Is animal testing required for cosmetics and consumer products?
In most countries, no. For example, legislation in Canada and the United States requires only that products are proven safe for use but doesn’t stipulate that animal tests must be used. This puts the onus on companies to assure the safety of their products and to choose cruelty-free methods. The European Union has gone further by introducing testing and marketing bans, which currently prohibit: 1) the use of animals for cosmetic testing purposes within the EU, 2) the sale of finished cosmetic products that have been tested on animals, and 3) the sale of cosmetic products whose raw ingredients have been subject to certain animal tests after March 2009. The final phase in this multi-step EU ban is due to come into effect in 2013—although it now seems that the European Commission may be taking steps to try to postpone the final sales ban. On the other hand, parts of South America and China still expressly require animal testing for cosmetic products, and may even require companies to repe
