Switzerland Plans to Ban Animal-tested Cosmetic Ingredients

As part of the momentum that is growing globally to ban testing on animals for cosmetics, the Swiss government is planning to prohibit the sale of cosmetics containing ingredients newly tested on animals.

The announcement comes in response to a motion introduced by Green Party parliamentarian Maya Graf and, if passed, would make Switzerland the 35th country to take legal action to stem the trade in animal-tested consumer products.

Claire Mansfield, HSI’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign director, said, “It’s great news that Switzerland has joined the growing list of countries that have committed to #BeCrueltyFree by abolishing the sale of cruel cosmetics. This is one more example of the growing momentum to end cosmetics cruelty around the world once and for all. We congratulate MP Graf for raising this important issue in Parliament, and the Swiss government for committing to take action.”

The world’s largest beauty products market, the European Union, together with Norway, Israel, India, New Zealand, Turkey, South Korea and several states in Brazil, have already enacted full or partial bans on animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients. Similar legislation is pending in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Taiwan, Australia, Argentina and elsewhere.