Cosmetics help us to look good and young. But do you know that certain cosmetic companies do certain tests on animals before their products are available in the market? How many of you know about these cosmetic companies that test on animals.
In 1944, the Draize test was devised by the FDA toxicologist John H. Draize. This test evaluates the risks of short-term exposure to new cosmetic products. A small amount of the substance is applied to the animal’s eye or skin for several hours. The animal is under observation for the following week or two to notice whether or not irritation occurs. The test is often painful to the animal and the animal subjects are put to death after this painful procedure. For the skin version of the test, the animals’ fur is shaved and several layers of the skin are removed before the substance under study is applied. The abraded area is covered with plastic sheeting.
I have just outlined the procedure in the above paragraph. How many of you oppose to the above procedure? You must be wondering if this is legal or if these companies are ever charged! Many animal rights advocates oppose to the Draize test. Don’t you think that this is a cruelty meted out to the lab animals that are used as subjects?
National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) reports that both versions of the test (eye version and skin version) can cause “intense burning, itching, and pain” and can leave the subjects “ulcerated and bleeding.” NAVS also tell that this test is inhumane and is also costly and less reliable than other methods.
According to the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), there was a major protest campaign in the 1980s, which raised awareness among consumers and within the cosmetic industry. Apart from the Draize test, other similar forms of animal tests also prevail throughout the cosmetic industry.
Regulations on Cosmetic Companies That Test On Animals
I have outlined few regulations on the basis of which these companies can be charged. The regulations that apply to lab animals vary across species. In the US, according to the Animal Welfare Act, any procedure that can be scientifically justified can be performed on an animal. In Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK, cosmetic testing is banned. European Union has also banned the sale of animal-tested cosmetics from 2009. But this ban is opposed by France, which has the world’s largest cosmetic company, L’Oreal. European Federation for Cosmetics Ingredients, which represents 70 companies, has also opposed the ban.
Any animal lovers reading this…I am sure you would definitely support the idea of charging the cosmetic companies that test on animals. There are definitely various alternatives to animal testing. Nonanimal methods can be used in place of animal methods to achieve the same scientific aim. These alternatives can definitely be used instead of inflicting pain in animals. The charge imposed is not severe. But we all should unite for a protest campaign against the use of cosmetics that have been animal-tested.
