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Update (November 13, 2025): In major progress for keeping sunscreens cruelty-free, Congress has passed a law calling on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to accept non-animal test methods for sunscreens.
PETA scientists met with members of Congress and have sent multiple letters to the agency, urging it to act swiftly by collaborating with sunscreen manufacturers and other scientific experts who have spent decades developing reliable cell- and computer-based test methods to assess sunscreen safety.
Let’s keep the momentum going! Please TAKE ACTION below to urge the FDA to swiftly adopt the advanced non-animal approaches offered by experts.
Original post:
For decades, sunscreens have been used by millions of people around the world to prevent skin cancer. (ICYDK, slathering it on can literally save your life.) 😎🧴 But the FDA is pushing companies to conduct animal tests to keep their sunscreen products on the market.
Even though tens of thousands of supporters like you have spoken up, several scientific studies have shown how sunscreens can be checked for safety without using animals, and the FDA has publicly claimed many times that it supports modern test methods relevant to human health.
Several scientific papers published show how commonly used sunscreen ingredients can be checked for safety using existing info and non-animal approaches. Decades of animal tests haven’t found any indication that more animal testing will accomplish anything other than costing thousands of animals their lives. This is clear to every government agency around the world—except the FDA.
The FDA put out a troubling statement showing how misaligned the agency is with the current scientific consensus on sunscreen safety. The statement indicates that the FDA supports moving away from animal tests and mentions some animal tests that the FDA doesn’t require. However, what the statement doesn’t say speaks volumes—FDA doesn’t clarify what it does expect for the animal tests it has repeatedly indicated are required.
© Doctors Against Animal Experiments
In other words, the FDA only reinforces its expectation for tests on animals through this statement, which doesn’t suggest otherwise. It's call to come up with alternatives to animal testing rings hollow in light of the agency’s public records showing it rejecting animal-replacing proposals. Time and time again, the FDA has failed to take part in making use of human-relevant strategies for checking sunscreen safety.
It’s time for the FDA to stop ignoring the mountains of existing data and requests from experts to talk about non-animal approaches that can be used now. The path forward is clear, and it doesn’t involve cruel and ineffective animal tests.
Learn more by listening to PETA’s podcast about testing sunscreen products on animals.
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What You Can Do
Many caring consumers have pledged not to use products tested on animals, and many companies have pledged not to test on animals. Don’t let the FDA force companies to abandon good science.
Please contact the FDA to show support for animal-free science that keeps sunscreen on the shelves!