New Bill Aims To Ban Cosmetic Animal Testing in the US
Over 40 countries have already banned the controversial use of animals in experiments for cosmetics like perfume and makeup. Now, the US could finally do the same.
Rabbits, mice, and guinea pigs are among the animals currently used in cosmetics animal tests.
A bill that would end the use of animals in safety tests for cosmetics in the US has been reintroduced in the US House of Representatives.
The Humane Cosmetic Act would outlaw cosmetic animal testing, and also prohibit the sale of any cosmetic product that has been tested on animals.
If passed, it would bring the US in line with over 40 other countries which have already prohibited cosmetics animal testing, including every country in the European Union, Australia, Mexico, and India. Canada introduced a ban earlier this year.
The bill has had various iterations in past years, but this refreshed version has been streamlined to improve its chance of success.
A bipartisan delegation led by Don Beyer (D-VA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), and Paul Tonko (D-NY) reintroduced the legislation on September 12.
“Cosmetics testing on animals is cruel, unnecessary, and outdated, and Congress should finally put a stop to it”, Rep Beyer, of Virginia’s 8th District, said in a statement. “Much of the cosmetics industry has already moved to more scientifically sound methods that do not result in animal cruelty. The Humane Cosmetics Act would outlaw an obsolete and inhumane practice without damaging American businesses.”
Cosmetic Animal Testing in America
In the US, eleven states (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Virginia) have all passed laws to end the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.
However, because there is no legislation that bans cosmetic animal testing on a national level, cosmetic companies in the US are still legally allowed to perform invasive tests on animals including rabbits, mice, guinea pigs and rats. These experiments range from skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits, to widely condemned “lethal dose” tests, where rats are forced to swallow high amounts of chemicals to determine what amount causes death.
A large percentage of the animals used in such testing receive no protection under the US Animal Welfare Act.
“The U.S. is woefully behind other countries in ending the use of animals in cosmetics testing and is the only North American country that still allows this cruel and wasteful practice”, explains Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
Overwhelming Support for A Cosmetics Ban
The cosmetics industry itself largely supports an end to animal testing for its products according to HSUS, who have worked closely with the Personal Care Products Council, the trade organization representing 90 percent of the US cosmetics industry, on the Humane Cosmetics Act.
The legislation to ban cosmetic animal testing is also supported by nearly 400 individual companies, including some of the world’s biggest beauty brands like Unilever and Proctor & Gamble.
There are also over 1,500 cruelty-free beauty brands currently available in North America, representing how cosmetics companies are already bypassing what is seen as outdated animal tests. Instead, modern testing methods - such as human cell-based tests and sophisticated computer models - are said to produce more accurate and human-relevant results.
For our latest podcast episode, we sat down with Monica Engebretson, the North American head of public affairs for Cruelty Free International, the leading organization working to end animal testing worldwide and in the US. Listen here.
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