Gitnux/Report 2026

Animal Testing Cosmetic Industry Statistics

The global cosmetics market reached €290 billion in 2024, explore the animal testing cosmetic figures on growth, companies and trends.
288Statistics
104Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
50mRead
November 11, 2026Updated
Animal Testing Cosmetic Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The animal testing cosmetic industry at a glance

The global cosmetics industry was worth approximately €290 billion in 2024, while animal-testing rules increasingly divide markets between EU-prohibited testing and jurisdictions where non-animal methods remain incomplete. Its forecast path is cited as $354.68 billion in 2025 to $556.21 billion in 2032.

€290B[23]
Global cosmetics market, 2024
6.64%[91]
Forecast CAGR, 2025–2032
39.57%[91]
Asia-Pacific market share, 2024
3.5M+[14]
European cosmetics jobs, 2024
Market size
L'Oréal estimates the global cosmetics market at approximately €290 billion in 2024. A separate ISO business-plan summary reports a 2024 market value of $335.95 billion, reflecting differences in market scope and methodology.[23][91]
Forecast & CAGR
The ISO summary cites a forecast increase from $354.68 billion in 2025 to $556.21 billion in 2032, equivalent to a 6.64% CAGR. Its cited forecast period is 2025–2032.[91]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific accounted for 39.57% of the global cosmetics market in 2024, making it the largest reported regional market. L'Oréal identifies the global industry as geographically broad and increasingly shaped by digital distribution and K-Beauty growth.[91][23]
Segmentation
The market is commonly divided into skincare, haircare, colour cosmetics, fragrance and body care. One 2025 industry snapshot assigns 39% to skincare, 21% to haircare, 17% to colour cosmetics, 13% to fragrance and 10% to body care.[92]
Key players & concentration
L'Oréal ranks companies by beauty-product sales for the 2024 calendar year and describes its own portfolio as the industry's largest and most diverse. Public sources reviewed did not provide a consistent, directly comparable global four-firm concentration ratio for cosmetics.[23]
Pricing
In the United States, households spend more than $850 on average on personal-care products and services, according to the Personal Care Products Council's 2024 industry review. This figure covers personal care broadly rather than cosmetics alone.[30]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being supported by Beauty Tech, digital distribution, K-Beauty and demand for authenticity and perceived value. Animal-testing alternatives remain a technical challenge: the FDA states that some validated non-animal methods exist, but alternatives are not available or validated for every safety question.[23][93]
Consumer behavior & competition
A Stanford study found that nearly 29% of sampled health and beauty products carried a cruelty-free label, while a 2022 survey found 78% of respondents considered a sustainable lifestyle important. The same research reported that observed purchasing behaviour did not consistently match stated sustainability preferences.[94]
M&A
L'Oréal completed its acquisition of Korean skincare brand Dr.G on 25 March 2025; Dr.G reported €128.4 million in 2024 sales. L'Oréal also announced an agreement in June 2025 to acquire a 77.4% majority stake in British skincare brand Medik8.[23]
Regulation
The EU banned animal testing on finished cosmetic products from 11 September 2004 and on cosmetic ingredients from 11 March 2009. Its marketing ban became fully applicable on 11 March 2013, including products tested outside the EU for the covered health effects; in the United States, the FDA states that animal testing is not specifically required to market cosmetics.[64][93]
Latest news
In 2025, the FDA updated regulations to advance innovative alternatives to animal testing, including modern nonclinical methods where scientifically appropriate. In the cosmetics sector, L'Oréal's 2025 acquisitions of Dr.G and the announced Medik8 transaction illustrate continued consolidation around science-led and premium skincare.[93][23]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Animal Testing Cosmetic Industry

The leading companies in the animal testing cosmetic industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Labcorp stands out for chemical safety and toxicology testing because it offers comprehensive chemical safety and toxicology testing for cosmetics and related products, while Bureau Veritas focuses on cosmetic product testing and quality assurance since it calls itself a recognized leader in cosmetics and household-goods testing.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in cosmetic safety testing

    Labcorp

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.2 · Cosmetic safety testing

    Why we picked it: It supports cosmetics safety assessment via comprehensive chemical toxicology testing and has an operating margin of 27.3%.

    See in ranking ↓Visit labcorp.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    Bureau Veritas

    FR

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Cosmetic safety testing

    Why we picked it: Its cosmetic product testing and quality assurance covers cosmetics and household-goods testing, with an operating margin of 16.3%.

    See in ranking ↓Visit group.bureauveritas.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Intertek

    GB

    Ranked #3 · 9.1 · Cosmetic safety testing

    Why we picked it: Its Consumer Products division performs global testing for cosmetics and personal care, and its operating margin is 18.1%.

    See in ranking ↓Visit intertek.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the animal testing cosmetic industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Labcorp

Cosmetic safety testing · US

9.2
2

Bureau Veritas

Cosmetic safety testing · FR

9.1
3

Intertek

Cosmetic safety testing · GB

9.1
4

SGS

Cosmetic safety testing · CH

8.9
5

Eurofins Scientific

Cosmetic safety testing · LU

8.8
6

Mérieux NutriSciences

Cosmetic safety testing · FR

8.7
7

QIMA

Cosmetic safety testing · HK

8.6
8

Charles River Laboratories

Cosmetic safety testing · US

8.5
9

Dermatest

Cosmetic safety testing · DE

7.8
10

Inotiv

Cosmetic safety testing · US

7.8

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the animal testing cosmetic industry. In Animal Testing Cosmetic Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/animal-testing-cosmetic-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Global in vitro toxicology testing market by industry segment

Pharmaceuticals holds the largest share at 51%.

