SANTIAGO DE CHILE—A federal cruelty-free cosmetics bill championed by Humane Society International and Te Protejo passed the first stage of review by the Health Commission within the Chilean Chamber of Deputies with bipartisan political support, regulatory backing and the support of cosmetics companies. The Health Commission unanimously supported Bulletin 13.966-11 to ban animal testing for cosmetics, as well as the import or sale of beauty products developed with reliance on new animal testing carried out anywhere in the world after the law comes into force. The commission voted to move forward to study the bill in further detail.
“We are delighted to see that this bill has widespread support, and commend members of the Health Commission, the Chilean Cosmetic Chamber and the Institute of Public Health for their support in moving this groundbreaking legislation to the next stage in the legislative process. We are looking forward to seeing Chile become the next country to be cruelty-free,” said Daniela Sanchez, HSI country director for Chile.
The bill is supported by industry leaders like Lush, Unilever, P&G, L’Oréal and Avon, which are working with HSI to secure meaningful animal testing bans in many of the world’s most influential beauty markets, including Chile. In addition to pursuing legislative bans, HSI and its partners are collaborating to develop a training program under the Animal-Free Safety Assessment to support smaller companies and government authorities transition from animal testing to state-of-the-art non-animal methods, which are readily available and better at assuring human safety than the animal tests they replace.
“Te Protejo has been working for nine years to raise awareness and consciousness among citizens in relation to the cruelty that testing on animals involves. Recent polling illustrates that 72% of Chileans support the ban on animal testing. The support from deputies from the Health Commission could propel Chile to become the 41st country to ban animal testing in cosmetics in the world,” Nicole Valdebenito, director of communication and corporate affairs of NGO Te Protejo said.
Earlier this year HSI launched #SaveRalph, a stop-motion animated short film to raise awareness and secure support to end cosmetic animal testing in key beauty markets around the world. #SaveRalph generated awareness for cosmetic animal testing with over 4.5 million signatures worldwide and in 300,000 in Chile alone. The film has since been viewed over 150 million times and has caught the attention of policy makers around the world.
ENDS
Media Contacts:
Aviva Vetter, the Humane Society of the United States: 514-975-9720; avetter@hsi.org
BRASILIA—The Brazilian Supreme Court yesterday upheld a Rio de Janeiro state law banning animal testing for cosmetics. The ruling was welcomed by animal protection NGO Humane Society International, which filed a legal brief in the court case and is the leading organization working to eliminate cosmetic animal testing worldwide in favor of modern, non-animal approaches to safety assessment.
The constitutionality of Rio de Janeiro State Law 7.814/2017, and a similar ban in Amazonas State, was challenged in 2018 by the Brazilian Association of Cosmetics, Personal Hygiene and Perfume Industry (ABIHPEC). Last year the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the Amazonas state testing ban, upholding the state’s authority to prohibit such inhumane and unnecessary activity, and yesterday´s ruling reinforced this important decision.
The Court also held that the parts on the Rio de Janeiro state law banning sales of cosmetics tested on animals and requiring specific product labeling exceeded the state’s legislative competence. This holding underscores the importance of enacting acomprehensive federal ban on cosmetic animal testing and trade at the federal level in Brazil. Humane Society International is actively working on this national effort, which aligns with similar bans already in place in 40 countries. HSI’s work to secure 10 state-level testing bans in Brazil builds momentum to advance a federal bill, which has been languishing in the Senate for seven years.
As a result of HSI’s #SaveRalph campaign, which launched last month with support of superstar Rodrigo Santoro, more than 1.5 million Brazilians have signed the HSI-ONG Te Protejo petition calling for a federal cosmetic testing and sales ban in Brazil. The extraordinary virality of #SaveRalph and groundswell of public support has re-ignited federal political interest in this topic, with a Senate debate expected to take place in the coming weeks.
Antoniana Ottoni, Humane Society International federal affairs specialist for research & toxicology, said: “Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision confirms that state bans on cosmetic animal testing are indeed constitutional. As this outdated and inhumane practice is prohibited across the country, now is the time for the industry, lawmakers and the federal government to join together to advance a meaningful federal law to ban cosmetic animal testing and sales of cosmetics tested on animals across the whole of Brazil.”
