Virginia Law

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Cosmetic" means any article intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance, including, without limitation, personal hygiene products such as deodorant, shampoo, or conditioner. "Cosmetic" does not include any product regulated as a drug as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 321(g).

"Cosmetic animal testing" means the internal or external application of a cosmetic, either in its final form or any ingredient thereof, to the skin, eyes, or other body part of a live, nonhuman vertebrate. Merely reviewing, assessing, or retaining evidence from a cosmetic animal test shall not constitute developing or manufacturing using cosmetic animal testing for purposes of this article.

"Cosmetics manufacturer" means any person whose name appears on the label of a cosmetic product pursuant to the requirements of 21 C.F.R. § 701.12.

"Ingredient" has the meaning ascribed to it in 21 C.F.R. § 700.3(e).

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 113, 114; 2026, c. 910.

A. Except as provided in subsection B, no cosmetics manufacturer shall:

1. Conduct or contract for cosmetic animal testing that occurs in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2022;

2. Manufacture or import for profit into the Commonwealth any cosmetic or ingredient thereof, if the cosmetics manufacturer knew or reasonably should have known that the cosmetic or any component thereof was developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing that was conducted on or after January 1, 2022; or

3. Beginning July 1, 2022, sell or offer for sale within the Commonwealth any cosmetic, if the cosmetics manufacturer knows or reasonably should know that the cosmetic or any component thereof was developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing that was conducted on or after January 1, 2022.

B. The prohibitions in subsection A shall not apply to cosmetic animal testing or a cosmetic for which cosmetic animal testing was conducted, if the cosmetic animal testing was conducted:

1. To comply with a requirement of a federal or state regulatory agency and (i) the tested ingredient is in wide use and cannot be replaced by another ingredient capable of performing a similar function; (ii) a specific human health problem related to the cosmetic or ingredient is substantiated that justifies the need to conduct the cosmetic animal testing, and such testing is supported by a detailed research protocol proposed as the basis for the evaluation of the cosmetic or ingredient; and (iii) there does not exist a method of testing other than cosmetic animal testing that is accepted for the relevant purpose by the federal or state regulatory agency;

2. To comply with a requirement of a regulatory agency of a foreign jurisdiction, so long as no evidence derived from such testing was relied upon to substantiate the safety of a cosmetic sold within Virginia by the cosmetics manufacturer;

3. On any cosmetic or cosmetic ingredient subject to the requirements of Subchapter V of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 351 et seq.); or

4. Pursuant to a requirement of a federal, state, or foreign regulatory agency for a purpose unrelated to cosmetics, provided that either no evidence derived from such testing was relied upon to substantiate the safety of the cosmetic or there is (i) documented evidence of a noncosmetic intent of the test and (ii) a history of use of the ingredient outside of cosmetics for at least 12 months prior to such reliance.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 113, 114.

Any person who violates any provision of this article is subject to a civil penalty of $5,000 and an additional $1,000 for each day the violation continues. Such penalty shall be collected by the Attorney General and the proceeds shall be deposited into the Literary Fund.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 113, 114; 2026, c. 910.

No locality may establish or continue any regulation relating to cosmetic animal testing that is not identical to the provisions set forth in this article.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 113, 114; 2026, c. 910.

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Cosmetic" has the same meaning as provided in § 59.1-571.

"Cosmetics manufacturer" has the same meaning as provided in § 59.1-571.

"Ingredient" has the same meaning as provided in 21 C.F.R. § 700.3(e) except that "ingredient" does not include an incidental ingredient described in 21 C.F.R. § 701.3(l).

2026, c. 910.

A. No person shall manufacture, sell, deliver, offer for sale, or use in connection with a consumer transaction any cosmetic product that contains any of the following intentionally added ingredients:

1. Dibutyl phthalate (CAS NO. 84–74–2);

2. Diethylhexyl phthalate (CAS NO. 117–81–7);

3. Formaldehyde (CAS NO. 50–00–0);

4. Paraformaldehyde (CAS NO. 30525–89–4);

5. Methylene glycol (CAS NO. 463–57–0);

6. Quaternium–15 (CAS NO. 51229–78–8);

7. Mercury (CAS NO. 7439–97–6);

8. Isobutylparaben (CAS NO. 4247–02–3);

9. Isopropylparaben (CAS NO. 4191–73–5);

10. M–phenylenediamine and its salts (CAS NO. 108–45–2);

11. O–phenylenediamine and its salts (CAS NO. 95–54–5); or

12. The following perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their salts:

a. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or heptadecafluorooctane–1–sulfonic acid (CAS NO. 1763–23–1);

b. Potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate or potassium heptadecafluorooctane–1–sulfonate (CAS NO. 2795–39–3);

c. Diethanolamine perfluorooctane sulfonate (CAS NO. 70225–14–8);

d. Ammonium perfluorooctane sulfonate or ammonium heptadecafluorooctanesulfonate (CAS NO. 29081–56–9);

e. Lithium perfluorooctane sulfonate or lithium heptadecafluorooctanesulfonate (CAS NO. 29457–72–5);

f. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (CAS NO. 335–67–1);

g. Ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate (CAS NO. 3825–26–1);

h. Nonadecafluorodecanoic acid (CAS NO. 335–76–2);

i. Ammonium nonadecafluorodecanoate (CAS NO. 3108–42–7);

j. Sodium nonadecafluorodecanoate (CAS NO. 3830–45–3);

k. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (CAS NO. 375–95–1);

l. Sodium heptadecafluorononanoate (CAS NO. 21049–39–8); or

m. Ammonium perfluorononanoate (CAS NO. 4149–60–4).

B. No person shall be in violation of this section for manufacturing, selling, delivering, offering for sale, or using in connection with a consumer transaction a cosmetic product that:

1. Was manufactured through a process intended to comply with the provisions of this section; and

2. Contains a technically unavoidable trace quantity of an ingredient listed in subsection A due to (i) an impurity of a natural or synthetic ingredient, (ii) the manufacturing process, (iii) storage, or (iv) migrations from packaging.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections A and B, the provisions of this section shall not apply to a retailer that does not (i) manufacture cosmetics containing ingredients prohibited in this section or (ii) knowingly sell or offer for sale cosmetics containing ingredients prohibited in this section.

2026, c. 910.

Any violation of this article shall constitute a prohibited practice under the provisions of § 59.1-200 and shall be subject to any and all of the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (§ 59.1-196 et seq.).

2026, c. 910.