Advocates of cruelty-free beauty—and let’s face it, we should all be advocates by now—are rejoicing over a major win in California. As of January 1st, the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetic Act has gone into effect, making it illegal for stores to sell products tested on animals.
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So, what does this mean for retailers and manufacturers? Judie Mancuso, founder and president of animal activist group the Social Compassion in Legislation, told WWD: “It states that everything that’s on the shelves, anything new that comes to market shall be cruelty free.” Everything includes makeup, skin care, hair care, body care, etc. which was created using any form of animal testing.
It is illegal for retailers to sell these items and for manufacturers to import these products into the state to sell. Violation of the law includes a fine of $5,000 with $1,000 a day additional fines to follow. But California is not the only state cracking down on the industry, both Nevada and Illinois have similar legislations coming into effect in 2020. This is a giant step for animal activists everywhere and we’re hoping more states follow suit.