The states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina and Federal District have already banned cosmetic tests on animals. Together, these states host more than 70% of Brazil’s national cosmetic industry
Tests on animals are still recognized by National Agency for Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA) guidelines to assess the dangers of cosmetic products and their ingredients. These include tests for eye and skin irritation (using rabbits), skin allergy (using mice or guinea pigs), general toxic effects (in which a cosmetic chemical is force-fed to rats in either a single massive dose or smaller daily doses for up to three months), or specific toxic concerns such as infertility (which use up to 2,600 rats and their offspring per test). Although some tests have been recently phased-out by the National Council for the Control of Animal Experiments, long-term animal tests are still allowed.
Forty countries have already enacted measures aligned with the objectives of the campaign, including the United Kingdom, European Union, Norway, Israel, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Turkey, Guatemala, Australia, Iceland and Colombia. Similar legislation is being advanced by Humane Society International and our partners in Chile, Mexico, Canada, the United States, South Africa and the Association of South-East Asian Nations.
HSI’s campaign to ban cosmetic animal testing in Brazil has received the support of numerous influencers and celebrities, including Rodrigo Santoro, Fernanda Tavares, Ellen Jabour, Mylla Christie, Macris Carneiro, and Rita Von Hunty.
ENDS
Media contact: Antoniana Ottoni: aottoni@hsi.org; +55 (61) 9 8140 3636
One step left until Mexico is cosmetics cruelty-free
Humane Society International / Mexico
HSIRalph, spokes-bunny for HSI’s global campaign to ban cosmetic testing on animals
MEXICO CITY—Humane Society International has welcomed a move by Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies to outlaw animal testing for cosmetics, as well as the import or sale of beauty products developed with reliance on new animal testing carried out anywhere in the world after the law comes into force. The bill has now passed both legislative chambers, reaching the 90% mark in the process to becoming law. Public interest to end cosmetic animal testing in Mexico sparked 1.2 million signatures in support of a ban, within weeks of the #SaveRalph launch.
Antón Aguilar, executive director of Humane Society International/Mexico, said: “We commend Congresswoman Miroslava Sánchez, Chairwoman of the Health Committee, and all congressmen and women, for voting to ban cosmetic animal testing in Mexico. This demonstrates Mexico’s leadership in North America, which could see our country become the first cruelty-free beauty market in the continent.”
The bill passed Mexico’s Senate last March in a single day and had since been waiting for approval in the Chamber of Deputies. HSI’s #SaveRalph film prompted renewed political movement in the Health Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, which passed the bill yesterday. Following minor amendments, the bill will be sent back to the Senate for final endorsement, which is expected to happen during the fall session.
Mexican consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and disturbed by such practices, and many of them prefer products that do not involve animal suffering. A 2019 Parametría poll[1] shows that 78% of citizens place importance on making sure their cosmetics are cruelty-free when purchasing a product.
[1] Poll conducted by Parametría polling agency, between October 26 and November 2, 2019, using a national random sample of 880 cases, with a margin of error of (+/-) 3.3%.
The Health Commission of the Chamber of Deputies has not handed down a decision on legislative reforms to ban these cruel practices.
Humane Society International
HSI
MEXICO CITY—Humane Society International México (HSI/México), a leading international animal welfare organization, today submitted a petition to the Chamber of Deputies’ Health Commission to ban cosmetic testing on animals. In just one week, the #SaveRalph campaign, a short stop-motion animated film sponsored by HSI, collected over one million signatures from people who are opposed to these cruel, unnecessary and highly unpopular practices.
A year ago, the Mexican Senate unanimously passed reforms to the General Health Law to ban cosmetic testing. The Chamber of Deputies has yet to debate and vote on these reforms, which, if approved, would make Mexico the first country in North America and the 41st worldwide to ban these practices.
