Warning: Some of the information on this page includes disturbing content.
Terrible, harmful tests are done on animals for testing cosmetics and household products.
These cruel tests are completely unnecessary as proven by the many companies who are choosing to skip animal testing altogether. Some of these have chosen to be included in our No Cruelty, No Compromise Cruelty-Free Guide.
Various animals are used for cruel cosmetic testing: Rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs and dogs. These sentient, non-consenting beings are subjected to:
Death is the end for all these animals. At the end of these cruel tests, the animals are killed to alleviate their substance-induced suffering or at the end of the test period for dissection and further analysis.
Below we delve into the grim detail behind these types of tests. We provide this information, so our supporters understand why NZAVS wants these cruel tests to end. On reading, we know you will agree that there is no beauty in cruelty.
These tests can involve chemicals being rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits. The most used are known as Draize Tests.
The Draize Test was developed in the 1940s to assess the irritation potential of substances applied to the skin or eyes. It is commonly performed on rabbits.
In the eye irritation version of the test, a substance is placed in a rabbit's eye, and the eye's reaction is monitored over several days.
For the skin irritation test the substance is applied to a shaved area of the rabbit's skin, and the reaction is observed.
This animal test attempts to predict potential negative effects for humans despite the many physiological, genetic, anatomical, and other differences between species (for example, rabbits can't produce tears). It has never been validated against human data and is wildly criticised by members of the scientific community as well as animal welfare groups, globally.
Despite its obvious flaws, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) still provides official protocols for the Draize Test: Test 404 for skin irritation1 and Test 405 for eye irritation2.
NZ Fact: NZAVS successfully campaigned to remove the requirement for the Draize Test from NZ law!
Species most commonly used for Skin and eye irritation tests: Albino rabbits.
These tests can vary depending on the substances being tested. Some can involve repeated force-feeding or inhaling of chemical doses over a period of hours, days, months, years and sometimes the entire lifespan of the animal:
Acute toxicity tests
Acute toxicity tests are experiments designed to determine the adverse effects of a substance following short-term exposure.
These tests typically involve administering a single high dose or multiple doses to animals over a short period (usually 24 hours). The substance can be tested by applying it to the animal's skin3 or by forcing the animal to inhale4 or ingest5 it.
Chronic toxicity tests
Chronic toxicity tests are experiments designed to evaluate the adverse effects of a substance over an extended period, typically ranging from several months to a lifetime.
These tests aim to identify long-term health effects such as cancer, organ damage, reproductive issues, and other chronic health conditions that may result from prolonged exposure to a substance.6
In chronic toxicity tests, animals are exposed to low doses of a substance on a regular basis – a flawed attempt at trying to mimic the effects of long-term exposure in humans.
We say flawed because, for example, rats and mice were made to inhale large amounts of tobacco smoke for long periods of time, but the studies consistently failed to show any link between smoking and lung cancer. Yet, we know this is not the case for humans!7
Species most commonly used for toxicity tests: These tests require data from two different species, dogs, and guinea pigs, which are named by the OECD as the species of choice.8
Carcinogenicity tests are experiments designed to determine whether a substance can cause cancer. These tests typically involve exposing animals, such as mice and rats, to the substance over a long period, often for most of their lifespan. The goal is to observe any development of cancerous tumours or other cancer-related changes in the animals.9
Species most commonly used Carcinogenicity Tests: Mice and rats.
Reproductive and developmental toxicity tests are experiments designed to evaluate the effects of a substance on the reproductive system and the development of offspring.
These tests aim to identify potential risks such as infertility, birth defects, and developmental delays.
In reproductive toxicity tests, animals are exposed to a substance before and during mating, pregnancy, and lactation to observe its impact on fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and the health of the offspring.
Developmental toxicity tests focus specifically on the effects of a substance on the developing foetus from conception through birth.10
Species most commonly used for these developmental tests: Mice and rats.
All types of toxicity testing share the grim outcome that the animals are ultimately killed: This may happen either at a "humane endpoint" to alleviate their substance-induced suffering or at the end of the test period for dissection and further analysis.
The first thing to understand is that other animals are not an accurate model for humans. Every species is different, and a rat cannot represent a human – or a rabbit or a guinea pig for that matter! We are simply different species, and our bodies behave differently when exposed to a substance.
There are many animal-free methods that can be used to give safe and accurate data without the use of animals. Learn more here.
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The Cruelty-Free Guide is brought to you by NZAVS (the New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society), Aotearoa's primary charity 100% dedicated to ending animal experimentation. With your support, we can end animal testing in New Zealand for good!
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