Animal Testing and Perfume in the UK: What the Law Says

Perfume sold in the UK cannot lawfully be tested on animals to meet cosmetic safety rules. The finished product and its ingredients are covered. Gaps remain: animal-derived ingredients, older supplier practice, and testing under other chemical laws. A cruelty-free claim therefore needs checking, and this page lists the checks in order.

TL;DR

• UK law makes it an offence to test finished cosmetic products or their ingredients on animals to meet UK cosmetic safety requirements.
• Since May 2023, no new licences are granted for animal tests on chemicals used exclusively as cosmetic ingredients.
• Cruelty-free and vegan are separate claims. Cruelty-free covers testing. Vegan covers animal-derived ingredients.
• Check a brand through third-party certification, its stated cut-off date and its supplier policy.
• Discovery sets allow a fragrance to be tested on skin before a full bottle is bought.

Table of Contents

• What UK law prohibits
• Where the grey areas are
• Are there animal products in perfume?
• Cruelty-free and vegan are different claims
• How to check a cruelty-free perfume claim
• Quick reference: claims and what they usually tell you
• Our perspective
• Try before buying a full bottle
• Worked example: reading a perfume page in five minutes
• Common questions about wording
• FAQ
• Sources

What UK law prohibits

The rule sits in the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 and the assimilated version of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Under these regulations it is an offence to test a finished cosmetic product or its ingredients on animals to comply with UK cosmetic safety requirements. Perfume is a cosmetic product in law, so it falls under the same rules as skincare and make-up.

The rules also limit what can be sold. The regulation restricts supply of cosmetic products whose final formulation, or any ingredient or combination of ingredients, has been tested on animals.

Summary of the position:

• Finished perfume tested on animals for UK compliance: prohibited.
• Ingredients tested on animals for UK cosmetic compliance: prohibited.
• Sale of products relying on such tests: restricted.
• Product safety: the UK Responsible Person must ensure the product is safe and compliant before it is placed on the market.

Where the grey areas are

A ban on testing “for cosmetic purposes” does not remove every route by which an ingredient meets animal testing. Many fragrance materials are also industrial chemicals. They can be assessed under chemical, worker or environmental safety legislation, and those laws have different requirements.

The Home Office has issued licences for animal testing of ingredients that might affect worker safety under chemical rules. That was the situation reported in May 2023.

The government then acted. The UK Government stated on 17 May 2023 that no new licences would be granted for animal testing of chemicals intended exclusively as cosmetic ingredients. The statement covers new licences. It does not cover ingredients that have several uses.

Relevant points for a shopper:

1. A UK-made perfume is not tested on animals for UK cosmetic compliance.
2. A multi-use ingredient may have been tested under another law at some point in its history.
3. Rules differ by country. A product sold in other markets may be subject to other requirements.
4. A brand policy with a fixed cut-off date and supplier checks addresses these gaps more fully than the legal minimum does.

Are there animal products in perfume?

Yes. This is a separate question from testing. Perfumes can contain animal-derived ingredients, though many now use synthetic alternatives.

Ingredients that may come from animals, as listed by Ethical Consumer:

Labels do not always help. A label saying “fragrance” may not disclose every ingredient, and it could include musk from civets or substances harvested from beavers. A shopper cannot read the answer from the box alone. The brand has to state it.

Ambergris is a frequent question. Our own note on it is here: ambergris and certification rules.

Cruelty-free and vegan are different claims

The two terms are often merged. They answer different questions.

Cruelty Free International states that its approval covers animal testing, not the absence of animal-derived ingredients, so vegan status must be checked separately. A perfume can be one, both or neither.

For a full comparison, see our guide: cruelty-free vs vegan perfume.

How to check a cruelty-free perfume claim

Apply these steps in order.

1. Look for independent certification

Third-party schemes audit a brand rather than accept its word. The Leaping Bunny programme of Cruelty Free International requires a fixed cut-off date, examination of the supply chain down to ingredient level, and annual independent audits. The programme launched in 1996.

Cruelty Free International describes its scheme as the most rigorous, science-backed and independently verified global cruelty-free assurance programme. That is the organisation’s own description. It is useful as a statement of what the scheme sets out to do.

2. Read the brand’s own policy

A policy page should state:

• That no animal testing is carried out or commissioned on the product or its ingredients.
• A fixed cut-off date.
• That suppliers are covered, not just the brand itself.
• Whether the claim applies in all markets.

3. Check the legal meaning of the wording

UK claims rules are strict. A claim that no animal testing was conducted may only be used if the manufacturer and its suppliers have not carried out or commissioned animal testing on the finished product, its prototype or any ingredients, or used ingredients tested by others for new cosmetic development.

The evidence for any claim, including a cruelty-free claim, must be kept in the Product Information File and be available to enforcement authorities. That file must also contain data on any animal testing by the manufacturer, agents or suppliers.

4. Treat “free-from” wording with care

Cosmetic claims should be legal, truthful, supported by evidence, honest and fair, and help informed decisions. Some free-from claims may breach these criteria. Local authority guidance, such as that from the London Borough of Bromley, adds that free-from claims should be used cautiously: they must not denigrate safe, legal ingredients.