Pharmaceuticals51%
Chemicals26%
Cosmetics14%
Other industries9%
source-verifiedstorage.mfn.se

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

We track how alternative methods and digitalization are being adopted, including the use of blockchain-based traceability for beauty and hygiene product references.

Digital Transformation in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • 45% of pharmaceutical companies surveyed were pursuing digitalization as an innovation or technology in 2024.[1]
  • 15.1% of global pharmaceutical-industry survey respondents reported that Pharma 4.0 digital transformation had not started in 2023.[2]
  • 58.1% of global pharmaceutical-industry survey respondents were in the pilots or systematic-ongoing-actions stages of Pharma 4.0 adoption in 2023.[2]
  • 35% of clinical-research organizations surveyed were piloting digital technologies in 2024, up from 29% in 2019.[3]
  • 13% of clinical-research organizations surveyed reported a comprehensive AI-driven digital programme in 2024.[3]

Technology Adoption in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • 63% of global biopharma respondents had adopted robotics and automation in 2023.[4]
  • 59% of global biopharma respondents had adopted artificial intelligence or machine learning in 2023.[4]
  • 55% of biopharma AI adopters reported using AI in process development in 2024.[5]
  • 70% of global biopharma respondents had adopted an R&D data platform in 2023.[4]
  • 37% of small biopharma respondents reported that more than 60% of their R&D laboratory instruments had automated data capture in 2024.[6]

Cloud Computing in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • 77% of life-sciences commercial IT leaders reported investing primarily in cloud infrastructure in 2024.[7]
  • 49% of biopharma survey respondents reported using cloud computing to facilitate day-to-day work in 2021.[8]
  • 17% of large biopharma respondents had adopted cloud-based scientific software or SaaS in 2024.[5]
  • 23% of small biopharma respondents had adopted cloud-based scientific software or SaaS in 2024.[5]
  • 18% of global biopharma respondents had adopted cloud-based scientific software or SaaS in 2023.[4]

Big Data in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of clinical-research survey respondents reported using AI and big-data analytics in drug development in 2024.[3]
  • 55% of large pharmaceutical companies surveyed were pursuing big data and analytics in 2024.[1]
  • 48% of pharmaceutical companies surveyed were pursuing big data and analytics in 2024.[1]
  • 68% of pharmaceutical companies surveyed planned to use advanced analytics in 2024.[9]
  • 33% of biopharma survey respondents reported using data lakes in day-to-day operations in 2021.[8]
  • 43% of small and midsize pharmaceutical companies surveyed were pursuing big data and analytics in 2024.[1]

Blockchain in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 290 Joone beauty and hygiene product references were tracked on the company’s blockchain-based traceability platform, according to the platform operator.[10]
  • 1 blockchain pilot traced vanilla from Madagascar to a cosmetics manufacturing facility in Minnesota, according to a 2021 report on Aveda’s parent company.[11]
  • 15 beauty companies formed the Traceability Alliance for Sustainable Cosmetics, including Chanel, Clarins, Dior, Estée Lauder, L’Oréal, L’Occitane and Shiseido, in 2023.[12]
  • 26% of beauty brands shared traceability details about products or supply chains in 2023, with blockchain cited as one technology used for verification.[12]

IoT in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • 20.4% of SMEs in the European healthcare industrial ecosystem had adopted Internet of Things technologies in 2023, according to an industry survey.[13]
  • 21.4% of IoT-using SMEs in the European healthcare industrial ecosystem applied IoT to predictive maintenance of production assets in 2023.[13]
  • 25% of biopharma survey respondents reported using IoT daily in 2021.[8]
  • 22.3% of IoT-using SMEs in the European healthcare industrial ecosystem applied IoT to energy-saving devices in 2023.[13]
  • 53% of global biopharma respondents reported that at least three of five laboratory instruments were connected to software in 2023.[4]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

We focus on data coverage and endpoint gaps, including five incompletely covered complex toxicological endpoints for alternative methods.

Data analytics in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • €70 million has been invested by Cosmetics Europe over more than 30 years in developing alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics.[14]
  • 11 human-health effects were evaluated in an EU review of alternative methods for cosmetics testing and their validation prospects.[15]
  • 23 patent applications met the inclusion criteria in a 2015–2025 review of alternative testing approaches for skincare products.[16]
  • 5 complex toxicological endpoints remain incompletely covered by alternative methods: repeated-dose toxicity, skin sensitisation, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics.[17]
  • 6 years was the duration of the Cosmetics Europe Long-Range Science Strategy research programme, which ran from 2016 to 2022.[14]
  • 195 peer-reviewed studies published from 2013 to 2023 applied statistical or computational methods to cosmetic safety assessment, according to a systematic review.[18]

