Ingredients used in cosmetics will no longer be tested on animals from 11th March 2009

Most people believe that animal testing for cosmetics is banned, but in reality animal-tested cosmetics from Europe and elsewhere are still on sale in major high street shops, and won’t be completely banned until 2013.

Cosmetics testing on animals has been banned in the UK since 1998, and was a huge victory for the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) after a campaign lasting decades. It has been illegal for finished cosmetics to be tested on animals in the EU since 2004 when there was a validated alternative available, but it was still possible to test the ingredients in cosmetics on animals. Make-up manufacturers used the loop-hole to print ‘not tested on animals’ on these products because they are referring to the finished product, rather than the ingredients. This will now be banned from March 11th 2009, even if there is no alternative method of testing available. Also in March an EU block on selling cosmetic products that have involved animal experiments will be introduced.

Chief Executive of NAVS and ADI, Jan Creamer, says “The NAVS worked tirelessly to achieve a ban on cosmetics testing in the UK, but many innocent shoppers don’t realise that products with ingredients tested on animals are still for sale on our shop shelves. When the ban on almost all testing and sales comes into force in 2009, shoppers should finally be able to buy with a clear conscience. It shows that a phased approach to banning animal testing is possible and achieves real results, and that approach can now be applied to all animal tests”.

Horrifying tests have been carried out on animals for years, including the Draize Test for eye irritation where toxic substances were dripped into rabbits’ eyes. All animal tests will be banned apart from painful skin irritation tests, skin sensitisation tests and allergy testing, which will finally be completely banned in 2013.