animal testing for beauty and cosmetic products
Over the last couple of years, animal testing for beauty and cosmetic products has been a controversial topic in most countries, with some supporting it, while others have ruled it out since it endangers the animals’ lives. In the United States, the topic has gained great controversy, with some states already enforcing a total ban on the sale of beauty products and ingredients tested on animals. California, Illinois, and Nevada are some of the states that have already banned the sale of animal-tested products in the country. The European Union made headlines when the it banned the importation and exportation of animal-tested beauty products like shampoo, hair dyes, make-ups, cologne, lotions, to name just a few in their member countries. Since the union’s ban on animal-tested beauty products, other countries such as India, Israel, Norway, Turkey, New Zealand, Switzerland, Taiwan, Canada, and Australia have enforced a total ban on such products. However, in the United States, the government has been reluctant in enforcing appropriate nationwide legislation that will promote animals’ lives. According to Pope Francis, animal testing is morally acceptable only if it does not endanger the animal’s life and, if by doing so, contributes to saving human life. He continues and says that it is inhumane to cause the animals to suffer or die helplessly. In my opinion, animal testing for beauty products is morally wrong due to the following reasons:
To begin with, animal testing endangers animals’ lives. Many animals have died due to the toxicity associated with beauty products. According to the Christian faith, human beings have a responsibility to care for and protect animals’ lives since they are God’s creations. Over the last two decades, some of the animal species have continued to decrease exponentially due to chemical threats posed by cosmetic testing. Some of the health hazards posed by testing beauty products on animals include skin rashes, irritation, itchy body, swelling, blindness, among others. The pictures below show some of the harmful effects of testing beauty products on animals.
Additionally, according to the Bible, human beings were created in the image and likeness of God. And since God was satisfied with His creations, beauty products are not a necessity in human lives. People can, therefore, live without the products since they are not part of the minimum requirements for survival, i.e., food, water, and clothing.
Finally, despite the tests endangering the animals’ lives, most of the tests are unreliable. This is because some of the animals may be resistant or resistant to specific chemicals tested on them. For instance, a chemical may not be harmful to the animals, but it may pose undesired results when used by human beings. A recent study by the US Department of Food and Drug Administration suggests that more than 90% of the tests conducted on animals are inaccurate and hence misleading.
In conclusion, cosmetics testing on animals should be an outdated discussion, especially in the 21st century, where technology has taken the better part of the world. Consequently, scientists and beauty products manufacturers should explore better testing methods, which are likely to cause minimal harm to the ecosystem.