Data Quality in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across 500 pharmaceutical and biotechnology executives globally, 44% said their organization was prepared on data quality and completeness in 2025.[19]
  • Across 116 commercial biopharma leaders in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific, 73% reported significant data quality issues in 2025.[20]
  • Across 125 senior U.S. life-sciences leaders, 81% said accuracy and confidence in data were critical components of AI success in biopharma in 2026.[20]
  • Across 116 commercial biopharma leaders in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific, 81% identified data quality as their top data issue for the next 12 months in 2025.[20]
  • Across 116 commercial biopharma leaders in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific, 96% said their data was not well-structured or AI-ready for scaling in 2025.[20]

Data Governance in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across 500 pharmaceutical and biotechnology executives globally, 54% said their organization was prepared on data governance in 2025.[19]
  • Across 200 global life-sciences R&D respondents, 49% called for more data-governance frameworks to make data FAIR at scale in 2024.[21]
  • Across 200 global life-sciences R&D respondents, 51% identified maintenance and management of data standards and ontologies as a key FAIR-data need in 2024.[21]
  • Across 11 pharmaceutical regulatory organizations, 9% reported a comprehensive approach to onboarding standards such as IDMP and XEVMPD, with regular source qualification, connected systems and data cleaning in 2023.[22]
  • Across 200 global life-sciences R&D respondents, 46% called for templates for standardization and metadata to make data FAIR at scale in 2024.[21]

KPIs in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • €110 billion was the value of European cosmetics and personal-care retail sales in 2025.[14]
  • €26.4 billion was the value of Europe’s toiletries category in 2025.[14]
  • €6.4 billion was Poland’s cosmetics and personal-care retail-sales value in 2025.[14]
  • €29.8 billion was the export value of European cosmetics and personal-care products in 2025.[14]
  • €12.8 billion was Italy’s cosmetics and personal-care retail-sales value in 2025.[14]
  • €14.7 billion was the United Kingdom’s cosmetics and personal-care retail-sales value in 2025.[14]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

We connect adoption to regulation and investment, including the FDA’s updated 2025 work on innovative alternatives to animal testing.

Growth in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • €1,355 million was L’Oréal’s research and innovation expenditure in 2024, up 5% year on year.[23]
  • 37% was Europe’s share of global cruelty-free cosmetics revenue in 2023.[24]
  • 2023 was the year China’s potential ban on animal testing for all cosmetic products was identified as a market advancement.[24]
  • 1989 was the year L’Oréal stopped safety testing its products on animals.[23]
  • $14.8 billion was the global cruelty-free cosmetics market size in 2023.[24]
  • 6.8% is the projected compound annual growth rate for the global cruelty-free cosmetics market from 2024 to 2030.[24]

Differentiation in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 3 countries—France, China and Brazil—hosted L’Oréal’s Episkin reconstructed-skin laboratories in 2023.[23]
  • 4 e.l.f. Beauty brands held Leaping Bunny certification in 2024.[25]
  • 4 e.l.f. Beauty brands—e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, Well People and Keys Soulcare—were identified as PETA Global Animal Test-Free brands in 2024.[25]
  • Over 30 years was Avon’s stated period of advocating alternatives to cosmetic animal testing by 2026.[26]
  • 100% of e.l.f. Beauty’s company portfolio was described as cruelty-free in fiscal 2024.[25]
  • 100% of Avon’s beauty and personal-care products were approved by Cruelty Free International in 2026.[26]

Mergers and acquisitions in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 27 beauty transactions were recorded globally through July 2025.[27]
  • $1 billion was the announced value of e.l.f. Beauty’s 2025 acquisition of Rhode.[28]
  • 29.1% was public buyers’ share of total beauty-sector deal volume from 2018 to 2023.[29]
  • 16.1% was public buyers’ share of beauty-sector deal volume in year-to-date 2025.[29]
  • $200 million was the maximum potential additional payment attached to e.l.f. Beauty’s Rhode acquisition.[28]
  • September 2025 was the month Bansk Group announced its acquisition of skincare brand BYOMA.[29]

Strategic partnerships in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 100% is L’Oréal’s target for eco-designed formulas and ingredients in the cited Geno venture announcement.[23]
  • 2 international industry collaborations—the ICCR and ICATM—were identified by the Personal Care Products Council as vehicles for alternative-method adoption.[30]
  • 1 free online master-class programme was delivered by L’Oréal and the AFSA Collaboration in March 2023.[23]
  • 2005 was the year L’Oréal began supporting the World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences.[23]
  • 2016 was the start year for Cosmetics Europe’s five-year research programme on alternative safety methods.[14]
  • 3 founding corporate members—L’Oréal, Unilever and Kao—participated in Geno’s 2023 biotechnology venture for beauty ingredients.[23]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

We use workforce signals from life sciences and related sectors to contextualize how testing capacity can scale during method transitions.

