Animals & public betrayed as Home Office abandons cosmetic testing ban

Cosmetic animal testing – the facts

You’ve probably heard the shocking news that the UK Government has quietly watered down the UK’s ban on testing cosmetics on animals after Cruelty Free International took the Home Office to court. Here’s our guide to what it means.

Isn’t it illegal to test cosmetics on animals?

The UK banned testing of cosmetic products and ingredients on animals in 1998. It was the first country in the world to do so. The UK’s 1998 ban was not introduced in law, however. Instead, it was introduced as a ‘policy ban’ in which the Government committed to stop issuing animal testing licences for cosmetics.

In 2004, the EU followed suit. The EU’s ban was fully implemented by 2013 and meant that it was not only illegal to test cosmetics and their ingredients on animals in the EU, but also illegal to import and sell cosmetic products and ingredients that had been tested on animals elsewhere.

In 2020, a European court ruled that ingredients used in cosmetics could be tested on animals, however, in order to comply with chemicals regulations, which do permit testing where alternatives aren’t available.

What is the court case about?

Cruelty Free International took the Home Office to court after the Government department admitted animal testing licences had been issued since 2019 for ingredients used in cosmetics, apparently going against the 1998 ban. The Home Office said this was to satisfy chemical testing regulations, which do permit animal testing. The UK Government made no official announcement about this change in policy, which CFI argued was unlawful during judicial review proceedings.

The High Court ruled that the Home Office had not acted unlawfully, but said that it could instate a full ban if it wished to do so . Cruelty Free International has said it intends to appeal the decision.

What does this mean for brands in the Compassionate Shopping Guide?

Our Compassionate Shopping Guide began endorsing brands that have zero ties to animal testing in 1993 – five years before the UK banned cosmetic testing. In other words, pioneering ethical companies rejected cruel animal testing well before it was illegal and proved that it was possible to produce great products that don’t come at a price for animals.

We are monitoring the situation closely to understand the wider implications of the ruling, but we don’t expect that it will impact the ethical companies in our Compassionate Shopping Guide that are against animal testing. Accordingly, all of our endorsements are still valid.

We only endorse companies with a Fixed Cut Off Date that applies throughout their whole supply chain (including parent and sister companies). We also ask endorsed brands to notify us as soon as possible if anything changes that might affect their ability to comply with our criteria. Take a look at our Compassionate Shopping Guide to see what brands are currently endorsed by us.

What needs to happen now?

We’re dismayed that the UK is even discussing cosmetic testing on animals – something that we all thought was consigned to the history books. We think the UK Government must do three things as a matter of urgency:

Reintroduce a full ban on testing cosmetic products and ingredients on animals – in our view, a ban with loopholes is no ban at all. The UK Government must reintroduce a full ban with no exceptions.
Commit to transparency – the use of animals in experiments is a matter of significant public interest and it’s totally unacceptable that the Home Office made no effort to consult or even announce to the public that it was permitting animal testing of cosmetics ingredients. Animal testing has been shrouded in secrecy for far too long. The Government must restore some public trust by repealing section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Call time on animal experiments – the UK Government has lost its ambition for animals in laboratories. A quarter of a century ago we banned cosmetic testing, but instead of moving forward, we’re now hurtling backwards. The Government can change this. It should commit to compassionate human-relevant science by publishing a deadline for ending animal testing in the UK. Send an email to the Minister in charge today https://action.naturewatch.org/call-time-animal-experiments. (Please note this campaign has now closed.)