Each day while walking through the dorms, in the halls, and in the restrooms I see it. My skin crawls just seeing how normalized this inhumanity is. Now I’m not talking about some horrific criminal behavior, some deliberate heinous act. The atrocity I am seeing is as inconspicuous and tame as a simple tube of mascara. I am talking about the widespread use of animal testing on the cosmetic products we use every day. From hairspray to lip gloss, beauty products are routinely tested for harmful effects through the use and abuse of animal lives.
While not required by law in the United States ("U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”) animal testing is still abundant in the cosmetics world. Companies may choose to use animal testing in their product development to ensure safety for their consumers in a more traditional and convenient way. Common animal testing methods include the Draize eye test, fixed dose toxicity testing, skin corrosivity and irritation testing, and the Guinea Pig Maximization Test. The Draize eye test is a method developed in 1944 used to test eye irritancy in products. During the test rabbits are restrained to prevent natural irritant reaction while the chemical being tested in put in one eye, the other eye remains untouched to act as a control. The eye is evaluated for cornea, conjunctiva, and iris damage after one hour and then at 24 hour intervals. After sufficient data is collected the rabbits are killed. In fixed dose toxicity testing rats or mice are given the chemical through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation until significant signs of suffering or ailment are shown. After the test is terminated the animals are killed so dissection can be done to assess internal damage. Skin corrosivity/ irritation testing is typically preformed on albino rabbits since their skin is often very sensitive. The testing consists of shaving two patches of skin and applying the chemical to only one of the patches, leaving the other one as a control. The rabbits are then assessed for skin irritation. The Guinea Pig Maximization Test is a test to determine whether or not a product will cause an allergic reaction. First the guinea pigs are shaved and have the chemical being tested either topically applied or injected. Then the guinea pigs are given a drug to heighten their immune response ("Testing - American Anti-Vivisection Society."). While all of these methods reach the end goal of providing safe consumer products they cause unnecessary harm. The same results can be reached through minimal to no animal testing of products using FDA approved methods. When I did a survey of the our student body an overwhelming majority of those that responded claimed to be animal lovers. What is disappointing about this statement is that practically the same number of students that said they loved animals also said that they were aware of animal testing on most major cosmetic brands. How can you say that you love animals while being aware of and contributing to the systems that hurt animals in the testing and approval of cosmetic beauty products? On the same survey when asked whether they supported testing on animals for cosmetics the majority of the participants responded saying that they …show more content…
So often I hear that all of the high quality brands test on animals. This may seem true when you look around and see that brands such a MAC, Benefit, Chanel, and Makeup Forever all test on animals. Many high quality brands, such as Illamasqua, Too Faced, Tarte, and Colourpop, are about to tout quality without the guilt trip of animal testing. Another complaint of those stuck on animal tested products is that it is just not practical to spend extra money to pay for the testing alternatives. This is a really common misconception that is only further fueled by the shelves and shelves of L’Oreal, Revlon, Maybelline and NYX products in most major drugstores. Luckily there are just as many available products that are easy on your wallet and your heart. These products include many brands that you are probably already aware of and buy: Elf, Milani, Wet n Wild, Pixi, and Physician’s Formula, just to name a few ("10 Cult Makeup Favorites and Their Cruelty-Free Dupes | Cruelty-Free
While not required by law in the United States ("U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”) animal testing is still abundant in the cosmetics world. Companies may choose to use animal testing in their product development to ensure safety for their consumers in a more traditional and convenient way. Common animal testing methods include the Draize eye test, fixed dose toxicity testing, skin corrosivity and irritation testing, and the Guinea Pig Maximization Test. The Draize eye test is a method developed in 1944 used to test eye irritancy in products. During the test rabbits are restrained to prevent natural irritant reaction while the chemical being tested in put in one eye, the other eye remains untouched to act as a control. The eye is evaluated for cornea, conjunctiva, and iris damage after one hour and then at 24 hour intervals. After sufficient data is collected the rabbits are killed. In fixed dose toxicity testing rats or mice are given the chemical through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation until significant signs of suffering or ailment are shown. After the test is terminated the animals are killed so dissection can be done to assess internal damage. Skin corrosivity/ irritation testing is typically preformed on albino rabbits since their skin is often very sensitive. The testing consists of shaving two patches of skin and applying the chemical to only one of the patches, leaving the other one as a control. The rabbits are then assessed for skin irritation. The Guinea Pig Maximization Test is a test to determine whether or not a product will cause an allergic reaction. First the guinea pigs are shaved and have the chemical being tested either topically applied or injected. Then the guinea pigs are given a drug to heighten their immune response ("Testing - American Anti-Vivisection Society."). While all of these methods reach the end goal of providing safe consumer products they cause unnecessary harm. The same results can be reached through minimal to no animal testing of products using FDA approved methods. When I did a survey of the our student body an overwhelming majority of those that responded claimed to be animal lovers. What is disappointing about this statement is that practically the same number of students that said they loved animals also said that they were aware of animal testing on most major cosmetic brands. How can you say that you love animals while being aware of and contributing to the systems that hurt animals in the testing and approval of cosmetic beauty products? On the same survey when asked whether they supported testing on animals for cosmetics the majority of the participants responded saying that they …show more content…
So often I hear that all of the high quality brands test on animals. This may seem true when you look around and see that brands such a MAC, Benefit, Chanel, and Makeup Forever all test on animals. Many high quality brands, such as Illamasqua, Too Faced, Tarte, and Colourpop, are about to tout quality without the guilt trip of animal testing. Another complaint of those stuck on animal tested products is that it is just not practical to spend extra money to pay for the testing alternatives. This is a really common misconception that is only further fueled by the shelves and shelves of L’Oreal, Revlon, Maybelline and NYX products in most major drugstores. Luckily there are just as many available products that are easy on your wallet and your heart. These products include many brands that you are probably already aware of and buy: Elf, Milani, Wet n Wild, Pixi, and Physician’s Formula, just to name a few ("10 Cult Makeup Favorites and Their Cruelty-Free Dupes | Cruelty-Free