Victory! Chile Becomes The 45th Country In The World To Ban Animal Testing For Cosmetics

After a multi-year campaign by Humane Society International (HSI) and ONG Te Protejo, cosmetic animal testing, as well as the manufacturing, import, and marketing of cosmetics tested on animals elsewhere in the world, has been officially banned in Chile. This followed a unanimous vote by the full Senate session chaired by Juan Antonio Coloma on December 20th.

The bill was further supported by the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration—a global initiative that brings together corporate and non-profit leaders, including Lush, Avon, the Chilean cosmetics industry association Camera Cosmetica, and other cosmetic manufacturers.

“Thanks to the passion and determination of animal loving consumers, progressive beauty brands, and politicians across the globe who share our desire for a cruelty-free world, animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in 45 countries,” said Daniela Benavides Sanchez, HSI’s country director for Chile.

“HSI and our partners have been instrumental in securing many of these bans, including in Brazil, Mexico, Canada, India, South Korea, and Australia. Today we are delighted to welcome Chile to this list of nations and commend Juan Antonio Coloma and members of the Senate for making the landmark legislation a reality,” continued Sanchez.

“This is a milestone for our organization and for animals. Thanks to this initiative, countless animals will be saved from unnecessary cruelty in Chile,” stated Nicole Valdebenito, director of awareness and advocacy at NGO Te Protejo. “In addition to suffering, these experiments are outdated compared to new methods that do not require living beings.”

The launch of HSI’s stop-motion animated short film #SaveRalph—the heartbreaking story of a rabbit “tester” who was brought to life by a star-studded cast, has influenced legislative momentum and garnered the support of the national cosmetics industry association, Camera Cosmetica, and the Institute of Public Health. Upon its launch in 2021, the HSI film went viral worldwide, with more than 150 million social media views, over 865 million tags on TikTok, and generated more than 300,000 petition signatures in Chile.

According to HSI, it is estimated that more than 115 million animals worldwide are used in laboratory experiments every year. Unfortunately, due to only a small proportion of countries collecting and publishing data concerning animal use for testing and research, the precise number is unknown.

We can help put an end to animal testing by only using products that are marked “Cruelty Free,” urging companies to stop testing on animals, and support legislation to ban it.