Are you for or against animal testing?

[the_bob_delusion]

for science? cosmetics or others?

Do you differentiate between what animal being tested is acceptable to you?

[the_bob_delusion]

There are still plenty of products on the shelf in Australia that use animal testing the majority probably link back to the same half a dozen very large companies. If they will not ban products that use animal testing in Australia for cosmetics then I would like to see the company made to label their products as 'tested on animals' so the consumer can make an informed decision.

But whilst we continue to use cosmetics (and 99% of women do) then what is the alternative? 

If we don't test on animals, then the alternative is to test on humans.

Is this acceptable? ?:|

And for those cosmetics that say "not tested on animals", that is simply semantics because somewhere along the line the formula they use WOULD have been tested against animals even if that particular company hasn't.

exactly, they used the science from previous products.

Once we pull all the cosmetic products off the shelfs these women would be crying and can't wait to throw the animals back into testing. 

[cosmosgrove]

There are still plenty of products on the shelf in Australia that use animal testing the majority probably link back to the same half a dozen very large companies. If they will not ban products that use animal testing in Australia for cosmetics then I would like to see the company made to label their products as 'tested on animals' so the consumer can make an informed decision.

But whilst we continue to use cosmetics (and 99% of women do) then what is the alternative? 

If we don't test on animals, then the alternative is to test on humans.

Is this acceptable? ?:|

And for those cosmetics that say "not tested on animals", that is simply semantics because somewhere along the line the formula they use WOULD have been tested against animals even if that particular company hasn't.

There are alternatives to testing cosmetics (not necessarily using people), there are other options available for the beauty industry and just because a company has used animal testing in the past it doesn't mean that they cannot embrace technology and get rid of an outdated way of testing cosmetics. Surely just because we have learned from practises in the past it doesn't mean that we can't evolve and move on from this?

Countries have banned animal testing for cosmetics but the problem lies in the import of these products from other countries. 

And yes I think it is acceptable to test cosmetics on humans.

[i-need-a-martini]

Are there acceptable alternatives cosmo? ?:|

Quite frankly I think the alternatives are even scarier. 

PETA is very pro alternative so there is lots of material published on the subject. And basically the only successful alternative is cloning. For cosmetics that means cloning human skin for testing. For diabetes that means cloning human livers for testing. For brain tumours that means cloning a human brain. Testing is happening on stem cell research, embryo testing etc.

Societies care factor when faced with testing on a mouse means we are paving the way to a much scarier science.

[cosmosgrove]

There are cruelty free options available for those that want it and I can assure you that if the current animal tested cosmetic/beauty products were removed from the shelves their would still be products left for women and men to buy. 

[i-need-a-martini]

Surely just because we have learned from practises in the past it doesn't mean that we can't evolve and move on from this?

Of course. But don't be fooled by companies that market the ingredients in their tried and true  products have not been tested on animals. Because that is a lie.

And there is always the next best thing that will have little choice but to be tested on an animals (moroccan hair oil anyone?). Whether companies like Avon or Tresemme or Body Shop or whoever wait until all the testing is done so that they can piggy back off the results with a 'no animal testing' sticker on their product is just as bad as the company developing the breakthrough in the first place.

There is very little difference.

[i-need-a-martini]

if the current animal tested cosmetic/beauty products were removed from the shelves their would still be products left for women and men to buy. 

You think? I suspect very, VERY few. If any.

Take for example the most humble and gentle cosmetic I have in my home - organic home made goats milk soap. The ingredients are: goats milk, sodium hydroxide, vegetable fat, a fixative (unknown chemical), fragrance (an essential oil which is still a chemical even if it is plant based) and coconut oil.

Most of these ingredients have already been tested. And it's fine to sell these on soaps at the market.

But once they hit the supermarket shelf they are a regulated product so they need to have been tested for approval.

So unless you buy all your products home made (which I do with my soaps) you have a product that has been tested already. On animals.Sitting on a supermarket shelf.

[the_bob_delusion]

I say do these tests on criminals serving life. 

If they want to act like animals, why not. 

If they can't value human life, we might as well follow their lead. 

[darksideofthemoon]

You may have something there Bob, can't see why not.

The only thing I do feel is that, thanks to animals being tested other animals benefit.

Now, maybe it should be animals for animals and humans for humans ?

[cosmosgrove]

I wish I could sit here and type that I only purchase cruelty free products, but I can't. There are lots of reasons for this including availability, cost, ignorance, turning a blind eye and just the plain too hard basket. 

I find some things easy to purchase shampoo/conditioner, skin care but others are more difficult sunscreen, deodorants, toothpaste. This is probably made worse by living in a country town so of course choices are limited.

But surely our government who already has a ban in place on animal testing for cosmetics in this country can regulate those companies that import those products, or label the products as I suggested earlier.

I've just downloaded the 'choose cruelty free' app so hopefully this will make me a bit more conscious where my money goes when making future purchases.

I still stand by my belief that there can be change in this industry that their are enough alternatives for the cosmetic/health industry to make this practise obsolete. I don't think any animal should be used for testing in this industry.

Scientific and medical research raises different issues but i still think other avenues should be utilised where possible.

[amalan11]

Absolutely against  for any reason including medical.I think all life is equal and we have no right to give animals any less rights than humans.By all means try things on people already ill but with animals they harvest parts and deliberately make them ill to test cures its evil