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Did you know that in many countries it is still legal to subject animals to the most horrifically painful experiments, just for the sake of bringing out a new hair conditioner or a different parfum? Cosmetic testing is now banned in the UK but it unfortunately remains legal in many parts of the world.
Some tests that are carried out on animals for skin care products include:
a) Eye Irritancy tests. In this case, a substance is applied to a rabbit’s eye to see if irritation or damage occurs. During the test, rabbits are given no pain relief and are held in stocks to prevent them from touching their eyes. The test often lasts for several days, evidently causing them great pain and suffering. (Rabbits are used because they have very poor tear ducts in their eyes, so they cannot wash away the substance.)
b) Skin irritancy test. This involves shaving off the fur of an animal and applying a potentially irritating substance to their skin. The skin is then observed for signs of irritation e.g. swelling, reddening, bleeding, cracking or ulceration.
c) Toxicity tests, such as the LD-50 (Lethal Dose 50%). Substances are fed to the animal, who are then observed for signs of poisoning e.g. tremors, bleeding, vomiting or loss of balance. The test may last for several days, again causing great suffering. The animals that do not die during the experiment are killed at the end, for autopsy.
The distressing thing about this is that animal testing of skin care products and cosmetics is entirely unnecessary. Over 8,000 ingredients have already been established as safe. Where new ingredients need to be used, the law requires them to be safety tested but this need not involve animal testing. Cruelty-free alternatives such as testing on reconstructed human skin, using computer modelling and enlisting human volunteers are often more reliable than using a different species, with a different biology to test products for human use.
As a consumer, you have the power to vote against animal experimentation. If you want to help relieve the suffering of animals, buy only certified vegan skin care products, that is, products which are free from any animal ingredients and which have not been tested on animals.
This will bring you several benefits. Firstly, the most beautifying skin care ingredients are naturally provided to us by plants (See our other articles on this subject). The vast majority of animal ingredients are simply not good for a healthy skin. For example, beeswax (as well as plant wax) clogs up the pores of your skin.
Secondly, and more importantly, when buying certified vegan skin care products you have the peace of mind of knowing that these products not only do not contain animal products, but also have not been tested on animals.
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