Government issues update on animal testing of cosmetics ingredients

Following a legal challenge by Cruelty Free International, the Government has issued a statement about the use of animals to test ingredients used in cosmetics.

It has said that no new animal testing licences will be issued to test ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics. You can read the Government’s statement here.

The announcement comes after significant media coverage of the court case. The case revealed that, since 2019, the Home Office had issued some licences for animal testing of ingredients used in cosmetics to satisfy chemical safety regulations. This is despite the UK having had a ban on testing cosmetics and ingredients in place since 1998. You can read more about the case here.

The Government’s announcement that it will not issue any new licences for ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics is welcome, but we have the following concerns:

1. The decision only applies to ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics. Many ingredients used in cosmetics have multiple purposes and could be used in other kinds of products. This announcement has no bearing on ingredients with dual purposes.
2. The announcement is not enshrined in law; it amounts to a promise from the Government.
3. The announcement is in relation to new licences. The Government has said it is engaging with the establishments it has issued licences to since 2019 “to urgently determine a way forward.”

This is what we think needs to happen:

1. The Government should instate an absolute ban on using substances in cosmetics products that have been tested on animals for any purpose (including for chemical regulations) – we endorse lots of cruelty free cosmetic companies in our Compassionate Shopping Guide that reject animal testing completely. If they can do it, everyone can.
2. Animal testing bans should urgently be enshrined in law, not written down in policy. So-called ‘policy bans’ are too easy to change.
3. The Government should immediately revoke any licences it has issued since 2019 to test ingredients used in cosmetics on animals.

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