PCPC Backs Humane Cosmetics Act as Industry Moves Past Animal Testing
PCPC CEO Tom Myers backs the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 1657), citing NAMs adoption, a 45-country shift away from animal testing and 85% US consumer support for alternatives.
Updated
The takeaway
- Approximately 85% of US adults support replacing animal testing with non-animal alternatives, per a 2024 survey cited by PCPC.
- The Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 1657), lead-sponsored by Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), would establish a national standard eliminating new cosmetics animal testing.
- More than 45 countries, including the EU, Canada, Mexico and the UK, have fully or partially eliminated cosmetic animal testing.
Approximately 85% of US adults support replacing animal testing with modern, non-animal alternatives, according to a 2024 survey cited by the Personal Care Products Council. That figure anchors the industry's case for the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 1657), bipartisan legislation that would establish a national standard eliminating new cosmetics animal testing in favor of advanced safety assessments.
Tom Myers, president and CEO of the Personal Care Products Council, laid out the industry's position in an opinion piece published on Happi. "The reality is that the cosmetics and personal care products industry has already moved far beyond animal testing," Myers wrote. Companies now use New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including computational modeling, in vitro testing methods, and integrated safety assessment approaches, to generate safety data while reducing reliance on animals.
The industry has collectively invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing, validating and adopting these methods, according to Myers, working alongside regulators, scientists, academics and animal welfare organizations worldwide.
Congressional briefing
In July, PCPC joined Cruelty Free International and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to host a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill on the Humane Cosmetics Act and the role of modern safety science. The briefing took place under the auspices of the Congressional Cosmetics Caucus, a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives dedicated to promoting the US cosmetics and personal care industry.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), the bill's lead House sponsor, and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), co-chair of the Congressional Cosmetics Caucus, spoke at the event. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA), the caucus's other co-chair, framed the issue directly.
"Consumers shouldn't have to choose between safe products and animal welfare. They can have both," Sánchez said. "The Humane Cosmetics Act is not about changing where the future of cosmetic testing is headed; it's about recognizing where science has already taken it. Congress can help ensure federal policy reflects that progress and supports more innovation to protect both people and animals."
Beyer called the practice obsolete. "Cosmetics testing on animals is a cruel, outdated practice that the majority of the global cosmetics industry has already abandoned," he said. "I introduced the Humane Cosmetics Act to bring federal law in line with the rest of the world and end this unnecessary animal cruelty without hurting American businesses. I'm grateful to all of our partners who are helping push this bipartisan initiative forward."
Global regulatory momentum
More than 45 countries have fully or partially eliminated cosmetic animal testing, including the European Union, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, according to Myers. As beauty brands increasingly operate across borders, he argued, regulatory approaches that recognize modern safety science support innovation, consistency and consumer confidence worldwide.
Myers stressed that moving beyond animal testing does not mean compromising safety. "Consumer safety remains the foundation of our industry's mission," he wrote, noting that modern non-animal approaches generate data that is increasingly sophisticated, relevant and aligned with current scientific understanding.
He also positioned NAMs adoption within a broader regulatory modernization movement, as government regulators explore how emerging technologies can strengthen decision-making while reducing reliance on animal testing.
"The beauty industry has demonstrated that innovation, consumer safety and animal welfare can advance together," Myers wrote. "The Humane Cosmetics Act represents an opportunity to bring federal policy in line with the progress already occurring in laboratories, boardrooms and manufacturing facilities across the country."
The bill's fate now rests with Congress, but the political alignment — a bipartisan caucus, a Democratic lead sponsor and industry support — suggests the debate has shifted from whether alternatives exist to how quickly federal policy can catch up to them.
Source: Happi
More from Grace Kim
Show full bio
Correspondent covering media and advertising at Eurasian Beauty Journal.
31 articles