The same logic applies to products outside perfume. A guide to checking cruelty-free claims and materials shows the same three habits: ask what the claim covers, ask what supports it and check the materials list.

5. Check the ingredients

Ask the brand about musk, ambergris, castoreum, civet and shellac. If a brand lists “fragrance” only, ask for detail. A brand with a clear ingredient policy will answer.

6. Compare with a wider checklist

Our ethical perfume buying guide sets out nine checks. A shorter version for socially driven brands is here: socially conscious perfume checks.

Quick reference: claims and what they usually tell you

Our perspective

We make niche, unisex perfumes and we state our position plainly: our fragrances are cruelty-free and vegan, and each one is built around a memory or a story. We do not treat those as add-ons. They shape how we choose materials and how we describe the product.

Three views follow from that work.

• The legal minimum is a floor. UK law already bars animal testing for cosmetic compliance. A brand that wants to say more should explain its policy in words a customer can check.
• Cruelty-free and vegan should be stated separately. Customers ask about both, and a clear answer on each saves them time.
• A fragrance is a personal purchase. Skin chemistry changes how a scent wears. That is why we offer discovery sets, so a customer can try several scents before choosing a full bottle.

Our ranges include Eau de Parfum, Parfum and Extrait concentrations, the Palestine Collection, and home fragrance. Each is designed to tell a story and to be made in line with our cruelty-free and sustainable practices. Our guide to upcycled perfume ingredients explains one of the ways we think about sustainable sourcing.

— Rook

Try before buying a full bottle

A cruelty-free perfume still has to suit the person wearing it. Our discovery sets let you compare several fragrances on skin first. Current options include the Fragrance Discovery Sample Sets with a £20 voucher, the Discovery Set Sampler and The Enthusiast Set with a £25 voucher. Check each page for current contents and price.

Full bottles are listed in Eau de Parfum, Parfum and Extrait. Home fragrance is in the Room Spray and Ambient Spray range.

Worked example: reading a perfume page in five minutes

This is a procedure, not a recommendation of any brand.

1. Open the brand’s policy page. Note whether a cut-off date is stated.
2. Look for a certification logo. Confirm it against the certifier’s own listing.
3. Read the product page for the words “cruelty-free” and “vegan”. Note whether both appear.
4. Search the ingredients for musk, ambergris, castoreum, civet and shellac.
5. If the page says only “fragrance”, send a message to the brand and ask.
6. Note whether the policy applies to suppliers.
7. Order a sample set if the answers are clear.

Steps 1 to 6 take a few minutes. A brand that answers them openly is easier to trust than one that does not.

Common questions about wording

“Not tested on animals” and “cruelty-free”

The two phrases are used interchangeably, but they can mean different things. The first may describe only the finished product. The second should cover ingredients and suppliers too. Ask which one the brand means.

Brands owned by larger groups

Ownership can matter to some shoppers. Consumer groups such as Ethical Consumer publish lists of brands owned by companies linked to animal testing, and a shopper can apply their own standard. Each shopper decides whether parent-company practice matters to them.

Selling abroad

Rules differ between countries. A product made for the UK follows UK law. If a brand ships overseas, ask whether its policy applies to every market.

Home fragrance

Room sprays and ambient sprays are not always regulated as cosmetics. A brand’s policy page should say whether its cruelty-free commitment covers home fragrance as well as perfume.

FAQ

Is perfume tested on animals in the UK?

No, not for UK cosmetic compliance. It is an offence to test a finished cosmetic product or its ingredients on animals to meet UK cosmetic safety requirements. Some ingredients have other uses and can fall under separate chemical laws, so a brand’s own policy is worth reading.

Are there animal products in perfume?

Some perfumes contain animal-derived materials, such as musk, ambergris, castoreum, civet musk or shellac. Many brands now use synthetic alternatives. Because “fragrance” on a label may not list every material, ask the brand directly.

Does cruelty-free mean vegan?

No. Cruelty-free concerns animal testing. Vegan concerns animal-derived ingredients. Certification for one does not cover the other, so check both claims separately.

How do I know a perfume brand is genuinely cruelty-free?

Look for independent certification such as Leaping Bunny, which requires a fixed cut-off date, supply chain examination and annual audits. Then read the brand’s policy for supplier coverage. In the UK, evidence for such a claim must be held in the Product Information File.

Can I try a cruelty-free perfume before buying?

Yes. Discovery sets hold small samples of several fragrances. Wear each on skin for a few hours before choosing a full bottle.

Sources

• Regulation 1223/2009 and the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 (Great Britain), GOV.UK
• Cosmetic products, London Borough of Bromley
• Cosmetic products guidance, Armagh Banbridge Craigavon Council
• Ban testing of make-up ingredients on animals, BBC News
• CTPA statement on UK Government action, 17 May 2023
• Animal products in cosmetics, Ethical Consumer
• Our Approval Programme, Cruelty Free International
• The Cruelty Free International Approval Programme
• Cruelty free boots: 3 steps to check testing and materials

Recommended

• Cruelty Free vs Vegan Perfume in the UK: Check Both, Sample First