Public demands animal testing bans

Consumers worldwide support banning cosmetic tests on animals and stronger labeling requirements

Humane Society International / Global


Rabbit in lab
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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

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