research

Thousands of animals - rabbits, mice dogs and rats - are killed annually to make shampoos, moisturizing creams, lipsticks and after-shaves.

The test they are subjected to are always painfully and cruel, as you can see from the summary below.

Eye irritation
Test used: Draize test
The chemical under test is put in the eye of immbilized rabbits, and left there for hours or days, in order to evaluate the iris inflammation and the destruction of the cornea.

Skin irritation
Test used: Skin Draize test
As above, but the sheared or flayed skin is used instead of the eye.
The skin irritation is evalueted after a period of hours o days.

Skin corrosion
As above, but instead of the irritations, the destruction of the skin is evaluated.

Photo-toxicity
The interaction of the chemical under test with light is considered, and possible toxic effects of this interaction are evaluated.
The test consists of evaluating the damage at a cellular level.

Photo-irritation
The interaction of the chemical under test with light is considered, and possible irritative effects are evaluated.
The animals' skin irritation is evaluated after exposure to the light.

Percutaneous absorption
The absorption of substances from outside the skin to positions beneath the skin.
The animals are killed in order to evaluate the accumulation of the chemicals applied to the skin.

According to the seventh amendment of the European directive 76/768/EEC, from 2008 it will not be possible to carry out tests specifically concerning substances intended for cosmetic use on animals and from 2013 it will not be possible to use animals for any tests, not only cosmetic-specific. I-CARE (International Centre for Alternatives in Research and Education) has looked into the current state of assessment phases concerning alternative methods which should replace those on animals.

A brief chronicle.

We should recall that today ALL NEW INGREDIENTS of shampoos, creams, make-up products, etc., are tested on animals. A debate has been taking place at the European Parliament since 1993 about a directive, the aim of which is the prohibition of cosmetic-specific tests . An initial date for the prohibition of the use of animals for cosmetics testing (ingredients and finished products) had originally been fixed for the 1st January 1998. Up to now, at every deadline, the date has been postponed by 2 years, by the Commission. In January 2003, the deferment, instead of the usual 2 years, was fixed at 6 years and the possibility of a further, later deferment, remains.

The following proposal was approved in January 2003:

• Absolute prohibition of tests on animals by 2009
• Prohibition of the sale of cosmetics tested on animals for most tests by 2009
• Prohibition of the sale of all cosmetics tested on animals, including the 3 areas excluded from the previous point (toxicokinetics, reproductive toxicity, toxicity at repeated doses) by 2013, but with the possibility of deferment if suitable alternative tests have not been developed.

Validation of alternative methods: the situation up to now

90% of the material used in this analysis comes from the ATLA (Alternatives to Laboratory Animals) journal and is already known to the scientific community although not, in all probability, to the general public.

In practice, PERHAPS by 2009/2013 certain alternative methods will have been validated and there will have been a reduction in the number of animals used for testing substances in cosmetics but it is HIGHLY PROBABLE that the application of the directive will shift to AFTER 2009. In practice, this means fewer animals (probably), but almost certainly the problem of cosmetics tested on animals will NOT be solved.

Because of this difficult and unacceptable situation, ICARE will support the project Humane Cosmetics Standard promoted by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics - CCIC and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments in order to help consumers to choose manufacturers which stands on a clear and certified position aginst animal testing.

Below is a synthesis of the current situation about alternative methods.

Acute toxicity
More than 10 methods being studied.
Time envisaged for their application: more than 10 years

Skin corrosion
Validated methods already exist:

• TER - Transcutaneous Electrical Resistance uses rats skins (the rats are not alive but killed before the test)
• EpiSkin, EpiDerm - human skin models; they are made of human derived cells and tissues.

Skin irritation
3 methods being studied
Time envisaged: 6 years

Eye irritation
14 methods being studied
Time envisaged: more than 6 years

Skin sensitisation
6-7 methods being studied
Time envisaged: 14 years

Skin absorbtion and penetration
One method is almost ready
Time envisaged: 6 months

Subacute and subchronic toxicity
Different methods exist, but it is impossibile to foresee dates (certainly after 2013)

Genotoxicity and mutagenicity
13 methods being studied
Time envisaged: 12 years

Acute phototoxicity
Validated methods already exist:
3T3 NRU uses mice embryo cells

Photo-toxicity
5 methods being studied
Time envisaged: 5 years

Photo-irritation
One method being studied
Impossibile to foresee dates (certainly after 2013)

Toxicokinetics and metabolism
Different methods being studied
Time envisaged: 12 years

Carcinogenicity
Impossible to foresee dates of the different methods being studied (certainly after 2013)

Reproductive and developmental toxicity
Impossibile to foresee dates/ of the different methods being studied (certainly after 2013)