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Beginner's guide to cruelty-free cosmetics

Become an informed ethical consumer with our quick guide to cosmetics and toiletries testing on animals

For consumers who want to avoid animal testing, there is an ever-growing choice of cosmetics and toiletries on the shelves that claim to be 'Not Tested on Animals'. But how can you be sure that the products you buy live up to their claims? Take a look at the facts:

What does cosmetics 'testing on animals' mean?
All sorts of cosmetic and toiletry products and ingredients are tested on animals, such as perfumes, shampoos, toothpastes, hair dyes, skin creams, make-up or deodorants. The most common tests are eye tests, skin tests and oral toxicity:

• Eye tests: substances are dripped into the eyes of conscious rabbits, who are usually immobilised in stocks, and the resultant damage to the eye - such as swelling, reddening and blindness - is scored according to severity.
• Skin tests: substances are applied to the shaved and abraded back of a laboratory animal (usually a rabbit, guinea pig or hamster) and the skin damage - such as cracking, bleeding or ulceration - is scored.
• Toxicity tests: animals are dosed, once or repeatedly, with a substance either by oral-gavage (through a tube directly into the stomach) or forced inhalation, so that the resultant toxicity (poisoning) effects on the animal can be noted.

Why is there no need for cosmetics animal testing?
There are between 8,000 and 10,000 cosmetics ingredients that have already been established as safe for human use, countless combinations of which can be used by any cosmetic company wanting to end animal testing immediately. A range of non-animal testing methods are also available, such as cell toxicology, test tube (in vitro) techniques and sophisticated computer and mathematical modelling. These modern tests are more humane, and can be cheaper, faster and more accurate.

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