“The Health Commission, presided over by Deputy Miroslava Sánchez, urgently needs to rule in favor of these legislative reforms. Time is running out and if a ruling is not handed down, our efforts will have been cut short, because the legislative period ends this month, which is the reason why we are today submitting more than one million signatures that symbolize opposition to these cruel and unnecessary practices and call on deputies to vote on this important draft bill as soon as possible,” said Humane Society International México (HSI/México) Executive Director Antón Aguilar.
This clearly indicates that there is broad support for a ban on cosmetic testing on animals in Mexico and that there is a market for cruelty-free products. According to a survey by Parametría, when purchasing cosmetics, 78% of Mexican consumers would like to be informed whether or not the product was tested on animals.
The HSI #SeLibreDeCrueldad (#BeCrueltyFree) campaign was a determining factor in the decision of the European Union to become the largest cruelty-free cosmetic market in the world. Similar victories were achieved in India, Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Guatemala and Switzerland, in ten states in Brazil and four in the United States. Colombia banned cosmetic testing on animals last year, becoming the first South American country to do so, while Chile recently submitted a bill along the same lines.
Heartbreaking film illustrates the need to end cosmetics testing on animals
Humane Society International / Global
Andy Gent.
What happens when an all-star director, puppeteer, cast and crew join forces with a global leader in the animal protection movement? Meet Ralph, a stop-motion animated rabbit who is the new spokesbunny for Humane Society International’s fight to end animal testing for cosmetics.
Written and directed by Spencer Susser, Save Ralph is a docu-style short that tells the story of a rabbit who works as a “tester.” Released this spring in 5 languages, the film features the voices of Ricky Gervais, Taika Waititi, Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, George Lopez, Rosario Dawson and more.
Painful experiments have left Ralph blind in one eye and suffering from skin irritation and a constant buzzing in one ear, but he reassures the viewer that he’s just doing his job to ensure humans have safe shampoo. In this edited interview with HSI, puppeteer Andy Gent talks about bringing Ralph to life and how he hopes the heartbreaking character helps end cosmetics testing on animals around the world.
Why do you think using stop-motion animation helps tell Ralph’s story?
There’s a nice thing about animation in that it opens your eyes to many things without showing all the reality, but it’s a good communicator. And I think Ralph epitomizes that. He is very empathic, very emotive, and he’s trying to be really strong in the face of doom in his world. So, bringing that to life in the character, we’ve got to make sure that he can change his expressions, that he has the physicality, the structure in his body to move in a way that can act out and tell the story. Often with animation, just the eyes can be used as an acting device. You don’t need to move the rest of the puppet. So we spend a lot of time making those right. The beauty of stop-motion animation—I think the beauty of animation, full stop—is that you can tell very complicated, very challenging stories and bring them to life in a nonthreatening way that helps to educate and inspire people.
How did you create such intricate sets and characters?
When you watch and re-watch the film, hopefully you’ll see the attention that’s been paid to all the details. We created the wallpaper, the electrical sockets and the kitchen utensils, and we used real carpets. It took about five weeks to cover Ralph in fur (fake fur, of course), three weeks to do his eyes, one week for his teeth and his tongue, three weeks for his mechanical body, another two weeks for his head, and then weeks of set building to make every tiny element down to the curtains, the toothbrushes, the cookie jar absolutely perfect for Ralph. It’s an endless amount of work, and we’ve done it because that’s how we get the audience to believe that what they’re looking at truly is Ralph’s world. It was a genuine labor of love for us all. We all fell in love with Ralph and wanted to help HSI tell his story so that we can end animal testing for cosmetics.
How did you approach conveying the grim reality of Ralph’s situation while still making a film that people will want to watch?
We applied a lot of love and attention in showing the physical suffering of being used as a tester¬—the skin rashes, the scars and swollen red eye. Ralph is such a sweet character, he tries to downplay the awfulness of what is happening to him, but his injuries tell the true story and in a way that draws the audience in rather than makes them look away. Your heart breaks for him because when he’s trying to convince the audience that everything’s OK, he’s really trying to convince himself. Of course, it’s not OK. But stop-motion animation allows us to tell this tragic, upsetting truth about something awful and unjust in a way that recruits people to win this fight with us.
