#BeCrueltyFree USA Campaign Welcomes Humane Cosmetics Act 2015 to End Cosmetics Animal Testing in United States
Good news! The Humane Cosmetics Act 2015 has been reintroduced into congress!
Animal testing of cosmetic products and ingredients, and the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics, would be phased out under proposed legislation introduced in the United States Congress. Passage of the Humane Cosmetics Act would bring the U.S. in line with more than 30 other countries – home to more than 1.7 billion consumers – that have already implemented similar bans.
The #BeCrueltyFree USA campaign led by The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, welcomes the introduction of this bipartisan bill as a key opportunity to rid the United States of cosmetics cruelty. This legislation is sponsored by U.S. Reps. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., Don Beyer, D-Va., Joe Heck, R-Nev., and Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif.
#BeCrueltyFree is the largest campaign in the world to end cosmetics animal testing, led globally by Humane Society International. Claire Mansfield, HSI’s #BeCrueltyFree campaigns director, said from London, “Testing cosmetic chemicals for lipstick and shampoo on live animals isn’t just morally indefensible; it also makes poor scientific sense because these animal tests have never been proven reliable to assure human safety. Hundreds of brands produce cosmetics without harming a single animal, and more than 30 countries globally have already banned such testing, so it’s time for the United States to catch up and join the #BeCrueltyFree movement.”
U.S. law doesn’t require animal testing for cosmetics, but it doesn’t prohibit it either, so in laboratories around the country, thousands of animals are still suffering and dying to test beauty products and ingredients. Mice, rabbits, rats and guinea pigs have substances forced down their throat, dripped into their eyes, or smeared onto their skin, usually without any pain relief.
The bill is supported by #BeCrueltyFree celebrities including Kesha, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Ricky Gervais, alongside more than 140 cosmetics companies such as Lush, Juice Beauty and Jack Black.
Photo Credit: Don Flood/HSUS
Jenna Dewan Tatum, who last year starred in a Hollywood billboard for the #BeCrueltyFree USA campaign (click here for video), said of animal testing: “I truly hope that in this day and age, the United States will follow other amazing countries that have already banned cosmetic testing. We, as a global leader, have not done that yet. That is absolutely disgusting to me.”
Ricky Gervais said: “I’m delighted to help The Humane Society of the United States’ #BeCrueltyFree USA campaign to end the cruel and outdated practice of testing cosmetics on living animals. Rabbits and rodents forced to endure toxic cosmetics testing in U.S. laboratories have no-one to speak up for them but us. So I urge all Americans to be their voice, support the Humane Cosmetics Act and make the U.S. the next cruelty-free cosmetics zone.”
Facts:
73% of American voters are in favor of federal legislation to end animal testing for cosmetics. (2014 poll conducted by Lake Research and commissioned by the #BeCrueltyFree campaign’s The HSUS and HSLF)
More than 600 cruelty-free companies are accredited by the Leaping Bunny standard or recognized by top cruelty-free sites Logical Harmony and My Beauty Bunny. Cruelty-free companies avoid all animal testing by using the thousands of existing, safe cosmetic ingredients combined with available non-animal tests. For the #BeCrueltyFree shopping guide, click here. Check out the #BeCrueltyFree infographic here.
Click here to contact your representatives and urge them to support the Humane Cosmetics Act.
How does China fit in all of this? Also, it might be a good idea to finally come to terms with the fact that the real culprits aren’t really the companies any longer, but the people who keep buying products that test on animals. They’re the ones supporting all of this. It’s pretty disconcerting that it’s taking this long to even get any kind of action taken by the government. How inhumane of most humans to not have implemented this AGES ago.
HI ML – unfortunately this doesn’t help the “selling in China” issue. The Chinese government hasn’t stopped their mandatory testing on products imported into their country. They did ease up on testing within their country, but that doesn’t apply to most of the products we buy here in the US.
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Hello!
Animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients, and the sale of new cosmetics tested animals, should be phased out according to the bill introduced in the US Congress. Enactment of Humane Cosmetics will bring the US in line with the more than 30 other countries – home to more than 1.7 billion consumers – who have already implemented similar bans ..
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Nice Article. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing the nice blog about Help End Animal Testing in the USA! Humane Cosmetics Act 2015.
It is an important part of developing new medicines for mankind, but if only it could be done in a humane fashion way. Animals should not be forced to go through this.
I would love to see an end to testing products on animals. Unfortunately we are not a lot further forward than we were when this was written.
I hate animal testing so much! I’m proud to call myself a vegan!
the importance of this article can not be understated people needto be aware of animal testing so we can come to understanding of how we can end this