Hiring in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 2,487 directly hired employees worked in Shiseido’s Asia-Pacific region in 2025.[31]
  • 38,000 part-time associates worked for Ulta Beauty as of February 1, 2025.[32]
  • 58,000 total associates worked for Ulta Beauty as of February 1, 2025.[32]
  • 6,199 directly hired employees worked in Shiseido’s China and Travel Retail region in 2025.[31]
  • Over 75% of recruits to Oriflame’s Global Management Team were hired from local communities in markets with more than 100 employees in 2025.[33]

Remote Work in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in the 2024 hiring outlook survey.[34]
  • Across U.S. life sciences companies, 65.9% reported implementing, expanding, or considering remote-work options for at least some employees in 2023.[35]
  • Among privately held life-sciences companies surveyed, 21.7% had some portion of their workforce fully remote in 2025.[36]
  • Among life-sciences companies with remote-work options, 50.0% cited competition with technology and other industries as a reason for their policy in 2023.[35]

Hybrid Work in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among surveyed life-sciences employers in the BioHealth Capital Region, 60% expected at least a hybrid workforce after the pandemic in 2021.[37]
  • Among surveyed life-sciences companies in the MassBio Human Resources Roundtable, 97% planned to implement hybrid work models for the long term in 2022.[38]
  • Among life-sciences CEOs, 83% expected corporate employees whose roles were traditionally office-based to work in a hybrid environment three years after the 2024 survey.[39]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in the 2024 hiring outlook survey.[34]

Upskilling in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 90% of Schwan Cosmetics employees received Code of Conduct training in fiscal 2023–24.[40]
  • 17 hours of training per employee were provided by Schwan Cosmetics worldwide in fiscal 2024–25.[40]
  • More than 900 L’Oréal employees had participated in the EVE women’s leadership and career programme since its launch by 2023.[23]
  • More than 30,000 people logged on to L’Oréal Ethics Day sessions in 2025.[23]
  • 52,745 hours of training were completed by Schwan Cosmetics employees worldwide in fiscal 2024–25.[40]

Employee Engagement in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • At Amneal Pharmaceuticals, global employee engagement reached 88% in the company’s 2024 reporting year.[41]
  • Across the Culture Amp pharmaceuticals benchmark, 18% of employees were thinking of or actively seeking another job in July 2026.[42]
  • Across the Culture Amp pharmaceuticals benchmark, 91% of employees agreed they understood how their work contributed to company goals in July 2026.[42]
  • Across the Culture Amp pharmaceuticals benchmark, 17% of employees disagreed that they had seen positive changes based on recent employee survey results in July 2026.[42]

DEI in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 67% of Ulta Beauty’s leadership were women as of February 1, 2025.[32]
  • 54.5% of Shiseido’s Board of Directors were women in 2025.[31]
  • 47.0% of Shiseido’s officers were women in 2025.[31]
  • More than 11,000 L’Oréal employees were trained through Diversity Learning Workshops in 2023.[23]
  • 33% of Ulta Beauty’s leadership were men as of February 1, 2025.[32]

Change Management in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among pharmaceutical and biotechnology executives surveyed, 67% said their companies were using mergers and acquisitions to access talent or innovation in 2023.[43]
  • Among pharmaceutical and biotechnology executives surveyed, 26% expected to conduct a significant acquisition within the following 12 months in 2023.[43]
  • Among 125 pharmaceutical and biotechnology executives surveyed, 68% said their organizations were actively increasing investments in change management in 2023.[43]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

We quantify demand-side signals for cruelty-free positioning, including that 61.4% of respondents would switch to a cruelty-free cosmetics brand at the same price and quality in 2024.

Customer experience in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 29% of men in a 2025 cosmetics survey considered cruelty-free products important when buying beauty products.[44]
  • 34.4% of French respondents rated cruelty-free status more important than sensitive-skin positioning when buying cosmetics online in 2019.[45]
  • 36.3% of UK respondents rated cruelty-free status more important than sensitive-skin positioning when buying cosmetics online in 2019.[45]
  • 28.5% of German respondents identified cruelty-free products as crucial to a good online cosmetics-buying experience in 2019.[45]
  • 30.4% of European women said sensitive-skin products were the most important attribute for a good online cosmetics-buying experience in 2019.[45]

Customer retention in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 1.05% of surveyed cruelty-free cosmetics consumers said animal-testing information barely changed their perspective on a favourite brand, in 2018.[46]
  • 7.59% of surveyed cosmetics consumers cited personal decisions as a reason for avoiding animal-tested products, in 2018.[46]
  • 74% of surveyed cruelty-free cosmetics consumers stopped using a favourite brand after learning it tested on animals, in the survey reported in 2018.[46]
  • 64.21% of surveyed cruelty-free cosmetics consumers said animal-testing information very strongly changed their perspective on a favourite brand, in 2018.[46]
  • 16.84% of surveyed cruelty-free cosmetics consumers said animal-testing information strongly changed their perspective on a favourite brand, in 2018.[46]

Customer acquisition in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 73.9% of 326 Indonesian participants showed purchase intention for cruelty-free personal-care products in 2023.[16]
  • 61.4% of respondents would switch to a cruelty-free cosmetics brand offering the same price and quality in 2024.[47]
  • 28.9% of respondents would gradually incorporate cruelty-free cosmetics until switching brands at the same price and quality in 2024.[47]
  • 12% of surveyed Gen Z consumers in the United Kingdom and United States said they would buy skincare from a brand lacking cruelty-free certification in 2021.[48]
  • 20.2% of respondents might pay a higher price for cruelty-free cosmetics in 2024.[47]

Customer loyalty in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 83% of Democrats supported a federal law prohibiting animal testing for cosmetics in the United States in 2019.[49]
  • 79% of Americans supported a federal law prohibiting animal testing for cosmetics in a 2019 SurveyUSA poll.[49]
  • 12.3% of respondents rated animal welfare as somewhat unimportant when choosing beauty products in 2024.[47]
  • 19.3% of respondents rated animal welfare as somewhat important when choosing beauty products in 2024.[47]
  • 60.5% of respondents strongly agreed that cosmetics companies have a responsibility to ensure products are not tested on animals in 2024.[47]

