What Countries Have Banned Cosmetic Testing On Animals?

Where is cosmetics testing on animals banned? – In 2013, a ban on testing cosmetics on animals and on selling cosmetics tested on animals went into effect in the European Union, paving the way for efforts to find alternatives for common cosmetics tests that use animals.

• India, Israel, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Mexico have passed similar laws.
• Cosmetic companies in the United States and abroad that conduct animal tests are not able to sell their products in these countries unless they change their practices.
• California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Virginia have all passed laws to end the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.

Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and several states in Brazil have also passed laws to ban or limit cosmetic animal testing. Back to top

Does Japan test cosmetics on animals?

Does Japan Require Animal Testing on Cosmetics? – No Japanese law does not require animal testing on cosmetics anymore. But nor does it ban it. Or even provide any strict regulations about testing the safety and efficacy of products and ingredients. Previously Japanese law did require that quasi-drugs – like skin-lightening products, suntan lotion, and hair growth tonics – be tested on animals when new ingredients are added.

Does Korea test cosmetics on animals?

Everything You Need To Know About Cruelty Free Korean Beauty Products | cruelty free, reviews and more | Soko Glam THE KLOG blog A common question we get at Soko Glam is this: “Are there any cruelty free Korean brands?” A big animal lover myself, I made it a point in 2015 to curate the first Cruelty Free certified brand in Korea,,

Since then has also received Cruelty Free certification as well. When I first started to dive deep into cruelty free beauty products late last year, I realized I frankly didn’t know much about it. To get the facts straight, I reached out to the largest globally recognized non-profit organization that has standardized cruelty free certification with their Leaping Bunny program.

Here is what I learned. The Leaping Bunny Standard is a voluntary pledge from cosmetic companies that promise to avoid animal testing for all stages of product development. You may have seen the iconic bunny logo on some beauty products. In order to get this certification, even the cosmetic company’s ingredient suppliers must make the same pledge.

After the company provides documents proving that they do not use animal testing, they will be subject to independent audits yearly if they want to get their certification renewed.What was the most interesting to me about the world of animal testing is that the US government actually does not require animal testing because virtually every ingredient, including water, has already been tested in the past! If companies develop an entirely new ingredient, that is when testing is needed.

The good news is that there are alternatives to animal testing such as donated human tissue testing and even computer simulations, which are actually far more accurate and reliable than animal testing. In a nutshell, to be a part of the Leaping Bunny Standard, you’re really pledging that no animal testing will be done for any NEW ingredients.

Also, just because a company does not have cruelty free certification, it does not automatically mean they test on animals. They just may not have gotten around to the certification process! South Korea’s stance on animal testing I was thrilled to find out that South Korea had already decided to phase out animal testing for cosmetics by 2018.

The bill entered into law early 2016 and had apparently been in the works for quite some time.According to Martin Mallon of Cruelty International, “In the discussions leading up to the current law which phases out animal tests, we found Korean companies very supportive.

1. This reflects strong feelings among many Korean consumers that they want to use cosmetics which have not involved animal suffering.” China’s Stance on Animal Testing I know many of you are curious about cosmetic companies who sell beauty products in China.
2. China does have a requirement to animal test before it is sold in the local market, but in my investigation I have found that cosmetic companies can have ingredients listed on a “whitelist” that allows the product to be sold without animal testing.

That’s how brands such as RE:P and Neogen are able to be sold in China without animal testing.Mallon shared some interesting and notable developments for China and animal testing. “For cosmetics, China seems to be moving towards the US position, which is to require proof of safety and to leave it to companies to decide whether they wish to use animals or not.

We do not expect them to follow Korea with a ban any time soon, but we do expect them to complete the process of removing the requirement to do animal testing for cosmetics. While we would of course prefer a ban, the cosmetics industry is moving away from animal testing so the removal of the requirement to do it in China will eliminate one of the last major hurdles to phasing out animal suffering for cosmetics.” So there you have it— cruelty free cosmetics demystified! Since RE:P announced their cruelty free certification, I was thrilled to hear that now other Korean brands are now taking the steps to pledge cruelty free.

It’s a great step in the right direction for all beauty brands in Korea and the rest of the world. I’m glad we got to talk about it— as you can see we make any excuse to include our cutie Rambo in a Klog post! So which Korean beauty brands are actually cruelty-free? Unfortunately, not every South Korean product is cruelty-free yet.

Did the UK ban animal testing?

Testing cosmetic products and their ingredients on animals was banned in the UK in 1998 and across the EU in 2013. The legislation is part of EU Regulation 1223/2009 (Cosmetics Regulation). The ban was created because non-animal methods were developed to test the safety of the cosmetics.

In the UK and across the rest of the EU, testing cosmetic products or their ingredients on animals is banned. This means that it is illegal to sell or market a cosmetic product if animal testing has taken place on the finished cosmetic or its ingredients before being sold in the EU.

