Animal testing has roused much controversy between animal
lovers and those who find it acceptable to test on animals for the safety of
humans. Many beauty companies thus, have made a stance on such a controversial
and ethical topic by making sure that their products are not tested on animals.
This means that the cruelty-free labeled product has been certified to have not
been tested on animals. Many consumers then, have also realized their “pocket power”
and those who value the integrity of animals have decided to invest
cruelty-free items, specifically when it comes to beauty products.
But what other kinds of testing are being done on these
products? And how do these ensure the safety of beauty products for humans?
Cruelty Free International states here, that “Alternatives
to animal tests are often cheaper, quicker and more effective”.They list types of alternatives including cell cultures, use
of human tissues, and computer models. Yet, this still doesn’t necessarily simulate the comprehensiveness
and cohesiveness of a living body in all cases. Cruelty free international also
supports volunteer studies and human medical breakthroughs citing “An
Australian doctor used himself in an experiment to discover the main cause of
stomach ulcers. He drank a culture of bacteria and became sick before curing
his symptoms with antibiotics.”
PETA lists here, human patient simulators as an alternative, but otherwise backs similar
alternatives to Cruelty Free International.
In contrast, many of these techniques are still being developed
and take time to develop, and beauty products are being sold and bought every
day. Moreover, we still use animals as model organisms for scientific studies
that have nothing to do with beauty.
What should be done?
While I understand the outcry from animal lovers protesting the use of animals for cosmetic product testing (I myself use cruelty free products), I do not think that we can remove them from our scientific process. Many vaccines for both humans and animals have been tested or created in animals. Polio, for example, was crippling and killing many people around the world in the 1940's, until a vaccine was developed. This vaccine was tested on animals. In addition, vaccines such as typhus, diphtheria, whooping cough, smallpox, and tetanus were also tested on animals and now save millions around the world (1). Despite this, you bring up an interesting point about the ethics. Animals can't consent to research, however if ethical guidelines are followed and the result ultimately saves millions of lives, isn't it worth it?
ReplyDelete(1) https://www.aalasfoundation.org/outreach/About-Animal-Research/benefits_to_people_and_animals