The Australian Government has passed a bill that see the end of animal testing for cosmetic ingredients, no longer accepting results from animal tests as a mean of certifying a products safety credentials and effectiveness.
The new legislation, The Industrial Chemical Charges Bill 2017, was introduced in June 2017 to the House of Representatives but this is the first time that the bill has been enforced. Cosmetic brands will now have to prove the safety of their ingredients through non-animal testing methods.
Eleven measures have been taken, in collaboration with Humane Society International to ensure that all cosmetic ingredients are included in the ban.
Despite animal testing being ineffective and unreliable, along with the ethical implications linked with it, animals testing for cosmetics is expensive and still carried out around the world.
Whilst the EU and several other countries have banned the practice of animal testing for cosmetics, if brands wish to sell in China, for example, animal tests are required by law in order to distribute the products there and third-party tests are conducted. However, if a product is made in China, the same rules do not apply.
The new legislation in Australia has been in progress for three years, according to Hannah Stuart, HSI campaign manager for #BeCrueltyFree Australia. “This ban reflects both the global trend to end cosmetics cruelty, and the will of the Australian public which opposes using animals in the development of cosmetics. This is a huge win for animals, consumers and science.”