by Phyllis Twombly

Created on: June 15, 2009

Elephants will be eliminated from the circus long before we end animal testing of cosmetics. To begin with, it's harder to take the issue of animals testing makeup seriously. Whenever I buy lip gloss or eye shadow that 'has not been tested on animals,' my first thought is how much extra work this makes for me. My dog is very wriggly and getting lip gloss on her is tricky enough. Eye shadow is much harder to apply to those doggy eyelids. Besides I'm not sure makeup is right for her. She might be ready for her close up but I still don't want her hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Animal testing is a long standing practice that has been used for everything from rocket trials to cosmetics. How did they get the monkey in the space capsule to apply perfect rouge? I don't know, but it got him his five minutes of fame. What they didn't show was how the G forces affected the poor fellow, which may be the reason he needed makeup. Considering some of the awful examples of previous animal testing, the thought of a bit of eyeliner doesn't seem so bad. Certain perfumes may even cover that gamy odor of space travel.

Since animal testing is usually done in the privacy of a lab and behind closed doors, it's difficult to draw attention to the plight of the animals involved. The invisibility of these procedures causes the entire matter to be a non-issue for most people. Are the animals being put through inhumane experiences? It's a hard question to answer. Until the public sees what's going on in some kind of documentary, it's highly unlikely people will take action.

Makeup is something most women and actors will use, given a choice. Since cosmetics companies tend to be quiet about the testing of their products, end users may be completely unaware of whether animal testing was involved. This information may be treated like a trade secret. Even companies that don't use animal testing make no big deal of it. (They're missing out on a huge publicity opportunity.)

A group like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has little influence on most of the public, due to their tendency for extreme tactics and apparent disregard for human dignity. Another nude photo of a celebrity may be eagerly ogled but it doesn't reveal any naked truth...with some possible exception regarding the individual's personality. Besides, most celebrities would still insist on wearing makeup. Groups like Greenpeace and the various SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) branches

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