Terrified animals are still suffering in laboratories across the globe in government-mandated tests of cosmetic ingredients. Cosmetic chemicals are forced down their throats, dripped into their eyes or smeared onto their skin before they are killed and dissected

When choosing to develop or use new, untested ingredients in their cosmetic products, some companies conduct tests on animals to assess the safety of these new ingredients. This practice is both cruel and unnecessary because companies can create innovative products using thousands of available ingredients that have a history of safe use and do not require any additional testing. And modern testing methods, such as human cell-based tests and sophisticated computer models, have replaced outdated animal tests with new approaches that are faster, less expensive and more effective

It is estimated that 100,000-200,000 animals suffer and die for cosmetics every year around the world. Animals tested for cosmetics are rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and mice. Dogs and monkeys are not used to test cosmetics, but they are used to test other types of chemicals

There are already thousands of products on the market that are made using ingredients with a long history of safe use and do not require additional tests. Companies can ensure safety by choosing to create products using those ingredients. Companies also have the option of using existing non-animal tests or investing in and developing non-animal tests for new ingredients. Nearly 50 non-animal tests are already available, with many more in development. Compared to animal tests, these modern alternatives can more closely mimic how humans respond to cosmetic ingredients and products; they are also often more efficient and cost-effective. Advanced non-animal tests represent the very latest techniques that science has to offer, replacing outdated animal tests that were developed decades ago.

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