Animal testing is the act of subjecting living animals on scientific tests or experiments either to assess the effectiveness of medicinal products, household cleaners and cosmetics or for purposes of disease research ( Akbarsha & Mascarenhas, 2019) . This study has selected the topic on; testing the safety of cosmetics.
The rationale and main benefit of the testing process
Cosmetic testing on animals is undertaken to ascertain that the industrial finished product and its raw materials bears no risk for manufacturers and consumers. The primary reason is to promote cosmetic safety once the product is put into use by consumers. Through a toxicology test, the conducted experiment informs manufactures whether the products and their mixtures presents a health risk to customers. Cosmetic testing on animals has an array of benefits ( Ayres, 2019) . The main benefit however is that the experimentation protects the health of consumers. Subjecting animals on cosmetic tests for example skin corrosion and draize tests protects health and safety of humans since the tests done validate the safety of the cosmetic products. Cosmetic testing on animals assures humans of safety from being exposed to harmful chemicals or toxins leading to elimination of health risks on consumers. According to scientists the tests are necessary for the process or else people would be exposed to potentially injurious products.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Whether this use of animals is necessary or worthwhile
Cosmetic testing on animals is worthwhile and a necessary undertaking. The experiments are essential since animal testing on cosmetics aids research for new industrial products. It would be difficult for researchers to make an educated guess about the cosmetic safety without the ability to test on animals. However, with animals testing, the manufactures of these products conduct trial and error to learn more about provision of useful products to consumers. In addition, the experiments done on animals benefits companies performing the tests. The developers benefit by acquiring a competitive advantage over the manufactures who refrain from performing the tests. The benefit gives the developers an upper hand in terms of gaining an additional market share and increased profit margins. Also, cosmetic testing takes into consideration the welfare benefits on subjects. Prior to testing, the cosmetic developers ensure that the animals are fully vaccinated, provided shelter, food and water. This benefit is not enjoyed by others animals in the wild.
The animal experiments are worthwhile since the tests use close match animals to humans. Although the animal’s biological composition is dissimilar to that of humans, it is however sufficient to see how the industrial cosmetics would behave on humans. Although there are inherent limitations to cosmetic testing on animals, the method remains the most suited until an appropriate medical technology evolves. Cosmetic testing is necessary as it offers an opportunity to research applications on the human lifespan. As Ayres (2019), explain, with animal testing, developers can research the effect of cosmetics on different stages of human life. Experimenting cosmetics on animals makes it possible to understand and study the effect of industrial products on multiple generations.
Alternative to the cosmetic animal testing
Some of the alternatives to cosmetic testing on animals include sophisticated tests using human tissues and cells otherwise known as vitro methods. Additional alternatives entail using human volunteers and application of advanced computer modelling methods or silico models.
Is there some animal that it is okay to test on?
Although cosmetic testing yields benefits, there is no animal that is okay to test on. Subjecting any animal to cosmetic testing carries substantial risks such as death or injury to the animal’s body ( Akbarsha & Mascarenhas, 2019) . Animals have rights the same way humans have which makes it not okay to test on any animal.
Developers of cosmetics should draw a line in animal testing. Any experiment that is known to carry significant risks on an animal’s body should not be conducted. The line should therefore be drawn depending on the degree of harm posed by an individual test.
References
Akbarsha, M. A., & Mascarenhas, B. (2019). Cosmetic Regulation and Alternatives to Animal Experimentation in India. In Alternatives to Animal Testing (pp. 57-62). Springer, Singapore.
Ayres, C. (2019). 14 pros and cons of animal research. Retrieved from: https://vittana.org/14-pros-and-cons-of-animal-researchl
