More than 40 countries have banned animal testing for cosmetics in some form, though the strength of those bans varies widely. The European Union led with a bloc-wide ban in 2013, and dozens of countries across Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East have since passed their own laws. What almost none of them do is ban animal testing outside cosmetics: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and industrial chemicals sit under separate regulatory systems that still rely on animal data.
What Counts as a Ban
When people say a country has banned animal testing, they almost always mean cosmetics and personal care products: shampoo, lipstick, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, and the rest of the consumer aisle. The strongest laws prohibit three separate things: conducting animal tests on finished cosmetic products, conducting animal tests on individual cosmetic ingredients, and importing or selling cosmetics that were tested on animals anywhere in the world. A country that bans domestic testing but still allows the sale of products tested abroad has a weaker law in practice, because manufacturers can move the testing offshore and ship the finished product back in.
Countries with Comprehensive Bans
The European Union’s Cosmetics Regulation created both a testing ban and a marketing ban. The testing ban prohibits animal testing of finished cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients inside the EU. The marketing ban prohibits placing cosmetics on the EU market if the final product or its ingredients were tested on animals, wherever the testing occurred. The marketing ban for most health effects took effect in 2009, and the final phase, covering repeated-dose toxicity and reproductive toxicity, took effect on March 11, 2013.1European Commission. Ban on Animal Testing All 27 EU member states are bound by it.
Norway and Iceland follow the same rules through the European Economic Area, and Switzerland applies equivalent standards under bilateral agreements. Turkey aligned its cosmetics regulations with the EU framework in 2015. Between them, these countries extend Europe’s ban to 31 nations.
Outside Europe, several countries have passed their own comprehensive bans covering testing, sale, and import:
- Israel (2013): Banned domestic cosmetic testing in 2007, then prohibited importing and selling animal-tested cosmetics, toiletries, and detergents starting January 1, 2013.
- India (2014): Banned domestic cosmetic animal testing through an amendment to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules effective May 2014, and later that year prohibited importing cosmetics tested on animals.2Press Information Bureau. Ban on Testing of Cosmetics on Animals
- Mexico (2021): Amended the General Health Law to prohibit manufacturing, importing, or marketing cosmetics tested on animals.
- Canada (2023): Amended the Food and Drugs Act to ban cosmetic animal testing and prohibit selling cosmetics whose safety relies on animal test data. The law received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023, and came into force on December 22, 2023.3Government of Canada. Health Canada Announces the End of Cosmetic Animal Testing in Canada
- Chile (2023): Banned cosmetic animal testing along with the import and marketing of cosmetics tested on animals elsewhere.
- Colombia (2024): Prohibited testing new cosmetic ingredients and products on animals and banned the import of animal-tested cosmetics.
Canada’s law leaves narrow room for animal data. Safety information from animal tests can still support a cosmetic’s safety if that data was published by the Canadian government in a scientific journal or on a government website, or if the data is publicly available and was not sponsored by the cosmetic’s manufacturer or importer.4Government of Canada. Guidance Document – Animal Testing Ban on Cosmetics The Food and Drugs Act also prohibits conducting a test on an animal that could cause pain or suffering if the purpose is to meet a cosmetic safety requirement under Canadian or foreign law.5Justice Laws Website. Food and Drugs Act, RSC, 1985, c F-27
Countries with Partial or Conditional Bans
Some countries have restricted cosmetic animal testing without closing every door. Partial bans typically carve out ingredients that lack validated alternative test methods, or they exempt certain product categories.
- South Korea (2017–2018): Introduced legislation banning animal testing for finished cosmetic products, followed by restrictions on ingredient testing. The Laboratory Animal Act requires testing facilities to give preferential consideration to methods that substitute for animal testing.6Korea Legislation Research Institute. Laboratory Animal Act
- New Zealand (2015): Amended the Animal Welfare Act to ban animal testing for finished cosmetic products and ingredients where those ingredients are being tested exclusively for cosmetic development.7Beehive.govt.nz. Law Change to Ban Cosmetic Testing on Animals
- Taiwan (2019): Passed legislation in 2016 banning cosmetic animal testing for both finished products and ingredients, with a three-year implementation period. Exemptions apply when an ingredient is already widely used and no alternative test exists, or when only animal testing can resolve a safety risk.
- Australia (2020): The Industrial Chemicals Act 2019 banned the use of new animal test data for chemicals with an end use only in cosmetics, effective July 1, 2020. For chemicals with multiple end uses including cosmetics, businesses must apply for approval before using new animal test data. Data from tests conducted before that date can still be used.8Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme. Use of Animal Test Data
- Brazil (2025): Enacted a federal ban in July 2025, amending existing pharmaceutical and health surveillance laws. The legislation prioritizes internationally recognized alternative test methods but allows exemptions when a cosmetic ingredient poses a significant health risk and no viable alternative exists.
China’s Partial Shift
China long stood out as a major market that required animal testing for imported cosmetics. In May 2021, China’s National Medical Products Administration dropped the mandatory animal testing requirement for imported “general” cosmetics, meaning everyday products like shampoo, body wash, lipstick, and lotion. To qualify, the manufacturer needs a Good Manufacturing Practice certificate issued by a government authority in their home country, and the product’s safety assessment must fully confirm its safety without animal data.
Animal testing is still mandatory in China for “special” cosmetics, a category that includes hair dyes, bleaching products, skin-whitening products, sunscreens, and hair-loss treatments. Products intended for children or infants are also excluded from the exemption, as are products containing new cosmetic ingredients under a three-year monitoring period. The shift opened the Chinese market to many cruelty-free brands that had previously stayed away, but the exceptions mean China is not a full-ban country.
The United States Has No Federal Ban
The United States does not ban cosmetic animal testing at the federal level. The FDA does not require animal testing for cosmetics, but it does not prohibit it either, leaving the decision largely to manufacturers. The Humane Cosmetics Act, most recently introduced as H.R. 1657 in February 2025, would ban cosmetic animal testing and the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics nationwide. As of early 2026, the bill has only been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and has not advanced further.9Congress.gov. HR 1657 – Humane Cosmetics Act of 2025
In the absence of federal action, at least ten states have passed their own laws restricting the sale of animal-tested cosmetics: California (the first, in 2020), Virginia, Maryland, Maine, Hawaii, Nevada, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, and New York. These laws generally prohibit selling cosmetics when the manufacturer knew or should have known that animal testing was conducted on their behalf after the law’s effective date. A cosmetic sold legally in one state might violate the law in another, depending on when and how it was tested.
What These Bans Do Not Cover
Every existing national ban targets cosmetics only. Pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, and industrial chemicals sit under separate regimes that still rely on animal testing, though regulators in the US and Europe have started publishing plans to reduce it. In the EU specifically, a cosmetic ingredient can be exempt from animal testing under the Cosmetics Regulation while the same chemical still requires animal testing under REACH if it is also used in industrial applications.10European Chemicals Agency. Alternatives to Animal Testing Under REACH If your interest is in a specific product outside the cosmetics aisle, none of the bans described above will apply to it.