Animal Testing In Beauty Products

5/3/2012
Research Projects | María Fernada Veloz Castillo & Marissa Barraza Iglesias |

Universidad Del Valle De México | Animal Testing In Beauty Products |

Introduction

Tests performed on animals help advance scientific research and medicines development: these tests can provide much information. In the United States approximately 31% of animals are used for research purposes1,even these kinds of tests are very expensive and stressful for the animals.
Animal testing on cosmetics or beauty products is one of the most controversial areas of animal testing2 because not only it is inhumane; it is inherently inaccurate. Every year, cosmetics companies kill thousands of animals to test their products. These companies claim they test on animals to establish the safety oftheir products and ingredients for consumers3. Cosmetic testing is usually focused on ensuring that a product does not harm a person's eyes and skin. It is also tested for overall toxicity and any toxicity related to ultraviolet light. Cosmetics testing will also focus on testing for mutagenic effects4. Most of the animals suffer and die in painful tests to determine the "safety" of cosmetics andhousehold products5.
Cosmetic testing has been commonly performed on animals by many industries. At least one thousand animals die every year in many countries of the world because of this fact, and only a small part of these countries have been searching for an answer to this problem. Cosmetic industries should start to look for new testing methods that don’t hurt animals such as In vitrotesting, silico method, and human testing.
1. “What is animal testing exactly?” Animal Testing Perspectives. March 12th, 2011. February 19th, 2012 <http://animaltestingperspectives.org/2011/questions/what-is-animal-testing-exactly/>
2. Murnaghan, Ian. “Animal Testing on Cosmetics.” About Animal Testing” July 11th, 2011. February 20th, 2012<http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/animal-testing-cosmetics.html>
3. “Cosmetic testing, Facts.” Idausa.org n.p. February 20th, 2012. <http://www.idausa.org/facts/costesting.html>
4. Murnaghan, Ian. “Animal Testing on Cosmetics.” About Animal Testing” July 11th, 2011. February 20th, 2012 <http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/animal-testing-cosmetics.html>
5. “Cosmetic Testing” Mercy For Animals. n.p. February 21th, 2012.<http://www.mercyforanimals.org/cosmetic_testing.asp>

How Are Animals Used To Test Beauty Products?

Product testing is commonly performed on animals to measure the levels of skin irritancy, eye tissue damage, and toxicity caused by various substances used in the manufacture of cosmetics. This is extremely painful for rabbits, who often scream when the substances are applied and sometimes breaktheir necks or backs trying to escape the restraints6. Lethal Dosage (LD) tests, also called acute toxicity tests are used to determine the amount of a substance that will kill a predetermined ratio of animals. In the LD50 test, subjects are forced to ingest poisonous substances (through stomach tubes, vapor spray inhalers or injection) until half of them die7.
After placing the substance inthe rabbits eyes, laboratory technicians record the damage to the eye tissue at specific intervals over an average period of 72 hours, with tests sometimes lasting 7 to 18 days; during all this time the rabbits are kind of being tortured because of all the pain they feel. Reactions to the substances include swollen eyelids, inflamed irises, ulceration, bleeding, massive deterioration, andblindness8. The most common products that are tested on animals are: fragances, make up, shampoo, conditioner, body cream, eye shadows, eye liners, etc.
6. Jha, Alok. Lewis, Paul. “Scientist backs animal testing for cosmetics” The Guardian. 4Mar 2006 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/mar/04/businessofresearch.research>.
7. “Cosmetic testing, Facts.” Idausa.org n.p. February 20th, 2012....