Conducting animal tests for new cosmetics involves several aspects of manufacturing these products. Though there is some good news about this method, it has also become one of the most debated subjects throughout the world. While it was already banned in the UK, it is still performed in other countries. Now, both sides of this debate are firmly holding to their beliefs, making it difficult for proponents and opponents to reach any agreement. Indeed, there are positives and negatives coming with this method, so in order to come up with a well-informed decision about it, it is best to take a closer look at its pros and cons.
List of Pros of Animal Testing On Cosmetics
1. It aids in improving human health.
Animal experimentation assures people never to be exposed to any potentially harmful chemicals, reducing health risks for end-users. In fact, scientists argue that testing cosmetics on animals before they are introduced to the public is essential to the process, or there will be a risk of getting people exposed to harmful products.
2. It is important to research.
The inability to test cosmetics on animals before these products are introduced to the end-users would make it difficult researchers to make a well-informed guess about the safety of these products. On the other hand, animal testing allows these products’ developers to conduct trial and error and then learn more about offering the best possible products to consumers.
3. It provides benefits to the animals themselves.
Just imagine if vaccines were not tested on animals—millions of them would have died from infectious diseases and other serious illnesses. Treatments and medications that were created through animal tests include remedies for hip dysplasia, glaucoma and pacemakers. Also, this method has also been a significant contributing factor in saving endangered species from extinction.
List of Cons of Animal Testing On Cosmetics
1. It tends to use inhumane treatment.
In animal experimentation in the production of cosmetics, animals would experience inhumane treatment, such as being restrained. In some cases, laboratory rabbits got their eyelids held back for at least three days during the experiment, a practice that has become controversial, as the animals experienced suffering and discomfort, and eventually death.
2. It causes death of laboratory animals.
While there are trials that are painless, where animal subjects are returned to wherever they were taken from afterwards, this is not always the case. There is a lot of cases where animals are killed immediately after each test and some where they may suffer from injuries and chemical poisoning.
3. It requires a substantial amount of money for sufficient funding.
Know that animal testing is not cheap, with proper care, food and shelter adding to the overall costs. This financial need will be felt heavily, especially with long-term tests. For the animals themselves, they often have to be purchased, which means more expenses.
Without a doubt, animal testing on cosmetics is a very controversial topic, where some scientists see some benefits from using the method, while others see it as unnecessary and want to use certain alternatives. Weighing down these pros and cons, which side will you support?
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
