Animal-Free Cosmetics in Europe

Because of ethical, scientific and economic considerations, the EU cosmetic legislation evolved over the years toward the abolition of animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients. It all started with the introduction of the Three Rs concept of Russell and Burch, and eventually resulted in a testing and marketing ban, irrespective of the availability of alternative non-animal tests. These decisions had significant implications on the risk assessment process for cosmetic products. This chapter provides an overview of the current safety evaluation and existing alternative methods for cosmetics in Europe, as well as some key events related to EU cosmetic legislation.