In vivo tests have been conducted on 63 cosmetic ingredients since the European Union ban on the testing of cosmetics on animals came into effect, according to new research.

The animal tests in question were imposed to meet the requirements of the EU chemicals regulation REACH.

While no cosmetic ingredient can be used in the EU if it has been tested on animals to meet the requirements of the EU Cosmetic Products Regulation 1223/2009 anywhere in the world, REACH requires specific human and environmental safety data to be included as part of the registration package, which may involve the collection of new data using animal tests.

As detailed in a new report called ‘Continuing animal tests on cosmetic ingredients for REACH in the EU’, published in Alternatives to Animal Experimentation, researchers examined REACH dossiers for chemicals for which the only reported use is cosmetics to determine the extent of new in vivo testing to meet REACH requirements.

The REACH database includes 3,206 chemical dossiers with cosmetics as a reported use.

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By Julia Wray  – 19 Aug 2021