The use of animal cosmetic testing should be abolished worldwide. The results are not always safe, and very harmful to the animals involved. While there are alternatives to this process, the vast majority of companies in the United States and other countries around the world choose to still hurt or kill innocent animals.
Each year roughly 100,000 to 200,000 animals either suffer or die from cosmetic animal testing. Beauty products are normally tested on mice, rats, bunnies, and guinea pigs. Dogs and monkeys are often used for other chemical testing, but never cosmetics. The Chinese government requires animal testing on all products sold and imported there. Many companies claim the reasoning for their testing is due to the need to sell to China. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does not require that companies use animals to ensure their products' safety. The European Union, New Zealand, Israel, and India are some countries that have banned animal testing completely.
Skin and eye irritation tests are conducted, which include rubbing the products onto shaven skin, and dropping the chemicals into their eyes with no pain relief afterwards. Repeated force feeding is also used, where the animal is kept under close examination for illness, birth defects, and even cancer. The most brutal of all tests done is the lethal dose. Animals are forced to consume very large amounts of the products which then determines how much it would take in order to kill the animal. On top of that, many tests are unreliable and cannot confirm that the consumer will be safe using the product. Other side effects that animals experience include blindness, organ damage, and death. Once the cosmetics are tested, the animals that were used are killed by neck breaking, asphyxiation, or decapitation.
There are alternatives to animal testing, yet they are not widely used by the United States, and other countries around the world. Recently, a cornea-like 3D tissue made from human cells has been produced for the purpose of stopping animal cruelty. This new test has been proven to be more accurate, as well as more cost efficient to the companies using it. An alternate way to stop testing is to use ingredients that have been confirmed in the past that they will not harm the consumer. Many more companies are also becoming cruelty-free. The most effective way to stop animal testing is refusing to buy products from companies who practice it, as well as writing to them why one does not support their company.
Although cosmetic animal testing is becoming outdated and many more companies refuse to use live animals, there are still many that prefer this method. As technology advances, it is hopeful that animal cruelty will come to a halt. China is to blame for the majority of these tests as they have a law supporting and enforcing them. However, it is partially up to the consumer and companies to ensure that no animals will be further hurt by cruel testing of makeup products.
