Why are animals used for cosmetic testing?
Testing these products on animals is necessary to ensure our safety. Up until 1938, our nation had no product safety testing laws. Consumers took their chances whenever they took drugs, applied cosmetics, or used cleaning products, art supplies, or industrial chemicals. In the 1930s, there were two cases where untested products caused tragedies: an eyelash dye resulted in numerous cases of blindness and at least one death, and a cough remedy caused 107 deaths. Congress responded in 1938 by passing The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act which required for the first time that all drugs be tested for safety before they are marketed. Today the Food and Drug Administration is only one of several federal agencies that regulate the safety of various consumer products and chemicals. Cosmetics are listed under the category of product testing. Product safety testing makes sure that products, such as shampoo, deodorants, sunscreen and household cleaning products are safe when used as directed. T
