Cruelty-free cosmetics, no longer niche movement

THE Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics as "articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance".

- MADHAVI B L R & YASHASCHANDRA

Some of the commonly used cosmetics include face creams, lipsticks, face powders, eyeliners, nail polishes, shampoos, perfumes and sunscreen lotions.

Cruelty-free cosmetics refer to products developed through ethical approach, without testing of raw ingredients, intermediates or finished formulations on animals at any stage of manufacturing or production. The Leaping Bunny Programme, started in 1996 by Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, now serves as an international gold standard for cruelty-free products.

The global market size of cruelty-free cosmetics is estimated to be about US$7.7 billion in 2025 and expected to reach US$13.2 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 8.10%. Globally, 45 countries have banned animal testing for cosmetics, including the entire European Union, India, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

2. Some Common Cosmetics and their Harmful Chemical Additives

a. Lipstick - Lead, parabens, synthetic dyes

b. Nail polish - Toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde

c. Hair dye - P-phenylenediamine, ammonia, resorcinol

d. Sunscreen - Oxybenzone, octinoxate, homosalate

e. Shampoo - Sodium lauryl sulphate, parabens, synthetic fragrances

f. Face cream - Mineral oil (petroleum-derived), parabens, synthetic stabilisers

3. Testing of Cosmetics and Emerging Alternatives to Animal-Based Testing