10/7/2016

Dear Next President,

I am a Minnesotan high school Sophomore, a concerned consumer of cosmetics and animal lover. Animal testing is a common practice in the cosmetics industry. Animal testing is where a product is tested on an animal for dangerous side-effects before being released to the public for use. What many people don’t think about is how often and how cruel performing animal testing is. Or even how inaccurate the tests can be relating to humans. I believe it should be nationally banned.

You’re probably wondering why it's considered by so many as wrong or inhuman. Most animals used are mice, rabbits, rats and guinea pigs. According to humanesociety.org, albino versions of these creatures, especially albino rabbits are used because they have extremely sensitive skin. The animals are not provided pain medications though the pain they may be experiencing is far worse than what a human would. There are three types of tests. The first is skin and eye irritation in which chemicals are rubbed into an exposed patch of skin or dripped into a restrained animal’s eyes. Repeated force-feeding, sometimes this is even used on pregnant animals to see if it causes birth defects. The last is “lethal dose” test. This is where an animal is forced to swallow a chemical till it dies while lab conductors measure the amount.

There are many alternatives to animal testing. According to neavs.org, cruelty free companies use things such as human cell cultures, artificial skin, and computer simulations. These work just as well, if not better than harmful invasive testing. Many people think it is legally required for a company to test on animals before releasing a product. But that’s completely untrue, according to leapingbunny.org , neither the FDA nor the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requires US cosmetic products to be animal tested because of advances in alternative testing.

My proposal for a solution is simple. National Banning of cosmetic animal testing. I assure you, there is no logical repercussions to banning cosmetic animal testing. According to leapingbunny.org, the alternatives of animal testing are less costly. The idea of cruelty free makeup and beauty products may also actually draw more people to the industries market and and help companies do better. Makeup industry giant, Elf cosmetics are cruelty free and their products not only sell well but are cheap. There are also trendy smaller brands under the cruelty free label like Kat Von D and Sugar Pill that are off just as well. I hope you will take my letter and facts provided into consideration. Thank you for your time, sincerely,

Lillian Birkholz