Cosmetic Testing - Hanya Awan

The use of animals today is not just for consumption, but also for a variety of goods and tests that are conducted in factories and institutions to determine what is best for consumption. For instance, animal testing with cosmetics has been a popular method companies have been using for the past decade to ensure their products are for eligible use by the public. Instead of finding other ways without testing on living creatures, these institutions think that testing on harmless animals is key for their product to be well-prepared and successful for their business and marketing growth. While some countries have been taking initiative on banning such methods and inhumane acts, others are still working towards banning it or in the process of banning it. India, Israel, and the European Union have banned any practices that involve harming the animals to test cosmetics or other products for business strategies and practices. However, countries such as the United States still have a long way to progress into banning this practice and still have a lot to grasp on how damaging it can be both for the environment and for the animals themselves. The problem of cosmetic testing has gone so severe that according to the Humane Society International (HSI), approximately 500,000 animals suffer and die each year due to cosmetic testing in laboratories. Although this problem has only become more severe and damaging and increasing more casualties in animals in the past decade, this ideology of cosmetic testing on animals has been around for more than half a century ago.

For example, in the early 1920s rodent “lethal dose” tests involved causing irritation to rabbits and many suffered from eye and skin rashes. Later on in the 1940s, guinea pigs were used to test allergies, which caused many of them to die with such high and painful reactions. The HSI has been working on banning cosmetic cruelty to animals permanently, and so far the progress is going far. Their campaign to set a pause to this inhumane act has reached securing bans in many nations that include; India, Taiwan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Guatemala, and many states in Brazil. In spite of the fact that cosmetic testing doesn't seem to be harsh on animals and has resulted in relatively few casualties compared to the number of animals tested, the act of testing does not belong solely to the cosmetics industry. From fragrances to painkillers to the fabric dyes in our clothing, every new chemical has at least been injected inside at least one animal. Since this testing is not only limited to cosmetic and makeup products, it is only reasonable to assume that the deaths and practices only progress to be more painful and higher in number. According to the HSI, over 10,000 animals are killed for every new pesticide chemical tested. 32 Beagles (dogs) are used in government-required tests for every new drug or agrochemical that is launched or created. These animals not only go through pain involving skin irritation such as the rabbit testing case but many experience syringes being forced down their throat to inject harmful and risky chemicals into their stomachs. Many of these animals are often suffering from many diseases and physical injuries and are still proceeding to be tested. Other practices that are often used to test animals for cosmetics or in general include being forced to inhale sickening vapours for hours. In the end, there has been a lot of progress through petitions, campaigns, protests and the overall views from the public. This is increasing more bans on cosmetic-testing with animals and has been spreading throughout the globe, with many countries still having a lot to inform themselves. Over 325 companies in the United States have endorsed the Humane Cosmetics Act, a bill that would end unnecessary cosmetic animal testing. Works Cited Humane Society International. “Animal Testing - Humane Society International.” Humane Society International, 2018, www.hsi.org/issues/animal-testing/. PETA. “Testing Cosmetics and Household Products on Animals | PETA.” PETA, 2014, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/cosmetic-household-products-animal-testing/. The Humane Society of the United States. “Ending Cosmetics Animal Testing.” The Humane Society of the United States, 2000, www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/ending-cosmetics-animal-testing. “These Brutal Cosmetic Testing Methods Are Why We Need Cruelty-Free Makeup.” Green Matters, 16 Sept. 2021, www.greenmatters.com/p/how-is-makeup-tested-on-animals.