Lead generation in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 325 mentions identified Lush as a sustainable beauty brand in Highlight’s 2025 survey.[50]
  • 59% of beauty consumers identified recyclable packaging as an indicator of a sustainable beauty product in 2025.[50]
  • 63% of beauty consumers selected cruelty-free as an important marketing claim when purchasing beauty products in 2025.[50]
  • 54% of beauty consumers identified natural ingredients as an indicator of a sustainable beauty product in 2025.[50]
  • 65% of beauty consumers identified cruelty-free positioning as an indicator of a sustainable beauty product in 2025.[50]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

We measure how cruelty-free information sits in consumer and brand communications, including that 15.4% of 117 leading global beauty brands were classified as cruelty-free in a 2025 review.

Marketing in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 46% of U.S. adults said cosmetic testing on animals is never morally acceptable in 2022.[51]
  • 32% of Black U.S. adults said cosmetic testing on animals is never morally acceptable in 2022.[51]
  • 71% of Britons said testing cosmetic ingredients on animals is unacceptable when no alternative test is available in 2021.[52]
  • 32% of U.S. adults under 30 said cosmetic testing on animals is never morally acceptable in 2022.[51]
  • 37% of U.S. men said cosmetic testing on animals is never morally acceptable in 2022.[51]

Digital marketing in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • Smaller beauty brands contributed 58% of category growth in the 2025 NIQ analysis.[53]
  • TikTok represented about 2% of U.S. beauty sales in 2026.[54]
  • U.S. beauty sales on TikTok grew approximately 260% annually from 2023 to 2026.[54]
  • Consumers under 35 spent $1.7 billion annually on beauty in the 2025 NIQ analysis.[53]
  • Under-35 consumers represented 22% of beauty sales in Canada in 2025.[53]

Branding in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 84.6% of 117 leading global beauty brands were classified as funding animal testing in a 2025 review.[55]
  • 5% of U.S. Gen Z and Millennial consumers ranked cruelty-free as the most important factor when choosing a makeup or personal-care brand in 2025.[56]
  • 47.2% of surveyed consumers correctly understood that cruelty-free means a cosmetic or toiletry product was not tested on animals in 2023.[57]
  • 15.4% of 117 leading global beauty brands were classified as cruelty-free in a 2025 review.[55]
  • 2.6% of the wider $557.24 billion beauty market was represented by products labeled cruelty-free in 2023.[12]

Social media in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 20% of beauty-market respondents assigned the lowest reported response level to social media importance in a 2024 survey.[58]
  • 40% of beauty-market respondents assigned the highest reported response level to social media importance in a 2024 survey.[58]
  • 3.67 Facebook posts per week was the 2024 posting rate for sampled health-and-beauty brands.[59]
  • 3.1 TikTok videos per week was the 2024 posting rate for sampled health-and-beauty brands.[59]
  • 0.4 tweets per week was the 2024 posting rate for sampled health-and-beauty brands.[59]

Influencer Marketing in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • 50% of physicians in Europe, APAC and North America said healthcare influencer or KOL content had changed their prescribing choices in 2024.[60]
  • 10% of healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers said they did not invest in creator or influencer marketing in 2026, globally.[61]
  • 50% of healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers reported dedicated and growing budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026, globally.[61]
  • 29% of healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers reported dedicated but flat budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026, globally.[61]
  • 44% of physicians in Europe, APAC and North America said healthcare influencer or KOL content had changed their perception of a medication in 2024.[60]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

We track the animal-testing operational record and transitions toward replacements, including EU animal-use figures before the prohibition took full effect.

Process optimization in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 344 animals were used for cosmetic purposes in the EU in 2009, the final year reported before the Union-wide cosmetics testing prohibition took effect.[62]
  • 1,818 animals were used for cosmetics testing in Europe in 2007, showing a reduction from 5,500 animals in 2005 as alternative methods gained operational use.[17]
  • 5 research areas were included in Cosmetics Europe’s Long Range Science Strategy: eye irritation, genotoxicity, skin sensitisation, ADME and systemic toxicity.[14]
  • 1,510 animals were used for cosmetic purposes in the EU in 2008, down from 8,988 in 2004, reflecting process replacement before the testing ban.[62]
  • 8,988 animals were used for cosmetic purposes in the EU in 2004, declining to 1,510 in 2008 as industry testing processes shifted toward alternatives, EU-wide.[62]

Operational efficiency in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 29 billion euros of annual added value was generated by Europe’s cosmetics and personal-care industry, including manufacturing and associated supply-chain activity.[14]
  • 7 different cosmetic products were estimated to be used by each EU consumer per day, creating a large operational requirement for safety assessment and manufacturing controls.[62]
  • 500 million European consumers use cosmetic and personal-care products every day, according to Cosmetics Europe’s industry overview.[14]
  • 15,000–27,000 animals were estimated to be used annually outside the EU for cosmetics testing in the period reported by the European Commission.[62]
  • 2.64 million scientific procedures involving protected animals were carried out in Great Britain in 2024, the lowest total since 2001, while cosmetics accounted for none.[63]

