Compassionate cosmetics: once an accepted part of the beauty industry, animal testing is becoming a thing of the past

Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing rouge? Or a mouse in mascara? Of course not. Then why has the cosmetics industry traditionally tested its personal-care products on animals? Conventional wisdom has maintained that animal testing identifies substances that can be harmful to humans, and therefore makes products safer. But is this really the case?

"Many regulators feel more comfortable with animal tests--even with tests that are known to be unreliable and of questionable relevance," says Michael Balls, head of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods in Ispra, Varese, Italy. The questionability Balls refers to arises because the skin, hair and eyes of an animal can react quite differently from those of a human--especially in tests where animals receive extremely large doses applied over a long duration. And several studies conducted during the past 30 years have indicated that animal testing simply does not accurately predict human responses.

animal alternatives

As the validity of animal testing falls further into question, interest in alternative testing methods is on the rise. These include cell cultures, eye bank corneas and sophisticated computer and mathematical models. Statisticians and epidemiologists also can judge safety by analyzing clinical surveys, human volunteers, case studies, autopsy reports, statistical analyses and environmental factors related to human disease. As technology advances, these types of tests are becoming less expensive and often produce ranch faster results than traditional animal testing.

The United States Department of Transportation, Consumer Product Safety Commission and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among others, have approved the use of Corrositex, a protein membrane designed to function like skin. It can replace rabbit skin tests with results available in just a few hours at a low cost of $100 per test--compared to the 21-day, $1,000 price tag of a single Draize rabbit test, a traditional method of animal testing.

Another test, the Irritation Assay System, also mimics the reaction of human skin to more than 5,000 different materials. And a software package called TOPKAT--which monitors changes in electrical resistance in thin layers of cells grown on a membrane--is helping the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army identify compounds that might cause human skin and eye irritation.

a new fashion

The development of inexpensive alternatives to animal testing--coupled with growing public sentiment against the practice--has caused cosmetics companies to take notice. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), more than 500 cosmetics and household product manufacturers have turned to alternative testing methods. The list includes body care giant Avon Products Inc., which tested its products on some 24,000 animals every year before changing its testing policy in 1989.

When surveys showed that four out of five customers at the Co-op--Britain's largest retailer--oppose animal cosmetics testing, the company launched its own campaign urging others to end such tests. Mary Kay Inc. has also joined the movement. The company's official statement reads, "Having assessed the current degree of scientific knowledge, the company does not foresee any situation in which animal testing might be necessary in the future." Mary Kay also is working to eliminate [Text incomplete in original source.]

Animal testing isn't the only issue for cosmetics consumers who want to go cruelty free. Many product ingredients also are derived from animals. And they sometimes can be hard to spot, since many companies remove the word "animal" from labels to avoid offending consumers. For example, a term such as "hydrolyzed collagen" might replace "hydrolyzed animal protein." Here are some other examples:

* Albumen: Found in eggs, milk, muscles, blood and many vegetable tissues and fluids. In cosmetics, albumen is usually derived from egg whites and is used as a coagulating agent.

* Allantoin: Uric acid found in most mammals, although it's also present in many plants, especially comfrey. It is used in cosmetics, especially creams and lotions. Derivatives include alcloxa and aldioxa.

* Alpha-Hydroxy Acids: Used in exfoliant and anti-wrinkle products. Lactic acid may be animal-derived while glycolic acid, citric acid and salicylic acid come from plants.

* Amino Acids: The building blocks of protein from either animals or plants.

* Collagen: Fibrous protein in vertebrates that is usually derived from animal tissue.

* Estrogen, Estradiol: Female hormones used in some creams, perfumes and lotions derived from the urine of pregnant mares kept in confined stalls.

* Hyaluronic Acid: A protein found in animal cartilage and joint fluid.

* Polypeptides: From animal protein.

* Stearic Acid: Fat from cows, sheep, dogs, cats or--most often-pigs. It is also derived from vegetable fats like coconut. Derivatives include stearamide, stearamine, stearate, stearic hydrazide, stearone, stearoxytrimethylsilane, stearoyl lactylic acid, and stearyl betaine, imidazoline, acetate or alcohol.

* Turtle Oil, Sea Turtle Oil: From the muscles and genitals of giant sea turtles.

[Text incomplete in original source.] ation in which animal testing might be necessary in the future." Mary Kay also is working to eliminate all animal ingredients in its products.

That's important, says Melissa Yokum, director of Training and Education at Avalon Natural Products. "It's easy for a company to state on their label that the product hasn't been tested on animals, while in reality the majority of individual ingredients were animal-tested."

Kathleen Taggersell, spokesperson for Tom's of Maine, says its dedication to the cause comes from respect for nature and the environment. "We at Tom's feel that testing on animals is not the most humane way to determine a product's safety. This is part of our mission." Instead, Taggersell says, "we use ingredients already known to be safe and test them in our own laboratories. Then we try them on people to get their feedback before marketing them. We find this method far more accurate than using animals."

In fact, the term "cruelty free" became so popular a few years ago that companies began using their own definitions of "cruelty free" and "animal friendly" products. In response, several animal protection groups banded together to form the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC). The coalition establishes cruelty-free standards for manufacturers to follow and provides a seal-of-approval logo depicting a rabbit for qualifying companies to use on product labels.

Susan Hussey, vice president of marketing at Aubrey Organics says, "Even some natural ingredients are animal-tested. If manufacturers refuse to accept animal tests from raw materials' manufacturers and insist on doing their own tests, that sends a message of disapproval loud and clear to those who support animal testing." Hussey calls Aubrey's products "compassionate" cosmetics that represent their earth-awareness philosophy.

If you're interested in buying only those body-care products that haven't been tested on animals, look for the CCIC logo on the label. Avalon also offers products from several natural body-care manufacturers, such as Alba Botanicals, Un-Petroleum and the aptly named Beauty Without Cruelty, who maintain strict cruelty-free policies. And PETA's Web site (peta-online.org) features a list of "Caring Companies" that don't use animal testing, as well as a Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers who want to remain animal friendly. Any of these resources can help you on your quest to use 100 percent cruelty-free cosmetics--helping you and the planet maintain your natural beauty.

cruelty-free resources

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Web site: peta-online.org Phone: 1.800.483.4366

World Animal Net is the world's largest network of animal protection societies with over 1,700 affiliates in more than 90 countries. Web site: worldanimal.net

The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics Web site: leapingbunny.org Phone: 1.888.546.CCIC

Avalon Natural Products Education Web site: avalonnaturalproducts.com

PETA's Web site features an exhaustive list of companies that do not test products on animals. If you'd like to make sure you are using cruelty-free products, look for these manufacturers and others whose products feature the cruelty-free logo.

* Abkit Inc. 800.CAMOCARE; abkit.com

* Aubrey Organics 800.AUBREYH; aubrey-organics.com

* Aura Cacia 800.437.3301; auracacia.com

* Avalon Natural Products 707.769.5120; avalonnaturalproducts.com

* Desert Essence 800.848.7331; desertessence.com

* Ecco Bella 973.696.7766; eccobella.com

Visit beta-online.org to see the full list.

* Earth Science 800.222.6720

* Jason Natural Cosmetics 800.527.6605; jason-natural.com

* Kiss My Face 800.262.KISS; kissmyface.com

* Levlad 800.327.2012; levlad.com

* Pure & Basic 800.432.3787; pureandbasic.com

* Tom's of Maine 800.367.8667; toms-of-maine.com

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