in for 2010. While it's not exactly a shocker who made the list (L'Oreal, Proctor & Gamble and Chanel all nabbed top spots) it is surprising to note how the overall list has changed since last year. Namely, that total sales have increased--25.1% to be exact--and that, in particular, small firms saw a large amount of growth, with the list's 100th-ranked company showing a 9.2% increase since 2009. The news is particularly heartening because, in case you haven't heard, retail isn't exactly having a good year. But not everyone was immune to the recent financial crisis: Of the 15 companies that saw a decline in sales, seven were from Japan, where consumer confidence has been in a continual downward spiral. See the list of the top 25 beauty companies after the jump.