How to comply with Animal Testing in Cosmetics

EC 1223/2009 Article 18 states that animal testing of finished cosmetic products, ingredients or combinations of ingredients are prohibited.

Legislation

"The testing ban on finished cosmetic products applies since 11 September 2004. The testing ban on ingredients or combination of ingredients applies since 11 March 2009. The marketing ban applies since 11 March 2009 for all human health effects with the exception of repeated-dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity, and toxicokinetics. For these specific health effects, the marketing ban applies since 11 March 2013, irrespective of the availability of alternative non-animal tests." (European Commission)

What is animal testing

Cosmetic testing on animals was used to test the safety and hypoallergenic properties of cosmetic products for use by humans. This is often harmful to the animal subjects and it is thus banned in many parts of the world, including the European Union, UK, India, Israel, Norway and Colombia.

Why does SkinConsult check for Animal Testing in Cosmetics?

Animal testing for cosmetics products has been banned in phases in the European Union, starting in 1993. Most importantly, since 11/09/04 a finished cosmetic product could no longer be tested on animals, and since 11/03/09 the cosmetic ingredients could no longer be tested on animals.

This means that none of the raw materials used in your product are allowed to be tested on animals. Furthermore, the manufacturer of the cosmetic product must also write a statement saying that the product itself has never been tested on animals.

How does SkinConsult check for Animal Testing in Cosmetics?

There are 2 ways we ensure that your product follows European Legislation:

The manufacturer/packager must confirm that the final product has not and will never be tested on animals.
The raw material supplier states that the ingredient has never been tested on animals for cosmetic purposes.

As SkinConsult ensures that your products follows European Legislation, we must ensure that no product or product parts have been tested on animals, even if they come from countries where animal testing for cosmetics products is not (yet) banned. See the map below for a useful overview:

For example, if you import a raw material from China, where animal testing for cosmetic ingredients has not yet been banned, your supplier must give a statement that they have not tested their product on animals for cosmetic purposes.

There are different examples that companies can give to confirm that they do not test on animals.

Example of historical animal testing

We wish to confirm that we have not subjected any of our products to testing which requires the use of animals as test subjects, since July of 1976. It is our policy not to utilize such test methods in evaluating our products

Example of no animal testing

This is to certify that this raw material has not been tested on any animal and we do not intend to test it on any animal in the future.

Example of date of testing (in this case this is in compliance with legislations)

We hereby certify that this raw material has been tested on animals two times. The date of each test is as follows:

Feb. 2004 (for cosmetics use)

Nov. 2009 (for other purposes)

Are there exceptions to animal testing in cosmetics?

If an ingredient is not only suitable for cosmetics, but also for the food or pharmaceutical industry this ingredient may have been tested on animals in compliance with another regulatory body, such as REACH. Nonetheless, raw materials and cosmetic endproduct may not be tested on animals for cosmetic purpose.

A statement such as:

“From individual ingredients to final formulation, we always try our best to use the most up-to-date, innovative, scientific, non-animal cosmetic testing evaluations to demonstrate safety; however, if animal testing is required by a regulatory body for safety assessment, an exception can be made, and we will notify our customers immediately if any animal testing is conducted.”

Can be accepted.

Can I make a “not tested on animals” claim?

No. As all products sold in the EU must comply with EU Legislation this is not allowed. A 'Not tested on animal' claim can be considered as misleading to consumers, since none of the products being placed on the market are allowed to be tested on animals.

For information on other claims, please take a look at this page.

We hope to have informed you of the EU ban of animal testing for cosmetics, and why it is important to ensure no ingredient has been tested on animals. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at office@skinconsult.com.

Remember: safety first!