Does the FDA require animal testing?

Although the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act does not require animal testing for cosmetic safety, FDA strongly urges cosmetic manufacturers to conduct whatever tests are appropriate to establish that their cosmetics are safe.

Cosmetic products that have not been tested for safety must have a warning statement on the front label which reads, "WARNING--The safety of this product has not been determined."

FDA is currently working with various government and private organizations to develop alternatives to animal testing in assessing cosmetic safety. Until such methods are proven to be reliable and accepted by the scientific community, FDA believes that the use of animals is necessary to ensure the safety of cosmetic products.