Quality management in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 8.7% of animals used in Europe for scientific purposes in 2011 were used for toxicological testing and other safety evaluations, according to the EU reference laboratory.[17]
  • 2013 was the year the EU marketing ban fully applied to cosmetics tested on animals for repeated-dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics.[64]
  • 60% of animals used in Europe for scientific purposes in 2011 were used in biological and medical research rather than cosmetics testing.[17]
  • 1 million animals were used for toxicological testing and other safety evaluations in Europe in 2011, according to the EU reference laboratory’s approximate calculation.[17]
  • 2009 was the year the EU prohibited animal testing of cosmetic ingredients and combinations of ingredients, requiring safety systems to rely on other evidence.[64]

Supply chain in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 26.4 billion euros was the value of Europe’s toiletries category in the cosmetics industry overview.[14]
  • 20.3 billion euros was the value of Europe’s hair-care category in the cosmetics industry overview.[14]
  • 265,000 people were directly employed in Europe’s cosmetics and personal-care sector in 2025.[14]
  • 4,000 companies are represented by Cosmetics Europe, covering large, medium-sized and small businesses across the European cosmetics value chain.[14]
  • 32.3 billion euros was the value of Europe’s skincare category, the largest cosmetics product category in the industry overview.[14]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the pharmaceuticals and biotech sector (sector benchmark)

  • 74% of surveyed pharmaceutical and biotech R&D leaders ranked patient recruitment among the top five drug-development activities likely to be outsourced in 2023.[1]
  • 54% of global biotech and pharma companies outsourced regulatory activities in 2024, according to an IQVIA industry report.[65]
  • 67% of global biotech and pharma companies outsourced pharmacovigilance operations in 2024, according to an IQVIA industry report.[65]
  • 41% of surveyed pharmaceutical and biotech R&D leaders increased their use of functional-service-provider outsourcing versus two years earlier in 2023.[1]
  • 12% of total API volume used in the United States was produced domestically in 2024, with most supply coming from India and the European Union.[66]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

We surface R&D and alternative-method spending indicators, including a stated range of 0.5%–3.5% of net sales invested in research and development.

Financial planning in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • €30 million was invested by one unnamed cosmetics company in alternative-testing research over the 25 years preceding the European Commission’s 2013 review.[67]
  • €3 million per year was reported by one unnamed cosmetics company for external research on alternatives to animal testing, in addition to its internal research.[67]
  • 75 UK firms operating in the non-animal new-approach-methodologies sector were analyzed for the 2021–2024 economic study commissioned by Lush.[68]
  • 0.5%–3.5% of net sales was invested in research and development by the cosmetics and cosmetic-ingredients industry, according to a European Commission review.[67]
  • More than £1.2 billion was the turnover of the UK non-animal-methods sector in 2021–2024, based on analysis of 75 firms commissioned by Lush.[68]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

We capture product-level adoption signals and consumer definitions, including that 48.7% of UK buyers correctly defined cruelty-free as not tested on animals in 2023.

Product development in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 76% of UK consumers opposed animal testing for personal-care and cosmetic products in the cited consumer survey.[69]
  • 40 years of research in reconstructed human skin and other non-animal testing methods have been conducted by L’Oréal as of 2024.[70]
  • 64% of Brazilian consumers opposed animal testing for personal-care and cosmetic products in the cited consumer survey.[69]
  • 58% of South Korean consumers opposed animal testing for personal-care and cosmetic products in the cited consumer survey.[69]
  • 43% of Gen Z students surveyed across five countries said in 2022 that they would never buy beauty products tested on animals.[71]

Product lifecycle in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 31.1% of surveyed consumers wanted more vegan deodorants.[72]
  • Over 35,000 cosmetic and toiletry products were registered with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark by 2025.[72]
  • 2,328 beauty brands had the Leaping Bunny certification stamp as of May 2025, confirming freedom from animal testing throughout production.[72]
  • 35.3% of surveyed consumers wanted more vegan shampoo, conditioner and hair-styling products.[72]
  • 25.2% of surveyed consumers wanted more vegan fragrances.[72]

After-sales in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 29.8% of UK cosmetics and toiletries buyers incorrectly interpreted cruelty-free as meaning that a product contained no animal ingredients and had not been tested on animals in 2023.[72]
  • 48.7% of UK cosmetics and toiletries buyers correctly defined cruelty-free as meaning that a product had not been tested on animals in 2023.[72]
  • 81% of North American consumers said they would switch brands to avoid products tested on animals in a 2023 NielsenIQ study cited by Unilever.[71]
  • 29.9% of consumers correctly identified a vegan label when considering cosmetic products in the cited Vegan Society survey.[72]
  • 2.6% of 1,000 surveyed individuals correctly identified all animal-derived ingredients from a list of ten common cosmetic components.[72]

Value proposition in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 85% of Australian respondents opposed animal testing for cosmetic development in the Vegan Society’s cited survey.[72]
  • 87% of UK respondents opposed animal testing for cosmetics in the Vegan Society’s 2026 Empathy Index.[72]
  • 80% of South Korean respondents supported increased funding to replace animal testing with advanced methods in the Vegan Society’s cited survey.[72]
  • 90% of UK female respondents considered testing cosmetic ingredients on animals unacceptable in the Vegan Society’s 2026 research.[72]
  • 79% of American adults supported a federal law to end animal testing for cosmetics in the Vegan Society’s cited survey.[72]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

We link ethics policy and animal-use outcomes, including zero animals used in Great Britain in 2024 to test ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics products.

