Imagine
finding out your favourite foundation; the one you spent months trying out
different formulas and shades, was tested on animals. Would you make the switch
to a cruelty free brand or would you continue using it?
Many
feel very strongly about only using cruelty free products and others feel that
all cosmetic products must be tested on animals in order to properly determine
if a product is safe for human use. I got my makeup done at Sephora Eaton
Centre, I interviewed my makeup artist Natalie on her own personal views on the
topic of animal testing.
Natalie
(who’s real name has been changed for privacy purposes) has been working at
Sephora for the past three years as a Beauty Advisor. She only uses cruelty
free products on herself and takes advantage of the wide range of options that
Sephora has to offer. She’s been vegan for four years and decided to make the
switch to use animal friendly products upon discovering that many of her own
were not vegan. Natalie mentioned that it was not easy to give up some of her
products, but she quickly found substitutes and new favourites. She mentioned
the Body Shop and Tarte to be some of her go to brands, which are generally
very popular among the conscious consumers.
While
Natalie only uses cruelty free products herself, she still uses all brands on
her clients when providing a makeup application service or recommending
products to customers. Although it goes against her personal preferences, she
is a professional makeup artist and always satisfies the wants and needs of her
clients.
Natalie
feels it is not right to test products on animals and that it is inhumane to
put them through undeserving pain and suffering. Canada is on the road to ban
animal testing and the Senate has passed Bill S-214 otherwise known as the
Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act. It is in the process of moving forward to the House
of Commons to become an official law. Once made a law, the cosmetics sold must
be cruelty free or else they will be prohibited in Canada.
While
this is a major win for those opposed to animal testing, let’s look at the
percentage of the population who are pro animal testing.
Some
feel that we must test on animals because the use of live human subjects is
inhumane and unethical. Animals are used to test the toxicity levels of a
product, meaning how much can be ingested before death occurs. Surely no human
would willingly volunteer for such a test. As well, one could argue that the
test animals have enough in place to ensure that they are not abused, for
example the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee (IACUC). These institutions and acts ensure that test animals have
access to clean food and water, comfortable enclosures and human treatment.
Probably
one of the strongest arguments made by the pro animal testing community is that
they have helped us cure and find treatments for thousands of diseases and
conditions that effect millions of people. For example, the use of animals was
essential in the development of the Polio vaccine and insulin used to treat
diabetes.
Although,
there are different ways to test products that do not involve animals, such as
in vitro which is used to study cells in a petri dish. This is often used
because human cells can be tested to see the direct effects a substance would
have.
This
is really a matter if personal opinion and preferences. Regardless of your position
on the matter, there are benefits to both sides of the issue. Testing on
animals allows us to test the risks of a product before truing it on humans and
then can make adjustments accordingly given the results. However, that comes
with its own lists of problems such as animal suffering. Resorting to other
means of testing like in vitro testing or using artificial human skin allows us
to see the results on human cells and tissue. The effects however are then not
tested on live tissue and the results could be a misrepresentation of how it
would affect the human body.
It is
important to know where you stand on the issue and educate yourself on the pros
and cons of each side. Being informed is the best way to insure that you’re
standing for something you believe in. It is also important to make and form
your own opinions and not just go along with what your peers think.
