Alternative to Animal Testing in Cosmetics- The Thoyyiban Aspect

By: Nina Naquiah Ahmad Nizar

           In the Quran, the Thoyyiban aspect is emphasised on the essential quality of object, food, effort, earning, art, human being and every other aspects. The state of Thoyyiban is attained by natural relation of good environmental and societal systems whereby its correlation results in a harmonious parallel existence. Muslims in general know from the Quran that Thoyyiban is not only about food, but covers more. It constitutes of ethics too.

           In the application of cosmetics, it is sensible to unfold the theory of ethics to be used together with Thoyyiban dogma. Ethics are proposed to explain life principles that are competent of directing humankind towards a truthful moral act and to reflect on the moral systems devised by human. It has a practical concern and it is put together by the aspiration to unite deeds and knowledge, by means of applying this knowledge to do judgements’ of certain things accordingly and perhaps, showing the interaction between inner reflection and exterior action. The awareness of and ability to react carefully to the basic interdependence among all forms of life on the planet defines eco-ethical consciousness (Rebecca & Jeff, 2005).

          What is animal testing? Scientists use animals for many different purposes. Animal experimentation is appropriate to describe animal use in testing of consumer products, drugs and food. This includes testing eye shadow, lipstick, contact lens solution and shampoo (Vaughan, 2000). Animal testing revolves around the use of animals in experiments and development projects usually to determine toxicity, dosing and efficacy of test drugs before proceeding to human clinical trials. However, controversies arise when some people believe that animal testing is unnecessary, a poor scientific practice, and never an absolute representation of results in humans, as it involves animals getting injured, having to live through pain, and sometimes being left to suffer or die.

       From hadith, it is clear that Allah despises animal cruelty. We were thought to act humane to animals too. 

   عن شداد بن اوس ثنتان حفظتهما عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال ان الله كتب الاحسان على كل شيء فاذا قتلتم فاحسنوا القتلة واذا ذبحتم فاحسنوا الذبح وليحد احدكم شفرته فليرح ذبيحته (حديث رواه المسلم)

Shaddid b. Aus said: Two are the things which I remember Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) having said: Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way. So every one of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably. [Sahih Muslim]

Rabbits, particularly albino rabbits, for example, are commonly used in testing for cosmetics and other chemicals. The main test conducted is the Draize test, which assesses drug toxicity by dropping a substance in the rabbit’s eyes or on their skin, which are then observed for redness, irritation or any other damage. This is said to be a very painful test and the rabbits are usually killed after it is completed (Hariati Azizan, 2010).

However, there are majority of researchers whom understand and work within legal obligations regarding animal testing. Considering the concerns of public nowadays, investigators pursue the ‘three Rs’ of modern research, namely ‘a replacement of animals in research, which follows on from an active development of alternatives; a reduction in the numbers of animals used in experiments; and a refinement of laboratory and field techniques to reduce invasiveness and/or to increase the value of the results’ (Vaughan, 2000).

Having said; cosmetic products should be against animal cruelty and manufacturers should practice ethics in product testing. Many NGO’s such as British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) and Leaping Bunny under Humane Cosmetics Standard (HCS) and the Humane Household Products Standard (HHPS) have created awareness on cosmetic product safety. The heart of the issue revolves on minimizing or eliminating cruelty to animals during scientific research. This resulted in global recognition of no animal testing for cosmetic products. The climax is when the 7^th Amendment of the EU Cosmetic Directives officially includes the provision of animal testing ban for its member states.

So, are there any alternatives to animal testing? Masson et al. highlighted since tests on animals are unacceptable anymore for cosmetic companies, other alternatives have become available and accepted. Several options include tests run on human volunteers and tests run on different material than human beings to establish cosmetic efficacy based on physical, chemical, biochemical and biological data.

Saaf Pure Skincare products are claimed to be tested only on human volunteers. This may comprise self evaluations by consumers or ‘in-use tests’ in assessing the acceptance and effectiveness of a product on the targeted consumers, cosmetically trained volunteers and also studies with a well trained experimenter (with or without instrumental methods) or experts (for instance, dermatologists and estheticians to evaluate efficacy of cosmetic products on human beings by means of visual, tactile or olfactory).

The SimplySiti products are tested through human testimonials and by SimplySiti’s definition and standard, this means that every potential product are each tested on repeatedly until positive result is shown. Since some ingredients in make-up may cause allergies in some cosmetics users, the lab is very careful in its choice of ingredients. Those who are prone to acne may especially appreciate make-up range that is mild and comfortable on skin, which are meant for problematic or even the most acne skin.  Tests are conducted on human volunteers to ensure that the makeup does not clog pores or trigger blemishes. Along the same lines, those with sensitive eyes and skin may be pleased to know that all SimplySiti products for use on the sensitive areas like the eye area for example are safe and thus making them suitable even for contact lens wearers.

Another method is to test on different material than human beings (non- human tests). Studies that cannot be performed ethically on human volunteers can be done in this manner leading to constructive and relevant information, avoiding complains on pain, stress or other negative aspects. L’Oréal has made a significant contribution in discoveries and researches into animal testing alternatives. The company has pioneered the research and development of artificially grown human skin for use in skin irritancy tests called EpiSkin. Now, The Body Shop is using this revolutionary approach to testing wherever possible.

In another research of an ongoing ToxDrop project by Dr. Beatrice Schaak, “cell-on-a-chip” technology is developed. This is hoped to replace animals in toxicity screening. The chip holds dots of human cell cultures and enzymes, which imitate human reactions to potentially toxic compounds and charts reactions over time. In Kroto Research Institute, Sheffield, exploitation on tissue engineering allows the development of a 3D skin model which could be used to replace animals in tests for skin corrosivity and phototoxicity.

The cosmetic science research area has grown since 1998, especially between 2002 and 2004, funded by the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF). This facilitated the acquisition of a range of bio-engineering equipment, enabling the measurement of skin hydration, skin pH values, sebum level, trans-epidermal water loss, skin elasticity and skin colour, as well as the visualization of skin topography. In addition, the polarizing microscope, rheometer and texture analyser provided an insight into the structure and properties of various product forms used in cosmetics and toiletries (Danka Tamburic, 2006).

For the important claim of moisturization, Corneometer® (Courage & Khasaka, Germany) and Moisturemeter® measure the impedance on the surface of the skin. Skin firmness such as elasticity, tonicity and tissue cohesion, on the other hand, can be measured by using Cutometer®, Twistometer® or Ballistometer®. Chromametry namely Chromameter® (Minolta) or Mexameter® (Courage & Khasaka) are used to find out the skin tone. Flexabrasion® (Croda International, Plc, UK) gives more realistic values of the hair strength and surface quality (Karl Lintner 2009).

Therefore, eco-ethical can be viewed as free from animal cruelty, caring for the environment, not harming one’s body that is integrated in the quality and safety aspects, and fulfilling corporate social responsibility among others. Providing animal testing alternatives has become timely and crucial. The concept of halal cosmetics embraces an eco-ethical philosophy which rests well with modern and conservative Muslims worldwide.