Sustainability in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 13% recycled content was used in Oriflame glass packaging in 2025, equivalent to 361 tonnes of recycled material worldwide.[33]
  • 20% is Shiseido’s target reduction in virgin plastic per product by 2030 through lightweighting, recyclable materials and refillable products.[31]
  • 23% less glass packaging weight per jar was achieved by Oriflame’s Diamond Cellular redesign in 2025.[33]
  • 15% of Shiseido cosmetic packaging materials were recycled or bio-based in the latest reported period.[31]
  • 34.5 tonnes of virgin plastic were eliminated by Oriflame’s refill-unit sales in 2025 worldwide.[33]

ESG in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 7% was L’Occitane en Provence’s absolute reduction in air-freight emissions during fiscal 2024 worldwide.[73]
  • 13% was the L’Occitane Group’s reduction in Scope 3 emissions intensity compared with fiscal 2020 in fiscal 2024 worldwide.[73]
  • 5.5% was L’Occitane en Provence’s reduction in air-freight emissions intensity during fiscal 2024 worldwide.[73]

Ethics in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • Zero animals were used in Great Britain in 2024 to test ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics products.[49]
  • 8,076,595 experimental animal procedures were recorded in the European Union and Norway in 2023.[49]
  • 9.1 million animal uses were recorded in the European Union and Norway in 2023, including cosmetics-relevant regulatory testing.[49]
  • 997,013 animals were used to create or maintain genetically altered animals without further experiments in the European Union and Norway in 2023.[49]
  • 8.3 million signatures were collected in Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop’s campaign against cosmetics animal testing.[49]

CSR in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 12 U.S. states were included among jurisdictions with restrictions on the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics by 2026.[49]
  • 40-plus countries had enacted restrictions on newly animal-tested cosmetics by 2026, according to Cruelty Free International.[49]
  • 79% of Americans supported a federal cosmetics animal-testing ban in the 2019 SurveyUSA poll commissioned by Cruelty Free International.[49]
  • 8.3 million signatures were delivered to the United Nations by Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop in their global cosmetics animal-testing campaign.[49]

Circular economy in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 43% of plastic packaging among cosmetics signatories was reusable, recyclable or compostable in 2021 worldwide.[74]
  • 63% of Estée Lauder’s product packaging met its recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled or recoverable definition in fiscal 2022 worldwide.[75]
  • 55% of Unilever’s plastic packaging was reusable, recyclable or compostable in 2022 worldwide.[75]
  • 17% was the average reusable share of cosmetics signatories’ plastic packaging in 2020 worldwide.[76]
  • 58% of Unilever’s plastic packaging was covered by collection and processing commitments in 2022 worldwide.[75]

Carbon footprint in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 7% of Sephora’s corporate carbon footprint came from other activities in 2024 worldwide.[77]
  • 5% of Sephora’s corporate carbon footprint came from Scope 1 and 2 operations in 2024 worldwide.[77]
  • 23% of Sephora’s corporate carbon footprint came from product manufacturing, services and merchandising in 2024 worldwide.[77]
  • 17% of Sephora’s corporate carbon footprint came from transportation in 2024 worldwide.[77]
  • 13% of Sephora’s corporate carbon footprint came from capital goods in 2024 worldwide.[77]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

We place the market into cross-border context using regional shares and trade scale, including Asia-Pacific at 39.57% of the global cosmetics market in 2024.

Globalization in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 27% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales came from North America.[23]
  • 33% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales came from Europe.[23]
  • 150+ countries represented L’Oréal’s international presence in 2024.[23]
  • €14.21 billion was L’Oréal’s 2024 sales in Europe.[23]
  • 24% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales came from North Asia.[23]

Cultural adaptation in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 39% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales came from skincare and sun-protection products, the group’s largest product category worldwide.[23]
  • €15.6 billion was L’Oréal’s 2024 Luxe sales across its international prestige-brand portfolio.[23]
  • 37 international brands were highlighted in L’Oréal’s 2024 global beauty portfolio.[23]
  • 16% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales came from haircare products.[23]
  • 19% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales came from makeup products.[23]

Supplier management in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 944 palm-derivative mills were disclosed by L’Oréal in 2022 as indirectly connected to its supply chain.[23]
  • 100% of logistics sites belonging to suppliers in high-risk countries were covered by L’Oréal’s 2024 audit requirements.[23]
  • 1,013 palm-derivative mills were disclosed by L’Oréal in 2023 as indirectly connected to its supply chain.[23]
  • €377 million represented L’Oréal’s 2024 production and supply-chain commitments.[23]
  • 36 factories formed L’Oréal’s manufacturing network in 2024.[23]

Stakeholder management in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • More than 35,000 people logged into L’Oréal’s Ethics Day sessions worldwide in 2024.[23]
  • 100% of suppliers in L’Oréal’s risk matrix had to contractually commit to the group’s applicable rules before database inclusion in 2024.[23]
  • Approximately 3% of L’Oréal’s net sales was spent on research and innovation in 2024.[23]
  • More than 4,200 researchers worked in L’Oréal’s cosmetics research and innovation organization in 2024.[23]
  • 100% of Coty’s products were stated by the company not to be tested on animals, according to its animal-testing policy statement.[90]

