Animal Testing for Beauty Products
It is likely that during these days you have seen or heard the viral propaganda about Ralph the tester bunny. It was a video that got to our hearts. The video shows a day in the life of Ralph, and how being a victim of cosmetic testing has decreased his quality of life. Through the video, he informs the audience about how chemicals constantly cause him pain and other discomforts. Disabilities like not being able to listen or see are some of the consequences of chemical testing. The ending is what makes us reflect and want to change the course for animals. Ralph is again submitted to one of these chemical tests and ends up completely blind and in a serious edge of death. Propagandas to protect animals from beauty testing have always existed but what made this one so special and viral? It is not clear if it were the cute bunny animations, the special script or showing the harsh experiences they lived. What is clear is that no animal should be a victim of beauty products testing and to provide this change being informed is key. Information about what companies test in animals or how to identify those details could create a positive change.
It is important to understand the root topic of this problem. Why does the beauty industry have to experiment with their products? How do they do it? How did it start? Animal testing has existed and been used for biomedical research for decades. However, it was in1938 that the United States Food, Drug and Cosmetics Arts was signed into law which stated that their products should be tested on animals before being distributed (“Timeline: Cosmetics Testing on Animals”). Afterwards, in 1944, more companies were practicing exposing animals to terrible suffering. While in the United states this practice is no longer legal other countries have different opinions. The answer to why companies still use it is uncertain because there are many alternatives to this cruel and unnecessary practice. The most common animals that companies decide to experiment on are rabbits, mice, guinea pigs and rats. The eye irritation test is done in multiple ways where the product is rubbed or onto the shaved skin or dripped into the rabbits eye without pain medication or regulations for their comfort. Different types of testing that occur inside the organism are also controversial because of the really harsh and poor conditions these animals have to go through. Mice are constantly being filled with chemicals through eating causing many secondary effects. The worst part is that they last months in order to look for cancer or birth defects that the product could cause (“Cosmetics Testing FAQ”). The “lethal death dose” is a test in which rats are forced to introduce a large amount of chemicals into their bodies until they die so that researchers know when the dose of the product would be lethal. Once the experiment is approved and researchers don´t need them anymore they are not freed as many people might think. Researchers and others implemented in the experimentation process are in charge of killing them through asphyxiation, neck breaking or decapitation (“Cosmetics Testing FAQ”). The alternatives animal protection campaigns purpose are cell cultures which are easier and cheaper to grow in the laboratories. From the cultures scientists can print 3D organs and try different type of therapies in it. Computer modeling is other of the alternatives and it is proven to be more precise than animal testing. The technological advance of the computer imaging woul replicate multiple organs in the body and the reaction the body would have trough mathematical data. This practice should no longer be used because there are so many alternatives now and this is just cruel.
There are many campaigns and laws that do not allow for experimentation in animals for cosmetic purposes. However, this is not the reality for many other countries and animals are still suffering the consequences of the harsh experiments they have to be a part of. Even though not everyone has a voice in these types of campaigns, we all can do something or change the way we usually promote the use of these products. During the process of the termination of animal experimentation it is important to know which brands experiment and which are cruelty free. To this day there are many ways to confirm if a product is cruelty free. When looking in a shampoo, make up or other beauty products, if they have an animal symbol given and approved by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Another way to confirm this is by downloading specific apps whose purpose is to scan the barcodes of the product and quickly identify if it is cruelty free or not. Social media is a strong tool we count on today to release information and raise awareness for more people to start introducing this into their daily habits and create a positive outcome. The benefit would be that people would know there are other alternatives and raise their voices. Companies may start to use them each time adding to the reduce in animal experimentation.
No animal should suffer in the name of human beauty. Animals are creatures who feel and hurt, and the idea that they have to sacrifice their lives for cosmetics is just nonsense. They do not have a voice to stop this abuse and that is why we should claim justice for them. Organizations like PETA are each time giving them more benefits. The truth is that you do not have to be part of big organizations to help. There are modifications to your everyday life that could help this situation to help the reality tester animals have to live a better life.
References
“Timeline: Cosmetics Testing on Animals.” The Humane Society of the United States, 2019, www.humanesociety.org/resources/timeline-cosmetics-testing-animals.
“Cosmetics Testing FAQ.” The Humane Society of the United States, 6 Jan. 2019, www.humanesociety.org/resources/cosmetics-testing-faq#:~:text=Although%20they%20are%20not%20required.