What’s been the most rewarding aspect of working on this project?
We’ve worked on this for months and months and months. We know the ins and outs of every single part of it all, but when you play the roll back, everybody’s welling up in tears at the end. So I think you can see from that there’s a personal investment in it. It’s not just about telling a story in a film or in advertising. People working on this have connected to it, and when we see it played back, we’ve stopped thinking of Ralph as a stop-motion animation puppet and instead as a character telling a story that makes you want to change things.
How do you hope people react to the film?
I hope they all take Ralph into their hearts in the same way that we all have and get involved, because he really needs our help.
“I stopped eating animals about eight years ago, but I didn’t know how else I could help. When the opportunity to create a new campaign for HSI arrived, I thought it was the perfect way to give animals a voice. Save Ralph creates awareness that animals are still being tested on for cosmetics around the world. It’s a call to action to help end this horrendous practice for good. I hope it strikes a chord and moves people to do something about it.” — Spencer Susser, writer/director of Save Ralph
Rodrigo Santoro, Pom Klementieff, Maggie Q and other celebrities support Humane Society International’s campaign
Humane Society International
HSIRalph, spokes-bunny for HSI’s global campaign to ban cosmetic testing on animals
WASHINGTON—Hollywood filmmakers and movie stars have joined forces with Humane Society International to produce a powerful stop-motion animated short film, Save Ralph, calling for an end to cosmetic testing on animals around the world. Although banned in 40 countries, the practice is still perfectly legal in most of the world, and even making a comeback in some regions, subjecting untold thousands of animals to needless suffering and death.
Taika Waititi, Ricky Gervais, Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, Pom Klementieff, Tricia Helfer and others have come together to help HSI change that by providing the voices for the Save Ralph film, which aims to shine a light on the suffering animals endure and engage consumers and policy makers in HSI’s mission to ban it. Writer and director Spencer Susser (Hesher, The Greatest Showman), producer Jeff Vespa (Voices of Parkland) and production company AllDayEveryDay teamed up with the Arch Model studio of puppet maker supreme Andy Gent on the production to bring Ralph to life. The film is also being launched in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Vietnamese with Rodrigo Santoro, Denis Villeneuve and others voicing the characters in those languages, and Maggie Q providing a video message of support.
Find the short film and educational materials on the current status of animal testing and how you can help at hsi.org/ralph
Jeffrey Flocken, Humane Society International’s president, says: “Save Ralph is a wake-up call that animals are still suffering for cosmetics, and now is the time for us to come together to ban it globally. Today we have an abundance of reliable, animal-free approaches for product safety assurance, so there’s no excuse for making animals like Ralph suffer to test cosmetics or their ingredients.”
The film features HSI’s campaign spokesbunny Ralph, voiced by Taika Waititi, being interviewed as he goes through his daily routine as a “tester” in a toxicology lab. HSI’s #SaveRalph campaign tackles the disturbing issue of animal testing in an original and unexpected way—using the story of one bunny to shine a light on the plight of countless rabbits and other animals suffering at this very moment in laboratories around the world. It engages viewers to help ban animal testing of cosmetics once and for all.
Save Ralph director, Spencer Susser says: “Animals in cosmetic testing labs don’t have a choice and it’s our responsibility to do something about it. When the opportunity came up to create a new campaign for Humane Society International, I felt that stop motion was the perfect way to deliver the message. When you see the horrifying reality of the way animals are treated, you can’t help but look away. What I was hoping to do with this film was create something that delivers a message without being too heavy handed. I hope that audiences fall in love with Ralph and want to fight for him and other animals like him, so we can ban animal testing once and for all.”
Puppet master and set designer, Andy Gent says: “I think the beauty of animation is that you can tell very complex stories and bring them to life in a non-threatening and educational way. In our miniature world of models and puppets using stop motion filmmaking we hope to bring attention to this mission to stop animal testing for cosmetics. We’re all very passionate about what we do, and it’d be very nice to think that this project to Save Ralph will have a greater, wider effect.”
