Cosmetic Testing

Cosmetic testing is done on millions of animals every year. The formal definition of animal testing is the “use of animals in experiments and development projects usually to determine toxicity, dosing and efficacy of test drugs before proceeding to human clinical trials.” The correct term when talking about animal testing is vivisection. The Food and Drug Administration does not require that cosmetic products be tested on animals, but companies do it anyway. Companies lie about their reasons for testing animals, which leads to the killing of more animals each year. Their reasoning for this is to keep consumers safe. There are many other non-animal testing methods that could be used to test these products, and many companies have already starting using them. Some of these companies include The Body Shop and Avon Products, Inc. The controversy on whether or not animal testing should be banned has been a very large debate for so long.
Products ranging from eye shadow and soap to furniture polish and oven cleaner are tested on animals such as rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, and dogs, even though these test results do not help prevent or treat human illness or injury. In most testing, a liquid or powdered substance is usually dropped into the eyes of a group of rabbits. The rabbits are usually placed in stocks where only their heads are sticking out. Anesthesia is not given to them during these tests in which they are uncomfortable and unable to sleep. Their eyelids are held open with clips, and the substance that is being tested is put into their eyes. One procedures company’s still use is the Draize test, which is used to analyze the irritation and corrosion of the eye and skin. In this test, rabbits are locked into the stocks so they are unable to move around while the substance is either dripped into their eyes or rubbed onto their skin. These tests can last anywhere from 7 to 18 days, and they often cause blindness, inflamed skin, ulcers, bleeding, and...