California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act Attracts a Crowd

SACRAMENTO—Senate Bill 1249, the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, drew a lively crowd to the State Capitol on Tuesday. In addition to support from groups such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Social Compassion in Legislation, and the Humane Society of the United States, businesses Lush Cosmetics and Ben & Jerry’s also turned out, giving away free products while encouraging advocates in attendance to send messages to state assemblymembers. Meanwhile, inside the Capitol building, celebrity and animal rights activist Alicia Silverstone attended meetings with representatives to show her support for the bill.

Authored by Senator Cathleen Galgiani and co-sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Social Compassion in Legislation, SB 1249 would make it unlawful for cosmetic manufacturers to sell any cosmetic in California if the final product or any component of the product was knowingly tested on animals after January 1, 2020, with limited exceptions.

At a press conference held on the Capitol steps, Senator Galgiani stated, “California has long been a leader in promoting modern alternatives to animal tests. Once again, California can lead the way in ensuring a cruelty-free cosmetics market for its citizens.”

“Passing SB 1249 would guarantee that all personal care products sold in California have not been tested on animals and that Californians can feel good about their products,” said actor and author Alicia Silverstone. “Let’s take beauty and body products to the next level, making them safe for humans and animals.”

“SB 1249 is backed by solid science,” said Elizabeth Baker, Esq., regulatory policy director for the Physicians Committee. “Many effective nonanimal methods are available for assessing the safety of cosmetics in a cruelty-free manner.”

“Stopping these archaic and painful tests here in California will undoubtedly spread from state to state, potentially saving tens of millions of lab animals,” said Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation. “It is said, so goes California so goes the world. The time for cosmetics testing to end is now.”

“At Lush, we have always been, and always will be against animal testing,” said Hilary Pickles of Lush Cosmetics. “For more than 50 years, up to 500,000 animals a year have been used in painful and unnecessary tests. With the world's fifth largest economy, California can join nearly 40 countries that have already banned animal testing and lead the way toward a cruelty-free future.”

Currently, there are more than 3000 successful cosmetics companies committed to cruelty-free practices. These businesses use modern tools such as in vitro and in silico technologies—as well as using ingredients that are already on the market and proven safe—to ensure product safety. Compared with animal use, human-relevant test methods can provide more reliable information on how humans will react to ingredients.

SB 1249 is due this month for a vote on the Assembly floor and then back to the Senate for a concurrence vote.