Animal Welfare when testing on cosmetics

Hello everyone to another friday post!  I'll be honest with you...I had a make-up post ready for you, but have actually decided to change the topic early this morning after seeing something on another blog that I thought is very important and needed to be aired. 

It is all about Animal Cruelty during the testing of make-up and beauty products.  If you feel that this isn't important to you, you can leave the blog now BUT if you feel this is an important topic you'd like to hear more on, please stay!

Yolandie a good friend of mine on The Bloomin' Couch blog, actually aired this topic today.  Please go and read about the topic on her blog, because she has written an excellent piece on it, and not only that, but given us a list of companies that Do and Don't test on animals.

I'd just like to add:

Animal testing on cosmetics is arguably one of the most - if not the most - controversial areas of animal testing. Although it was banned in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1998, it does still occur in other areas of the world. The European Union (EU), introduced a testing and marketing ban in march 2009.

What Happens During Cosmetics Testing?

Cosmetics testing on animals relates to many aspects of the manufacturing process. Animal testing may occur on the full, finished product or it may occur on individual ingredients within a formulation. Another country may even be contracted to conduct the testing within the cosmetic company's homeland or it may be contracted out to a country where animal testing is not currently banned.

Types of Animal Testing for Cosmetics

Cosmetics testing is usually focused on ensuring that a product does not harm a person's eyes and skin. It is also tested for overall toxicity and any toxicity related to ultraviolet light. An example would be a product that contains retinol, which makes a person more susceptible to sun damage. As such, manufacturers will usually recommend a person use a sun protection factor of a minimum amount to safeguard skin and prevent damage and burning. Cosmetics testing will also focus on testing for mutagenic effects. Despite even this array of stringent testing, people do still suffer from reactions to cosmetics, which does indicate the challenges of drawing conclusions from testing that apply to the majority of the public. At present, cosmetics testing is generally faring well without the use of animal testing in areas where it is banned and hopefully, this trend will continue to take hold of other countries.

Marketing of Cosmetics

While many companies are now citing 'no testing on animals' in terms of their ethical stance on cosmetics, it is clear that this is an excellent marketing strategy given the widespread public disapproval of the practice. Ironically, those companies who do not test cosmetics on animals are still benefiting from previous data that was conducted on animals. The basic ingredients in many cosmetics formulations are the same. Therefore, a company can still obtain great benefit from the prior use of animals in cosmetics testing while being able to claim that their particular product was not tested on animals. This is a legal practice but it does go to show how far-reaching animal testing on cosmetics can be in terms of current claims.

Would you want to hurt me?

We have to put a stop to this terrible practice and stand against any previous data being used.  If these particular scientists are not sure if a product is safe to use, then why use it in the first place and test it on animals??  There are human clinical trials (for medicine) that has gone majorly wrong because of being tested on the wrong sort of animal first.  These trials do not guarantee that it will be safe on humans.  I for one, will not be putting lipstick in my eye.

Please support Yolandie's blog, she really talks about some amazing topics and is well worth the read!  Please keep in mind that I support her every single day without fail, and I haven't wanted to copy her topic...just to strengthen it.  I feel very strongly on this subject because I'm an animal lover.

Have a wonderful weekend!  And enjoy every moment.