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Solutions for Cosmetic Animal Testing

The cosmetics industry is a self-regulated industry in the United States. Without any oversight, the industry is free to test their products any way they see fit. This includes using animals as a means of testing the safety of their products before marketing those products to the general public. There are solutions to cosmetic testing on animals, though often they are not as readily available for use as lab animals. (See Reference 1, graph 2)

  1. Human Testing

    • Humans can volunteer to have products tested on them. Companies offer to pay volunteers to test a product in a safe and controlled environment. Since a human being has the ability to reason and the right to use their body as they see fit, there are no rights violations. Human cosmetic testing gives the most accurate biological results. (Reference 2)

    Recycled Tissue

    • Cosmetics are also being tested on human tissue that would have otherwise been discarded following voluntary cosmetic surgeries. As a form of recycling, the skin samples are kept viable after removal from the patient, and cosmetic testing is then carried out on these samples. This offers a viable alternative to animal and human testing, and poses no threat to any living creature. (Reference 3)

    Engineered Skin

    • Skin can now be grown in the lab. Tissue is being engineered for a variety of purposes, from skin grafts for burn victims to use in labs for cosmetic testing. Skin is the body's largest organ, and researchers' ability to reproduce it in the lab is a huge step toward eliminating animal testing altogether. (Reference 4)

    In Vitro Skin Absorption

    • By removing a tiny amount with a scalpel or syringe of either human or animal skin in small quantities in vitro, that is, while in the womb, the factor of animal cruelty is greatly reduced if not eliminated completely. This procedure can even be done after the subject has died while the tissues are still viable. In this way, there is no live testing at all. The cells harvested in vitro are then placed in contact with the cosmetic being tested to check for any reactions on a cellular level. Pig skin is preferred, as human samples, either post surgical or post mortem, are limited

      in quantity. (Reference 5)

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