Distribution channels in the animal testing cosmetic industry

  • 28% of L’Oréal’s sales came from e-commerce in 2024, nearly six times the 2015 share.[23]
  • 7% of global beauty sales occurred through travel retail in 2024.[54]
  • 28.2% of L’Oréal’s consolidated sales came from e-commerce in 2024.[23]
  • €12.3 billion was L’Oréal’s 2024 e-commerce sales.[23]
  • 8% of global beauty sales occurred through department stores in 2024.[54]

Key questions about the animal testing cosmetic industry

How large is the cosmetics market relevant to animal-testing decisions?
The global cosmetics industry was worth approximately €290 billion in 2024, according to L'Oréal and the cited industry value.
What growth rate should we expect for the broader cosmetics market?
The ISO business-plan summary cites growth from $354.68 billion in 2025 to $556.21 billion in 2032, a 6.64% CAGR for 2025–2032.
Which companies lead the animal testing cosmetic industry?
Labcorp stands out for chemical safety and toxicology testing because it offers comprehensive chemical safety and toxicology testing for cosmetics and related products, while Bureau Veritas focuses on cosmetic product testing and quality assurance since it calls itself a recognized leader in cosmetics and household-goods testing.
What technology shift is pressuring safety testing toward alternatives?
Validated non-animal methods exist, but alternatives are not available or validated for every safety question, according to the FDA.
How is the market structure affected by regulation across regions?
Animal-testing rules increasingly divide markets between EU-prohibited testing and jurisdictions where non-animal methods remain incomplete, while the EU fully banned marketing of cosmetics tested on animals regardless of origin by 11 March 2013.
What operational numbers describe how animal testing has been used for cosmetics in Europe?
In the period before the EU-wide testing prohibition took effect, 8,988 animals were used for cosmetic purposes in the EU in 2004, declining to 1,510 in 2008.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Animal Testing Cosmetic Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/animal-testing-cosmetic-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Animal Testing Cosmetic Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/animal-testing-cosmetic-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Animal Testing Cosmetic Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/animal-testing-cosmetic-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

104 sources cited across this report

  1. ppd.com
  2. ispe.org
  3. pmlive.com
  4. techresearchinfo.com
  5. test.benchling.com
  6. benchling.com
  7. insights.indegene.com
  8. deloitte.com
  9. pharmamanufacturing.com
  10. traceability.tilkal.com
  11. marieclaire.co.uk
  12. vogue.com
  13. monitor-industrial-ecosystems.ec.europa.eu
  14. cosmeticseurope.eu
  15. publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu
  16. sciencedirect.com
  17. joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu
  18. link.springer.com
  19. capgemini.com
  20. veeva.com
  21. pistoiaalliance.org
  22. resources.indegene.com
  23. loreal-finance.com
  24. grandviewresearch.com
  25. financialfilings.com
  26. avonworldwide.com
  27. beautyindependent.com
  28. apnews.com
  29. capstonepartners.com
  30. personalcarecouncil.org
  31. corp.shiseido.com
  32. sec.gov
  33. corporate.oriflame.com
  34. naceweb.org
  35. innovatebio.org
  36. jthelander.com
  37. biobuzz.io
  38. massbio.org
  39. assets.kpmg.com
  40. schwancosmetics.com
  41. amneal.com
  42. cultureamp.com
  43. crowe.com
  44. hellasveg.gr
  45. getflowbox.com
  46. norma.ncirl.ie
  47. ijprems.com
  48. www-statista-com.libproxy.pcc.edu
  49. crueltyfreeinternational.org
  50. letshighlight.com
  51. docs.cdn.yougov.com
  52. yougov.com
  53. nielseniq.com
  54. mckinsey.com
  55. crueltyfreeguide.com
  56. commercial.yougov.com
  57. vegansociety.circle-interactive.co.uk
  58. scad.edu
  59. get.rivaliq.com
  60. sermo.com
  61. brand-news.it
  62. ec.europa.eu
  63. gov.uk
  64. single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu
  65. iqvia.com
  66. richmondfed.org
  67. edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de
  68. newsroom.northumbria.ac.uk
  69. sers.unilever.com
  70. loreal.com
  71. unilever.com
  72. vegansociety.com
  73. db.srnav.com
  74. ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
  75. mdpi.com
  76. content.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
  77. inside-sephora.com
  78. eur-lex.europa.eu
  79. lifesciencesny.org
  80. middlemarketcenter.org
  81. acrohealth.org
  82. fortinet.com
  83. cpl.thalesgroup.com
  84. etla.fi
  85. kiteworks.com
  86. openpharma.blog
  87. insights.economistenterprise.com
  88. ilr.law.uiowa.edu
  89. unileverusa.com
  90. coty.com
  91. iso.org
  92. clearwatercf.com
  93. fda.gov
  94. news.stanford.edu
  95. labcorp.com
  96. cps.bureauveritas.com
  97. intertek.com
  98. sgs.com
  99. eurofins.com
  100. merieuxnutrisciences.com
  101. qima.com
  102. criver.com
  103. dermatest.com
  104. inotiv.com