Freeway - Cosmetic Testing on Animals

Cosmetic Testing on Animals

The Animal Welfare Acts issued in 1970, 1976, 1985 and 1990 allowed the practice of cosmetic testing on animals to carry on under these simple rules:

The Research Facility must be registered under a licensed agreement and must receive funds under a grant, loan, award or contract from an agency. Provided that the secretary may disclude any organisation that does not follow these rules adequately.
Regulations must be set against excessive animal cruelty and each research facility must try to find alternative ways for the product to be tested without the use of animals.
The animals must live in adequate conditions; therefore the shelter must provide shelter from extreme conditions, ventilation, adequate veterinary care and species separation. Every research facility must be regularly governed to see that the standards of living are up to the standards set by these acts.

The cosmetic industry takes the animals out of their stable environment and exploits them for cruel, unnecessary tests. The animals are often kept in squashed, damp, dark conditions and barely fed. They often contract all kinds all illnesses ranging from common infections to brain tumours. The animals are unnecessarily subjected to torturous tests and often have to be put down after these tests.
Many people would argue that the animals are needed for testing the cosmetics upon because infections and illnesses may be contracted through make-up. I also agree that the cosmetics need to be tested for consumer protection but are animals really necessary or these tests?
Many companies are now producing "Cruelly Free" products as the industry for these products has increased due to protestations and demonstrations from animal rights activists although some Companies claim that they are now cruelty free and do not test on animals but are often lying and trying to increase their sales. People would argue that these tests are necessary for production in the cosmetic industry but this is not the case. Alternative ways of testing could be developed without using animals.
A company in Essex developed alternative ideas by advertising in teen magazines for human "guinea pigs" to travel to a research facility stay for the day and have cosmetics tested on them. The cosmetics tested were simple things like lip balms and foundations, which really proves that animals are now unnecessary in the cosmetic industry. This was a way of saving the animals which would originally have been tested upon and gathered a lot of support although sadly it was only directed at that area and no other companies seem to have followed their example as of yet.
I agree that some animals do need to be kept for medicine and drug development as it will help to find cures for diseases and vaccines for other unfortunate people. However I feel that the use of animals in the cosmetic industry is completely unnecessary and should be abolished and alternative methods used.