Taika Waititi tweeted ahead of the launch: “This is a cool thing that is coming soon. If you don’t watch it and love it then you hate animals and we can’t be friends anymore. #SaveRalph.”
Ricky Gervais says: “Animal testing just makes me angry. There’s no justification for dripping chemicals in rabbits’ eyes or force-feeding them to rats just to make lipsticks and shampoo. Science has evolved enough to give us non-animal solutions to end this terrible cruelty—it’s time for our humanity to catch up.”
Tricia Helfer says: “I have been an animal lover for many years so I am honoured to lend my voice to this important, moving HSI campaign to end the cruelty of animal testing for cosmetics. Although we have made progress in some countries, globally there are still thousands of innocent animals just like Ralph who are made to suffer every day. Now is the time to change that.”
Troy Seidle, HSI’s vice president for research and toxicology, says: “It’s easy to assume that companies are the problem, but the truth is they are a vital part of the solution. It’s laws that need to be changed, and industry leaders like Lush, Unilever, P&G, L’Oréal and Avon are working with us to secure meaningful animal testing bans in many of the world’s most influential beauty markets. We’ve recruited Ralph as our spokesbunny to help get these laws over the finish line.”
The campaign is focused on 16 countries including Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, and 10 Southeast Asian nations, with partner organizations, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, focused on legislation in the U.S. HSI is also standing up for bans that are already in place, like in Europe where authorities are attempting to exploit a legal loophole by demanding new animal testing of cosmetic ingredients under chemical law. Save Ralph will shine a spotlight on all these countries, driving them toward the cruelty-free future that the public and consumers expect.
Fast facts about animal testing of cosmetics:
In some parts of the world, rabbits like Ralph are locked in neck restraints and have cosmetic products and ingredients dripped in their eye and on to the shaved skin on their back. Guinea pigs and mice have the chemicals spread on their shaved skin or on their ears. None of these animals are given pain relief, and all of them will be killed at the end.
Animal testing for cosmetics is officially already banned in 40 countries. HSI and partners were instrumental in securing bans in India, Taiwan, New Zealand, South Korea, Guatemala, Australia and 10 states in Brazil. Such testing is also banned in Turkey, Israel, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and in the U.S. states of California, Illinois, Nevada and Virginia. Five other U.S. states – New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, Hawaii and New York – are now considering similar bills to end animal testing for cosmetics, and a federal bill called the Humane Cosmetics Act is anticipated to be reintroduced in the Congress this year.
The European Union banned all animal testing for cosmetics in 2013, yet today this celebrated precedent is being undermined by European Chemicals Agency demands that companies perform new animal tests on chemicals used exclusively in cosmetics. Read more here.
More than 2,000 “cruelty-free” beauty brands are available worldwide, including Lush, Garnier, Dove, Herbal Essences and H&M. These companies produce safe products by using ingredients with a history of safe use together with modern animal-free safety assessment tools. No single global shopping guide yet exists, but HSI recognizes LeapingBunny.org, BeautyWithoutBunnies, Logical Harmony, ChooseCrueltyFree and Te Protejo as useful resources.
HSI warns that even cruelty-free cosmetics are in jeopardy if chemical safety legislation continues to demand new animal tests for chemical ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics. That’s why the #SaveRalph campaign prioritizes getting test bans in place and robustly defended.
In addition to pursuing legislative bans, HSI and our partners are collaborating to develop a training program in animal-free safety assessment to support smaller companies and government authorities transition from animal testing to state-of-the-art non-animal methods, which are readily available and better at assuring human safety than the animal tests they replace.
Rodrigo Santoro, Pom Klementieff, Maggie Q and other celebrities support Humane Society International’s campaign
Humane Society International / United Kingdom
HSIRalph, spokes-bunny for HSI’s global campaign to ban cosmetic testing on animals
LONDON—Hollywood filmmakers and movie stars have joined forces with Humane Society International to produce a powerful stop-motion animated short film, Save Ralph, to end cosmetic testing on animals around the world. Although banned in 40 countries, the practice is still perfectly legal in most of the world, and even making a comeback in Europe, subjecting untold thousands of animals to needless suffering and death.
