Animals should not be used in the safety testing of cosmetics

For example, the first antibacterial agent, prontosil, has no effect on bacteria in culture; but when prontosil is given to a mouse, it is broken down by the liver into the antibacterial drug sulfanilamide.

This drug safety testing in animals is carried out under guidelines mandated by law through the FDA. Through a greater reliance on in vitro testing, researchers could evaluate the effects of chemicals on biological processes while using very few animals.

Then the mechanisms of the disease are studied and new drugs are developed and evaluated for effectiveness and side effects using cell culture and whole animal models.

The legislation would encourage the development of new alternative testing methods and increase the use of testing alternatives that already exist.

Cosmetics Tests That Use Animals

These tests are conducted to evaluate drug safety in two different animal species, with animals receiving high doses of the new drug for 30 or 90 days. Given rapid scientific advances, there is no reason those products cannot be humane, too. Often people wonder why it takes so long to develop a new drug and why sometimes a drug treatment like fen-phen, which may cause heart valve damage is not found to be dangerous until after it is sold to the public.

If necessary, they perform studies to determine which germ, virus, chemical, or other factor causes a disease. Sometimes, drugs will fail in clinical tests because the animal tests did not accurately predict their effects in humans. American consumers have the right to demand that their cosmetics are safe.

Some countries, such as China, require them. Does the drug cause birth defects or subtle learning disabilities that may not be discovered until a child is in school?

Is there a small number of patients who are genetically more susceptible than average to side effects?

Fact Sheet: Cosmetic Testing

Even though scientists minimize the number of animals used by testing drugs in cell culture whenever possible, it is still important to test drugs in animals.

The drugs are also tested to confirm that they do not cause infertility inability to have children or birth defects. Share via Print Although the U.

Before the discovery of antibacterial agents like prontosil and other antibioticsmany bacterial infections such as pneumonia were fatal. Is the drug safe for pregnant women, children, and the elderly and at what dosage?

Animals are carefully monitored for side effects. Food and Drug Administration does not require animal safety testing for cosmetics—a category that includes skin cream, perfume, makeup and shampoo—animal tests are still used.


You can also look for the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics logo. Initially, scientists consult the vast amount of published information and databases to obtain as much background information as possible.

In the National Academy of Sciences issued a report recommending that the U. The movement to eliminate animal testing extends beyond the cosmetics industry.

Many universities are also working hard to implement this vision. Environmental Protection Agency fundamentally change the way chemicals are tested for human health risks.

The reason is that no animal is exactly like a person in every way. And many multinational companies have embraced these alternative test methods, reducing and in some cases eliminating their dependence on animal testing. As a result, they cut costs and save time; animal testing is expensive, slow and, because animals are not people, not always predictive.

In the past three decades scientists have developed many advanced alternatives to animal testing—methods that use human blood, cell lines, artificial skin or computer models to test the safety of products. Eliminating animal testing of cosmetics is entirely feasible.

Patients taking fen-phen were found to have a higher than normal incidence of heart valve defects. After the study period, pathologists examine their organs for signs of drug toxicity.

Beauty and the Beasts: The U.S. Should Ban Testing Cosmetics on Animals

A drug may not be toxic to rats but may be toxic to guinea pigs, and, by using two different species, the chances are greater that the toxicity of a drug will be discovered before it is ever given to a person.

In contrast, the European Union has put in place a testing ban that prohibits animal testing on all cosmetic products and ingredients, and forbids marketing cosmetic products and ingredients that were tested on animals. You may wonder why two different animal species are used for testing at this stage.

At the same time this bill would protect people, ensuring that only safe products tested with cutting-edge technology enter the U. It is the last safety testing performed before the drug is given to people for clinical testing. If prontosil had been tested only in cell culture, the use of this sulfa drug would not have been discovered.

Does the drug cause cancer, which may take 20 years to develop?EU ban on cosmetics testing; Cruelty Free Science. Chemical testing; Drug testing; Science Publications; 90% of drugs fail in human trials despite promising results in animal tests – whether on safety grounds or because they do not work; Wasteful animal testing.

Despite the use of over million animals in experiments globally.

Animal Testing - Should Animals Be Used for Scientific or Commercial Testing? Death Penalty - Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed? The US Food and Drug Administration endorses the use of animal tests on cosmetics to "assure the safety of a product or ingredient.".

However, during the s, many alternative safety tests were developed that did not use animals, reducing the number of animals used for cosmetic testing by 90%. Should Ban Testing Cosmetics on Animals. Although the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration does not require animal safety testing for cosmetics—a category that includes skin cream, perfume. The FD&C Act does not specifically require the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safety, nor does the Act subject cosmetics to FDA premarket approval.

However, the agency has consistently advised cosmetic manufacturers to employ whatever testing is appropriate and effective for substantiating the safety of their products. The Humane Cosmetics Act if enacted, would end cosmetics testing on animals in the U.S.

by prohibiting the use of animals to test cosmetics and banning the import of animal-tested cosmetics. A longer-term approach is to develop non-animal tests that provide a broader range of human safety information — including information about .

Animals should not be used in the safety testing of cosmetics
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