California has officially banned the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals — becoming the first state in the U.S. to pass this type of legislation.

Will other states follow? Update: Unilver & Dove join the cause.

California Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act into law on Friday, September 28th, 2018. 

The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, which is Senate Bill 1249, was authored by Senator Cathleen Galgiani and co-sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The bill will make it unlawful for cosmetic manufacturers to sell any cosmetic in California if the final product or any component of the product was tested on animals after January 1, 2020, with some exceptions for regulatory requirements.

Products that undergo testing on animals before that date can still be sold in the state.

Senator Galgiani says, “With the passage of SB 1249, California now leads the country in supporting modern, reliable cosmetic safety testing, while protecting animals from unnecessary suffering.”

Cruelty Free International states, “The Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act brings California in line with over 30 countries including Norway, Israel, and India, as well as the European Union, which has banned the sale of new animal-tested cosmetics since 2013…We are working in several other states to bring an end to animal testing for cosmetics.” 

Cruelty Free International’s North America campaign manager, Monica Engebretson, says, “Tragically, despite approved non-animal tests, and ingredients that are known to be safe for human use being available, more than half a million animals are still used every year in cruel and unnecessary cosmetics testing worldwide. By ending the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, California has now matched global progress on this issue and becomes a national leader.”

Maggie Q Convinced Fans to Sign a Petition

Cruelty Free International often enlists the help of celebrities to help spread its message.

Actress Maggie Q, shown above, left, helped obtain 7.8 million signatures on the petition created by Cruelty Free International in partnership with the Body Shop to help stop animal testing worldwide. She was one of the first to announce the news on her Instagram — and watched as the verdict was announced. 

Maggie Q posted on Instagram, “I will not forget this day in the Senate Chambers when the bill could have died…” 

Over 100 Cosmetic Companies Endorse the Bill

Introduced to the legislature in February of this year, the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act was endorsed by over 100 cosmetics companies, including John Paul Mitchell Systems and Lush Cosmetics. 

Tens of thousands of individuals wrote letters and made phone calls to their legislators. The bill also attracted support from celebrities — in addition to Maggie Q. Alicia Silverstone, John Salley, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Harley Quinn Smith, Sia, Emily Deschanel, Alyssa Milano, and more have all spoken out in support of the bill.

Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation, adds, “This is a dream come true. I had hoped in my lifetime we would say goodbye to animal-tested products. My group, Social Compassion in Legislation, was poised and politically ready to take this issue on. We found the perfect partner to merge forces with in the Physicians Committee. Leading this effort is the biggest accomplishment of my lifetime, and we are so grateful to Governor Brown for signing this lifesaving and landmark bill into law. It is a legacy both he and Senator Galgiani can be proud of, and one for the history books as a huge step forward for humanity.”

Photos: (Left) Instagram/MaggieQ; (Right) CrueltyFree International

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