Taika Waititi, Ricky Gervais, Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, Pom Klementieff, Tricia Helfer and others have come together to help HSI change that by providing the voices for the Save Ralph film, which aims to shine a light on the suffering animals endure and engage the public and policy makers in HSI’s mission to ban it. Writer and director Spencer Susser (Hesher, The Greatest Showman), producer Jeff Vespa (Voices of Parkland) and production company AllDayEveryDay teamed up with the Arch Model studio of puppet maker supreme Andy Gent on the production to bring Ralph to life. The film is also being launched in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Vietnamese with Rodrigo Santoro, Denis Villeneuve, Rosario Dawson, H’Hen Nie and Diem My 9x voicing the characters in those languages, and Maggie Q providing a video message of support.
To view the short film and educational materials on the current status of animal testing and how you can help, please visit hsi.org/ralph
Troy Seidle, Humane Society International’s vice-president for research and toxicology, says: “Save Ralph is a wake-up call to European citizens and lawmakers who believe that animal testing for cosmetics is over in the EU. It’s not—it’s just been given a new name of ‘chemicals assessment’ but it’s the same old animal suffering. The decisions to perform new animal tests are coming not from companies – in fact some of the leading cosmetic and ingredient brands are furious and fighting these tests. The requirement is coming from the European Chemicals Agency which is using Europe’s chemicals law to circumvent the EU’s historic ban on animal testing for cosmetics. Regulators are demanding new chemical poisoning tests that consume the lives of thousands of animals apiece for cosmetic ingredients that have been used safely for years. Today we have an abundance of reliable, animal-free approaches for product safety assurance, so there’s no excuse for making animals like Ralph suffer in any type of test for cosmetic ingredients.”
The film features HSI’s campaign spokesbunny Ralph, voiced by Taika Waititi, being interviewed as he goes through his daily routine as a “tester” in a toxicology lab. HSI’s #SaveRalph campaign tackles the disturbing issue of animal testing in an original and unexpected way—using the story of one bunny to shine a light on the plight of countless rabbits and other animals suffering at this very moment in laboratories in Europe and around the world. It engages viewers to help ban animal testing of cosmetics once and for all.
Save Ralph director, Spencer Susser says: “Animals in cosmetic testing labs don’t have a choice and it’s our responsibility to do something about it. When the opportunity came up to create a new campaign for Humane Society International, I felt that stop motion was the perfect way to deliver the message. When you see the horrifying reality of the way animals are treated, you can’t help but look away. What I was hoping to do with this film was create something that delivers a message without being too heavy handed. I hope that audiences fall in love with Ralph and want to fight for him and other animals like him, so we can ban animal testing once and for all.”
Puppet master and set designer, Andy Gent says: “I think the beauty of animation is that you can tell very complex stories and bring them to life in a non-threatening and educational way. In our miniature world of models and puppets using stop motion filmmaking we hope to bring attention to this mission to stop animal testing for cosmetics. We’re all very passionate about what we do, and it’d be very nice to think that this project to Save Ralph will have a greater, wider effect.”
Taika Waititi tweeted ahead of the launch: “This is a cool thing that is coming soon. If you don’t watch it and love it then you hate animals and we can’t be friends anymore. #SaveRalph.”
Ricky Gervais says: “Animal testing just makes me angry. There’s no justification for dripping chemicals in rabbits’ eyes or force-feeding them to rats just to make lipsticks and shampoo. Science has evolved enough to give us non-animal solutions to end this terrible cruelty—it’s time for our humanity to catch up.”
Tricia Helfer says: “I have been an animal lover for many years so I am honoured to lend my voice to this important, moving HSI campaign to end the cruelty of animal testing for cosmetics. Although we have made progress in some countries, globally there are still thousands of innocent animals just like Ralph who are made to suffer every day. Now is the time to change that.”
