New Law No. 15.183/2025 Banning Animal Testing For Cosmetics, Perfumes, And Personal Care Products
On July 31, 2025, the President of Brazil sanctioned Law No. 15.183/2025 (originating from Bill No. 3,062/2022), which prohibits the use of live vertebrate animals in testing ingredients or finished products intended for personal care, cosmetics, and perfumes.
The new law amends Law No. 11,794/2008 (the “Arouca Law”) and Law No. 6,360/1976, establishing new regulatory standards for the development, registration, and commercialization of personal care products, cosmetics, and perfumes in Brazil.
What are the direct prohibitions?
- Ban on the use of live vertebrate animals in testing, including for safety, efficacy, or toxicity assessments.
- Prohibition on the use of data derived from animal testing conducted after the law’s effective date for purposes of product or ingredient marketing authorization.
Implementation and enforcement
The law provides a two-year period from its publication for competent health authorities to implement the provisions of the new framework, including:
- Expedited recognition of alternative methods and adoption of a national dissemination strategy;
- Oversight of the use of animal testing data generated after the law’s effective date;
- Publication of biennial reports detailing:
- the number of times companies were asked to provide documentary evidence;
- the number of times animal testing data were used;
- Regulation of “cruelty-free” labeling to ensure compliance with the new legal standards.
Sanctions
The law amends Law No. 6,360/1976 to classify non-compliance with animal testing rules as a sanitary violation, subjecting offenders to penalties under Brazil’s health legislation.
But wasn’t it already prohibited?
Yes, scattered norms had already restricted animal testing for cosmetics in Brazil, but without national legal uniformity:
- São Paulo was a pioneer, enacting State Law No. 15,316/2014, which banned animal testing for cosmetics, personal care products, and perfumes.
- In 2021, the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) upheld the constitutionality of Rio de Janeiro’s State Law No. 7,814/2017, recognizing the states’ concurrent authority to legislate on environmental protection and animal welfare – though it struck down the ban on marketing products tested outside the state.
- In 2023, Concea issued Resolution No. 58/2023, banning animal testing for products with already proven safety and requiring alternative methods for new ingredients.
These measures, while relevant, lacked the force of federal law with nationwide applicability, leading to legal uncertainty and regulatory asymmetry. Bill No. 3,062/2022, by consolidating these principles into federal legislation, represents a significant step forward in legal predictability, regulatory consistency, and animal protection.
What happens next?
The law took effect on the date of its publication, triggering the two-year implementation period, which will end on July 31, 2027.
The Life Sciences & Healthcare team at Souto Correa Advogados is available to answer questions about the new legislation and its impact on the regulated sector.