1. A ban on animal-tested cosmetic products was first implemented in the UK in 1998 for finished cosmetic products and ‘ingredients intended primarily for “vanity” products’.
2. The EU ban on animal-tested cosmetic products was first passed in 1993 with the full ban taking effect in 2013.
3. Whilst the UK was a forerunner in banning animal-tested cosmetics this legislation is now part of EU Regulation 1223/2009 (Cosmetics Regulation).

The EU defines a cosmetic product as the following 1 : “any substance or preparation intended to be placed in contact with the various external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance and/or correcting body odours and/or protecting them or keeping them in good condition” Therefore everyday hygiene products, such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste, as well as luxury beauty items, including perfumes and makeup, are classified as cosmetic products.

• Cosmetic products for sale in the EU (including the UK) must be deemed safe and it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure that they (and their ingredients) undergo scientific safety assessments to prove that they are not toxic to human health.
• Before the ban on animal-tested cosmetics was implemented, safety assessments involving the use of animal studies to determine toxicology endpoint were required.

The results gathered from these studies measured the effects the cosmetic and its ingredients had on human health and mainly involved the use of rodents and rabbits. When a safety assessment already existed for an ingredient in a new cosmetic product the animal study for the ingredient would not have to be repeated (the animal study for the finished cosmetic would still be required).

However, for a new ingredient where a safety assessment did not previously exist, animal studies had to be conducted. Due to the development of non-animal techniques, it became apparent that these animal studies were no longer required and a ban on animal-tested cosmetics and their ingredients was introduced.

In 1998 the Government announced a policy ban to end the use of animal testing for finished cosmetic products and ingredients. The definition of a cosmetic was in line with the concurrent EU description: “any substance or preparation intended for placing in contact with the various external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair systems, nails, lops and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membrane of the oral cavity with a view (exclusively or principally) to cleaning them, perfuming them or protecting them in order to keep them in good condition, change their appearance or correct body odours.” The definition included toothpaste, sun creams and other products which were considered to be pharmaceuticals outside of Europe at the time.

Whilst the ban in the UK was not part of any legislation, the companies involved with animal testing of cosmetic products relinquished their Home Office licences and were not able to renew them. EU Directive 76/768/EEC (Cosmetics Directive) provided the regulatory framework for the phasing out of animal testing for cosmetics purposes across the EU and established a testing ban i.e.

it is prohibited to test a finished cosmetic product and its ingredients on animals in the EU, and a marketing ban i.e. it is prohibited to market a finished cosmetic product or its ingredients in the EU if they are tested on animals. Between 2007 and 2011 the EU spent €238 million on funding replacements, a testament to how serious they are about animal welfare, the 3Rs and the quest to find non-animal methods.

In 1993 the 6 th Amendment to EU Directive 76/768/EEC was passed and contained a ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetic products. To make sure that adequate time was given to finding non-animal methods, the deadline for the ban to come into effect was 1 st January 1998. In 1997 the ban was delayed until 30 th June 2000 due to a lack of alternative methods.

In 2000 the ban was delayed until 30 th June 2002 due to a lack of alternative methods. In 2003 the 7 th Amendment to EU Directive 76/768/EEC was passed and contained a phased-in ban on animal testing for cosmetics with a deadline of 2013: Ban animal testing on finished products.

Ban animal testing on cosmetic ingredients. Ban the marketing of finished products tested on animals. Ban the marketing of cosmetic ingredients tested on animals. On 11 th September 2004, the ban on animal-tested cosmetic products came into force. The sale of cosmetic ingredients tested on animals outside the EU using methods that have been replaced within the EU was also banned.

On 11 th March 2009, the ban on animal testing of cosmetic ingredients within the EU was implemented. The sale of cosmetic products containing newly animal-tested ingredients was banned, however animal testing was still allowed for complex human health issues such as repeat dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics.

Is animal testing banned in France?

Legislation – France passed its first animal protection law in 1850, though this law prohibited only public cruelty towards animals. In 1959 France issued a decree incriminating the mistreatment of domestic or captive animals. In 1976, France passed an animal welfare law which recognizes the sentience of domestic animals (making it one of the first countries to recognize animal sentience) and requires that alternatives to animal testing be used where it is deemed possible.

• France’s main regulations on animal cruelty fall under the Penal Code and the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code, which protect domesticated, tamed, and captive animals.
• The Penal Code makes it an offense to seriously physically abuse or sexually abuse, commit and act of cruelty towards, or abandon a domesticated, tamed, or captive animal.

Bullfighting and cockfighting are exempt from this provision where an “uninterrupted local tradition” can be invoked. The Rural and Maritime Fishing Code gives more detail on what constitutes cruelty. Force-feeding geese and ducks to produce foie gras is exempted from anti-cruelty legislation, and law requires that product labelled as foie gras must come from force-fed animals.