On the global stage, the campaign is focused on 16 priority countries including Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, and 10 Southeast Asian nations, and our partner organizations, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, are focused on legislation in the U.S. Save Ralph will shine a spotlight on all these countries, driving them toward the cruelty-free future that the public and consumers expect.
Fast facts:
The European Union banned all animal testing for cosmetics in 2013, yet today this celebrated precedent is being undermined by European Chemicals Agency demands that companies perform new animal tests on chemicals used exclusively in cosmetics. Read more here.
In some parts of the world, rabbits like Ralph are locked in neck restraints and have cosmetic products and ingredients dripped in their eye and on to the shaved skin on their back. Guinea pigs and mice have the chemicals spread on their shaved skin or on their ears. None of these animals are given pain relief, and all of them will be killed at the end.
Cosmetic testing on animals is officially already banned in 40 countries. HSI and partners were instrumental in securing bans in India, Taiwan, New Zealand, South Korea, Guatemala, Australia and 10 states in Brazil. Such testing is also banned in Turkey, Israel, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and in the U.S. states of California, Illinois, Nevada and Virginia. Five other U.S. states – New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, Hawaii and New York – are now considering similar bills to end animal testing of cosmetics, and a federal bill called the Humane Cosmetics Act is anticipated to be reintroduced in the Congress this year.
More than 2,000 “cruelty-free” beauty brands are available worldwide, including Lush, Garnier, Dove, Herbal Essences and H&M. These companies produce safe products by using ingredients with a history of safe use together with modern animal-free safety assessment tools. No single global shopping guide yet exists, but HSI recognizes LeapingBunny.org, BeautyWithoutBunnies and Logical Harmony as useful resources.
HSI warns that even cruelty-free cosmetics are in jeopardy if chemical safety legislation continues to demand new animal tests for chemical ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics. That’s why the #SaveRalph campaign prioritizes getting test bans in place and robustly defended.
In addition to pursuing legislative bans, HSI and our partners are collaborating to develop a training program in animal-free safety assessment to support smaller companies and government authorities transition from animal testing to state-of-the-art non-animal methods, which are readily available and better at assuring human safety than the animal tests they replace.
Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Consumers today are more conscious than ever about reading labels. But how do you avoid something that’s not written on labels—something like animal testing?
Humane Society International / Global
istock/CandyBoxImages
It used to be possible to categorize companies as either do test or don’t test; however, the reality today is more complex. That’s because, depending on the country and laws involved, it doesn’t always come down to a company’s choice.
Here’s some fine print you should know:
In most countries, there’s no legal requirement to test cosmetics on animals. That means companies can (and most now do) choose animal-free approaches for assuring themselves and cosmetic regulators of the safety of their products.
Companies can also choose whether or not to sell in countries where animal testing of cosmetics is required. The familiar example here is China. However, thanks to the creation of new regulatory avenues for companies to bypass animal testing for regular cosmetics, selling to China no longer means that animal testing is always a given.
Testing requirements under chemical laws are starting to impact cosmetic ingredients, even if they’ve been used safely for years. Today, manufacturers of cosmetic ingredients are being called on to provide more and more animal test data—and if the required information doesn’t already exist, new animal tests must be performed, or the ingredient will be prohibited from trade. We’re seeing this situation play out right now in Europe (ironically, the first major market to ban animal testing for cosmetics). Here, it’s not a company choosing to animal test, but being forced by government regulators (sometimes after considerable efforts by the company to negotiate a non-animal solution).
That’s why HSI works to change laws, rather than targeting companies. Our efforts, and those of other animal protection organizations, have convinced 40 countries to ban animal testing for cosmetics. We’re now fighting to defend these existing bans, and to have 16 more country bans enacted in influential beauty markets by 2023.
We believe consumers should be able to purchase any cosmetic, anywhere in the world, knowing it is safe and free from animal suffering. Until then, a number of reputable certification programs are available to help consumers navigate the complex landscape of cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics.
Companies certified “cruelty-free” have committed as of a certain date not to conduct or commission third-party animal testing of their finished products or ingredients, and to monitor the testing practices of their ingredient suppliers.
