Animal Testing

The Australian Government has announced that testing cosmetic products on animals will be made illegal in Australia by July next year. The plan also includes a ban on any new products that have been tested on animals overseas too. Here's the details.

In the cosmetic business, beauty is the name of the game. Every year, it's estimated people around the world spend more than 250 billion dollars on gels, sprays and pastes that promise a better, more attractive you.

But before any of those products hits the shelves, companies have to make sure they're safe to use. And that's where you find the ugly side of the beauty business.

It all started mid-way through last century when beauty products started becoming really popular. Lots of new products hit the market, but there weren't many rules around to make sure they were safe. So, some people got burned, scarred or even worse from trying out dodgy ones. It forced countries like the United States to introduce laws that forced cosmetics companies to make sure their products were safe before they could be sold. At the time, they decided the easiest way to do that was to test them on animals, like rats, rabbits, dogs, cats and guinea pigs. Researchers would put the substances on their skin, to look for blistering or scarring, or in their eyes, to test for redness or burning.

In the 80s, word about animal testing got out, and over time angry customers forced companies to look for new ways to test products. Now, there are a number of alternatives, like people donating tissue samples, testing on artificial skin and body parts in a lab, or simply using ingredients that are already known to be safe. You can look for labels like these to check if the products you buy are cruelty free or not.

But despite the alternatives, animal testing is still legal in most countries around the world. In some places like China, imported cosmetics actually have to be tested on animals before they can be sold there.

Here in Australia animal testing doesn't happen anymore, but it is still legal and on the shelves you can still find heaps of items tested on animals overseas too. That's why the Government has now stepped in. The Government announced that by July next year animal testing for cosmetics would be officially banned in Australia. The ban will also apply to new cosmetic products tested on animals overseas but not items which are already stocked in shops. The Government hopes those items will be gradually phased out by the companies that make them as well. The Opposition says it agrees with the changes and has promised to bring in similar laws if elected.

And hopefully one day, no more animals will need to suffer in the name of beauty.

• Nic Maher | Reporter
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