Hotham MP Clare O'Neil, who has been working on the bill with deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek and Throsby MP Stephen Jones, will introduce it this week and hopes the government and crossbenchers will support the bill and, importantly, bring it into law.

Failing that, Labor would introduce the measure if it wins the next election.

As well as banning make-up being tested on animals in Australia, the bill would aim to stop the importation and sale of new cosmetics and cosmetics ingredients that have been tested on animals. The only exception would be ingredients used in both cosmetics and health products.

The move would bring Australia into line with the European Union, the world's biggest cosmetics market. But it could create conflict with the Chinese market, which requires all cosmetics sold in mainland China be tested on animals to ensure they are safe for human use.

While no cosmetics companies test on animals in Australia, many import ingredients from countries where animal testing is routine. Most cosmetics are tested on rodents and rabbits.

"Most Australians probably aren't aware that the vast majority of cosmetics on supermarket and chemist shelves have, at one stage, been tested on animals," Ms O'Neil told Fairfax.

"In fact, many people we talked to through the consultation process thought this had been banned a long time ago."

Banning cosmetics testing on animals has been hampered by Australian rules that in some cases demand the tests, as well as by a global supply chain under which the same products are sold in countries with differing laws.

The move to ban animal testing has support. More than 13,000 people sent submissions to a national consultation process run by the ALP on the issue. More than 90 per cent of the submissions supported a ban on animal testing.

There is currently no legislation preventing Australian companies from testing on animals, should they choose to do so.

Hannah Stuart, campaign co-ordinator for the #BeCrueltyFree Australia campaign said: "Testing the ingredients of cosmetics like mascara and shampoo on living creatures is a completely unnecessary cruelty and it's time Australia joined a growing number of countries by banning it."

Currently, cosmetics and their ingredients are treated as industrial chemicals in Australia. As a result, animal test data is sometimes needed by the regulator, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme, which is part of the Department of Health.

Last year, Liberal MP Jason Wood put a motion to the lower house in support of ending animal testing, which Labor and the Greens supported. In 2014, a cross-party motion was passed backing the end of cosmetics testing on animals, supported by Liberal, Greens, Labor, Nationals, Palmer United Party, Motoring Enthusiast Party and independent senators.

Greens Ssenator Lee Rhiannon also introduced a private member's bill seeking to ban cosmetics testing on animals in 2014.

Some of the brands sold in Australia that have been tested on animals

Source: http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/animal-testing-list.php

Some of the cruelty-free options available in Australia

Source: http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/cruelty-free-list/