Cosmetics testing on animals

Cosmetic products © Jane Cooper / RSPCA Photolibrary The RSPCA has long campaigned against the use of animals to test cosmetics products and their ingredients, and it's banned in the UK and all member states of the European Union. Since March 2013, it's also been illegal to sell cosmetics products within the EU that have been newly tested on animals, or that contain ingredients that have been.

We believe that there are already more than enough cosmetics products available, and thousands of existing cosmetics ingredients are accepted as safe. It's simply not justifiable to cause animal suffering to develop more.

It's encouraging that a number of countries outside of Europe are also now seeking to adopt similar bans. However, in others - including China and the USA - animals are still used to test cosmetics ingredients and products. Our focus will now be on ending the suffering of these animals, too.

Find out more on what we're doing to help lab animals in the UK and beyond.

Relevant Documents

Makeover the World article in Animal Life (PDF 224KB)

Using animals in research and testing

Animal experiments are one of the traditional approaches to studying how human and animal bodies work (in health and illness) and for testing medicines and chemicals. But are they necessary and justified?