Animal Testing

The Science Behind Cruelty-Free Cosmetics

Cruelty-free or PETA approved means that,
the company or a brand has taken position that it would not allow or ban any tests on animals,
including in its supply chain, for any reason, and its products are mostly vegan (PETA).
This shows that cruelty-free or PETA approved, do not test on animals, though they use different ways.
For example, in vitro methods.

In vitro testing is a testing method, which the researchers take a cell out of a human body and put it into a glass small tube.
Then they test the cosmetics on the cell. In Latin the word ‘Vitro’ means ‘glass’ (Eske).

The method they also can use is computer simulations to check how will the chemicals and cosmetics react to the human cells. Though animal testing works in a lot of different ways, that mostly depends on the animal. Most commonly used animals for animal testing are, rabbits, mice, rats, and any cold-blooded animals (PETA).

For example, rabbits get chemicals into their eyes, or they get forcefully injected Botox into their abdomen. Dogs on the other hand, are forced to inhale harsh gasses and chemicals. We therefore can see that, we sometimes do not realise what we are buying or selling and what was not and was tested on animals.

Global Laws and Regulations on Animal Testing for Cosmetics

It's quite obvious that we sometimes don't even know where our cosmetic products came from or what country they were made in, but we still use them.

All around the world, more than 100,000 animals get killed every year due to animal testing.

Historically, the Chinese government required all their cosmetics to be tested on animals. Around forty-five countries banned animal testing, including the whole European Union. From 11.9.2004, all of the Finnish cosmetic products were not allowed to be tested on animals (Humane World for Animals).

Although, in some countries animal testing is banned and illegal but, soaps, cleaning supplies, and medical testing is legal (Humane World for Animals).

The UK did ban animal testing as well but, it started to give licenses that allow animal testing (Fawkes).

Though in USA animals like, rats, mice, fish, amphibians, and birds are not defined as animals under animal experiment regulations.

The Role of Consumers in Ending Animal Testing

Did you know that in the 80s people got out of animal testing?
They started to protest and wanted to end the cruelty in animal testing. People started to force workers for other ways to test cosmetics. Everyone had different views on animal testing.

Most of the people in Europe do not support animal testing and they want other ways to test cosmetics. Surprisingly, many people check the back of the product to see is its cruelty-free or PETA approved.

Many people don’t even understand or know how does animal testing work. Lots of brands started to test the products differently.
People forced them because, no one wanted them to test on animals. China didn’t really stop testing on animals.

China is the country that tests the most (PETA UK). The most used animals for testing are cold-blooded animals like, rabbits, mice, rats and monkeys.

There are many ways to test on animals. If on a product there is written ‘cruelty-free’ or ‘PETA approved’ that means that the product was not tested ln animals.