1. And, as these statutes apply only to domestic, tamed, and captive animals, there are no basic criminal sanctions for cruelty towards wild animals.
2. France’s farmed animal protections comply with the minimum standards set by the European Union (EU),
3. As for animals used in research, the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code sets out licensing and welfare requirements, founded on The Three Rs : reduce the number of animals used, refine methods to cause less suffering, and replace animals where it is deemed scientifically appropriate.

In 2005, the French government resisted the EU’s ban on testing cosmetics on animals, taking its case to the European Court of Justice, where it was defeated. In 2014 and again in 2020, France received a C out of possible grades A, B, C, D, E, F, G on World Animal Protection ‘s Animal Protection Index.

Does China still test cosmetics on animals?

China – the end of Animal Testing Requirements for Cosmetics? Animal testing of cosmetics is already prohibited in the European Union for several years but, until now, it was mandatory to perform animal testing when making available a cosmetic product in the Chinese market. From 1st May (2021), animal testing will no longer be a requirement for ‘general’ cosmetics imported to China. CHINA’S NEW ANIMAL TESTING POLICY Animal testing was mandatory for all imported cosmetics before making them available in the Chinese market. China’s animal testing laws were aplicable to cosmetics sold in all physical retail stores, but not to cosmetics sold online or in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

• Chinese laws allowed companies to manufacture their products (general products previously known as ‘non-special use’) in China so they could avoid pre-market animal testing.
• The implementation of a new Cosmetics Supervision and Administration Regulation (CSAR) has come into force on 1 st of January (2021).

On the 4 th of March (2021) the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) released the final versions of the two regulations: Provisions for Management of Cosmetic Registration and Notifications Dossiers (previously called as Instructions for Cosmetic Registration and Notification Dossiers ) and Provisions for Management of New Cosmetic Ingredient Registration and Notifications Dossiers,

The key goal of such regulations is to standardize and guide the registration and filing of new cosmetic materials and products. The documentation requirements for application, modification, renewal and cancellation of a cosmetic registration and notification are specified on these regulations. These sub-regulations under the CSAR are coming into force on May 1 st (2021).

China’s new regulation states that animal testing will no longer be mandatory for imported ‘ordinary’ cosmetics. Data obtained from non-animal alternative methods will start to be accepted (conditionally) by authorities in order to register and notify new cosmetic ingredients.

1. The so called ‘ordinary’ or general’ cosmetics are defined as products that do not have specific claims (not used for a special purpose) such as skin whitening, anti-ageing and anti-acne, for example.
2. Products like shampoo, body wash, lipstick, lotion and make up are considered ‘ordinary’ products; on the other hand, hair dyes, bleaching products, freckle-removal and whitening products, sunscreens and hair-loss products are ‘special products’ and still need to undergo animal testing in China.

Companies that want to qualify for animal testing exemption must fulfil two main requirements:

• The safety assessment results have to fully confirm the safety of the product;
• The manufacturer needs to have a certificate of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

The required GMP certificate must be issued by the relevant regional or national authorities (and not by associations) from the country where the company is situated. This can be a problem, especially for companies located in European Union (EU) and United States (US), as usually the GMP certificates are not handed out by government agencies but by associations or private auditing companies.

The French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) will start to issue GMP certificates to manufacturers, which makes France the first country in the EU to be able to fulfil this requirement and qualify for exemptions on animal testing. This country has developed an online platform which will allow manufacturers to obtain GMP certificates.

Products that are intended to be used by children or infants are also excluded from the animal testing exemption. Moreover, animal testing needs to be performed in cosmetic products using new cosmetic ingredients (under a 3-year monitoring period) and whenever the notifier, responsible person or manufacturer is listed as a key supervision target according to NMPA’s quantitative rating system.

The NMPA stated that one of the main objectives of this new policy was to “fully consider and adopt the opinions of importing companies that some countries and regions have implemented the marketing ban on animal testing of cosmetics and cannot submit animal test data, and conditionally accept the toxicology test data of animal alternative methods”.

Although it does not cover all types of cosmetics, China’s new regulation is considered a major breakthrough and a step forward towards a worldwide “cruelty-free” and “animal-friendly” cosmetic industry. References:

1. China Finalizes Dossier Requirements for Registration and Notification of Cosmetics and New Cosmetic Ingredients. Chemlinked. Mar 04, 2021. Available at: https://cosmetic.chemlinked.com/news/cosmetic-news/china-finalizes-dossier-requirements-for-registration-and-notification-of-cosmetics-and-new-cosmetic-ingredients
2. China animal testing: Exemptions for testing on ‘ordinary’ cosmetics star in May – officials. Cosmetics Design Asia. Mar 08, 2021. Available at: https://www.cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/Article/2021/03/08/China-animal-testing-Exemptions-for-testing-on-ordinary-cosmetics-start-in-May-officials
3. China Announces New Animal Testing Policy for Cosmetics After PETA Push. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animas (PETA). Mar 08, 2021. Available at: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/china-announces-new-animal-testing-policy-for-cosmetics-after-peta-push/

medical devices Guilherme Semedo March 30, 2023 medical devices

Does milk beauty test on animals?

