Victory! Louisiana Becomes The 9th State In The U.S. To Ban The Sale Of Cosmetics Tested On Animals

Earlier this month, Governor John Bel Edwards signed legislation that will make the sale of cosmetics tested on animals illegal throughout the state of Louisiana. The new law will go into effect beginning in August of this year.

Louisiana joins eight other states including Hawaii, Virginia, Maryland, Maine, and New Jersey in banning the cruel and unnecessary use of animals to test cosmetics. In 2018, California became the first state to prohibit the sale of animal-tested cosmetics followed by Nevada and Illinois in 2019. More than 40 countries have also restricted animal testing for cosmetics.

As previously reported by WAN, each year, thousands of animals continue to endure harsh testing methods, including having chemicals dripped into their eyes or rubbed onto their skin, after which they are killed. Unfathomably, this has been going on for decades, with millions of animals used in cruel and wasteful experiments for nothing more than human vanity. However, advances in science have proven that there are alternatives available to test the safety of cosmetic ingredients.

The sick and outdated practice of subjecting innocent animals to such senseless pain and suffering must be banned on a federal level. That is why the fight continues for the reintroduction and passage of H.R.514, The Humane Cosmetics Act. First introduced in 2019, “the bill generally prohibits animal testing in the evaluation of cosmetic products, and it prohibits the sale or transport of cosmetics developed using animal testing. These prohibitions begin one year after enactment.”

According to Humane Society Legislative Fund, much of the support for ending testing on animals for cosmetics nationwide comes from the cosmetics industry itself. The Humane Cosmetics Act has the endorsement of the Personal Care Products Council, the trade association representing nearly 600 companies that make and market cosmetics. More than 375 companies have also individually signed on to support the legislation.

You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg