Animals and Cosmetics
September 27, 2016
Miranda Hare
I am against animal testing by all means necessary! I think it is very cruel and inhumane. So I went online and did some more research on the topic and took some notes. It really makes me sad that we do these kinds of things to these innocent creatures.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines cosmetics as ''articles intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the bodies structure or functions.'' Products normally labeled as cosmetics are classified as drugs when a medical claim is made. Simple soaps that are made for cleansing are not considered cosmetics under the FDA.
Example: Toothpaste
- Classified as cosmetic, but if advertised as cavity protection is a drug.
Using animals to test cosmetics are not legally required in the USA. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits the sale of mislabeled and ''adultered'' cosmetics. The Chinese government requires mandatory animal tests on all cosmetics imported into the country. There is a growing # of non animal test that can be used to assess the short term safety of previously untested ingredients.
Rats, mice, rabbits and guinea pigs are exposed to cosmetic ingredients including: skin and eye irritation on rabbits without any pain relief, repeated force feeding studies lasting for weeks to months for signs of health issues, and forced to swallow large amounts of a test chemical, the dose that causes death. Animals are normally killed after these procedures by asphyxiation, neck breaking, and decapitation.
The Humane Cosmetics Act was introduced in the USA and if enacted, would prohibit animal testing and import of tested animals.
Taken from my blog "Animals and Cosmetics"