Is Milk Makeup cruelty-free? – Yes! All of Milk Makeup products are cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified, which means we don’t test on animals at any stage in our supply chain. We will not change that for any market, including China.

Who banned animal testing first?

A mouse is seen in a plastic box at the Laboratory Animal Services Center (LASC) of the University of Zurich in Schlieren, Switzerland, February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann ZURICH, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Switzerland votes on Sunday whether to become the first country to completely ban medical testing on animals, after animal rights campaigners gathered enough support to stage a referendum in the country, which hosts a huge pharmaceuticals sector.

More than 550,000 animals died in laboratory tests in 2020 in Switzerland, according to government statistics. The figure includes 400,000 mice and rats, nearly 4,600 dogs, 1,500 cats and 1,600 horses. Primates, cows, pigs, fish and birds were also killed during and after experiments “It’s cruel and unnecessary to experiment on animals and I am certain we can develop medicines without it,” said Renato Werndli, a doctor from northeast Switzerland who launched the initiative under the Swiss system of direct democracy.

The result of the referendum will be binding. The ban is not expected to pass, however, to the relief of the pharmaceuticals sector, which has warned the move would halt new drug development and force companies and researchers to relocate abroad. “We should not exploit animals for our own selfish ends,” Werndli said, adding research methods such as biochips – tiny chips that host large numbers of biochemical reactions – computer simulations or microdosing of humans were more effective than animal testing.

• Pharmaceuticals lobby group Interpharma says the sector, which includes companies such as Roche and Novartis (NOVN.S), contributes 9% to the Swiss economy including indirect effects, and generates nearly half of Swiss exports.
• Interpharma has led the industry’s opposition, saying the proposals would be devastating if adopted.

“Drug research, clinical studies in hospitals and basic research at universities. would no longer be possible,” said Interpharma CEO Rene Buholzer. Pharma bosses said an animal testing ban could lead to the end of new drugs. “I think you’ve seen in the times of Covid how important it is to discover new vaccines, how important new drugs are.

And they have been tested on animals,” Idorsia (IDIA.S) Chief Executive Jean-Paul Clozel told Reuters. Maries van den Broek of the University of Zurich conducts research which implants tumours into mice to study how their immune system can be strengthened to fight cancer. “Because we don’t understand even 10% of the processes going on inside a tumour, it is impossible to use computer models or cell culture to understand the complex biology of cancer,” she said.

Before scientists start an animal experiment, they must prove there is no alternative and their research is important. “We use around 750 mice per year. They all die at the end of the experiment, but there is no alternative,” she said. “Without this particular experiment, we wouldn’t be able to develop treatments that save human lives.” The latest opinion polls show only 26% of voters in favour of a ban and 68% against.

1. Switzerland holds referendums four times a year, with votes last year backing the government’s coronavirus restrictions and approving same sex marriage.
2. Werndli said the campaign had raised awareness about the plight of lab animals, and remained hopeful of success.
3. I hope we can eventually change and Switzerland can be a positive example to the rest of the world to help stop animal suffering,” he said.

Reporting by John Revill, additional reporting by Paul Arnold, Editing by Alexandra Hudson Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Is animal testing allowed in cosmetics?

Does FDA require animal testing for cosmetics? – The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does not specifically require the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safety, nor does it subject cosmetics to FDA premarket approval. However, FDA has consistently advised cosmetic manufacturers to employ whatever testing is appropriate and effective for substantiating the safety of their products.

• It remains the responsibility of the manufacturer to substantiate the safety of both ingredients and finished cosmetic products prior to marketing.
• Animal testing by manufacturers seeking to market new products may be used to establish product safety.
• In some cases, after considering available alternatives, companies may determine that animal testing is necessary to assure the safety of a product or ingredient.

FDA supports the development and use of alternatives to whole-animal testing as well as adherence to the most humane methods available within the limits of scientific capability when animals are used for testing the safety of cosmetic products. We will continue to be a strong advocate of methodologies for the refinement, reduction, and replacement of animal tests with alternative methodologies that do not employ the use of animals.

Cruelty Free/Not Tested on Animals : Information on cosmetic labeling claims FDA Authority Over Cosmetics FDA’s Cosmetics main page Products & Ingredients Product Testing Resources for Consumers Science & Research