A cosmetic labeled “vegan” means that it does not contain any animal-based ingredients.
Not all cruelty-free products are vegan, nor are all vegan products cruelty-free, so it’s important to read the fine print.
Depending where you live, the following are useful resources for consumers wishing to avoid products developed using animal testing and/or animal ingredients:
LeapingBunny.org (North America)
BeautyWithoutBunnies
Logical Harmony
ChooseCrueltyFree (Australiasia)
Te Protejo (Latin America)
By shopping with intention, you’re making a real difference in the lives of animals, and sending a clear message to companies and governments that cruelty-free is the only brand of beauty with a future.
Humane Society International
Call to prohibit animal testing for cosmetics made or sold in your country.
Consumers worldwide support banning cosmetic tests on animals and stronger labeling requirements
Humane Society International / Global
istock
Since helping to make the European Union the world’s largest cruelty-free beauty market, we and our partners have been striving to ban cosmetic testing on animals in the world’s largest and most influential beauty markets. We couldn’t do it without the backing of millions of caring citizens worldwide–the consumers who choose to shop cruelty-free, and the voters who hold politicians accountable for enacting laws that spare animals from needless suffering in the name of beauty.
Over years of campaigning, we’ve conducted public opinion surveys in numerous countries, and time after time, our results show that one ingredient consumers don’t want in their cosmetics is animal suffering.
Australia
Report by Nexus Research for Humane Research Australia and HSI, May 2013
85% opposed the use of animal testing for development of cosmetics
81% supported Australia following the European example by banning the sale of cosmetics tested on animals
Brazil
Report by Datafolha for HSI, August 2019
76% consider a “no animal testing” claim to be an important or very important factor when purchasing cosmetic products
63% support a federal law to ban on animal testing for cosmetics
73% believe that cosmetic products should not contain new ingredients tested on animals following adoption of a national animal testing ban
Canada
Report by Insights West for Animal Alliance of Canada and HSI, July & September 2019
87% of Canadians support a ban on animal testing for cosmetics
71% include cruelty-free and/or no animal testing claims to be important factors when deciding which cosmetics to purchase
90% believe cosmetic products should be labeled if they contain ingredients that have been tested on animals after the practice has been banned in Canada
Chile
Report by Inside Research for ONG Te Protejo and HSI, September 2019
70% of respondents reported that they were aware that cosmetic animal testing was carried out on animals
72% agree with banning cosmetics animal testing
73% believe that the Chilean government needs to do more to address the issue of cruel cosmetic animal testing
Mexico
Report by Parametría for HSI, October 2019
78% of surveyed citizens stated that a claim not to test on animals was an important factor in deciding which cosmetic product to buy
54% agreed that Mexico should implement a ban on using animals in cosmetics testing
66% believed that all cosmetic products that have been tested on animals should be labeled as such after a ban on cosmetics animal testing has been passed
South Africa
Report by Dashboard Consulting, March 2021
90% support a ban on using animals for cosmetics testing
86% support a ban on the sale of cosmetics that have been animal-tested, no matter where the testing takes place
86% identified a cruelty-free claim to be an important factor when deciding to purchase cosmetic products
South Korea
Report by You N Me for HSI, March 2013
70% were supportive or very supportive of a Korean ban on testing of cosmetic ingredients and finished products on animals
65% recognized that animal tests cause pain and suffering and that this is unnecessary, especially when thousands of safe ingredients already exist and are available on the market
Southeast Asia
Report by Ipsos for HSI, November 2019
87% of citizens of countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) would support instituting laws against animal testing in the region
89% affirmed that a cruelty-free claim was an important factor in making purchasing decisions
United States
Report by Lake Research Partners for HSUS, March 2013
68% of voters know that animals are used to test the safety of cosmetics
70% of voters say that they would feel safer, or as safe, if non-animal methods were used to test the safety of a cosmetic instead of animal testing
62% believe that testing cosmetics on animals should be illegal, with support crossing partisan, demographic and geographic lines
