“Beauty will save the world.” This quote, plucked from Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot, is often taken literally when the word “beauty” is interpreted differently than the author himself interpreted it. To understand the meaning of the expression, you need to read the writer’s novel, then it will become clear that external aesthetics has nothing to do with it, but the great Russian writer spoke about the beauty of the soul …
Have you ever heard the hackneyed expression “like a guinea pig”? But how many have thought about its origin? There is such a test when testing cosmetics, it is called the Dreiser test. The test substance is applied to the eye of the rabbits with the head fixed so that the animal cannot reach the eye. The test lasts for 21 days, during which time the rabbit’s eye is corroded by the drug. Sophisticated mockery in a civilized world. You say animals don’t have souls? There is a reason for dispute here, but there is no doubt that animals, birds, fish have a central nervous system, which means that they are able to feel pain. So does it really matter who hurts – a person or a monkey, if both creatures suffer from it?
For everyday issues, personal affairs, we do not think about such things, as it seems to us, that are not close to us. Some people try to convince themselves that this is how life works. But isn’t that hypocrisy? guess (Although the thought is creepy)that the testing described above will leave someone indifferent, will not horrify, will not awaken humanity in him. Then here’s a challenge for you: why test cosmetics on animals if all its components are safe? Or are they still unsafe?
Usually those manufacturers who know that their cosmetics are harmful are tested on animals, they only need to check the evidence of harm, cosmetologist Olga Oberyukhtina is sure.
“The manufacturer assumes in advance that there is a potential harm to the complex of chemical components contained in his products, and he conducts a test on a living being in order to determine how obvious the harm is, in other words, how quickly an external reaction to cosmetics will appear in a potential buyer,” says the beautician . – There is such a thing in medicine – fast-type hypersensitivity, that is, negative consequences are detected immediately. If this happens, the manufacturer will go bankrupt! If the test reveals delayed-type hypersensitivity, the products can be put on the market! Such a reaction is extended over time, it will be difficult for the buyer to directly associate external negative impacts with the use of a particular product.
Olga Oberyukhtina, having a medical education, makes cosmetics herself, and knows that in nature there are many components that do not require testing: “Honey, beeswax, cold-pressed oils. If we can eat them, there is no need for testing.” In addition, through her own research, Olga found that most of the substances contained in many creams for sale are not aimed at bringing health to the skin: “Look at the composition of creams, lotions, it is very inspiring, just a small chemical laboratory! But if you start to understand them, it turns out that out of about 50 components, only 5 are basic, related to the skin, they are harmless – water, glycerin, herbal decoctions, etc. The rest of the components work for the manufacturer! As a rule, they increase the duration of the cream, improve its appearance.
Animal experiments are carried out in four areas: drug testing – 65%, basic scientific research (including military, medical, space, etc.) – 26%, production of cosmetics and household chemicals – 8%, in the educational process in universities – 1%. And if medicine, as a rule, can justify its experiments – they say, we are trying for the good of mankind, then mockery of animals in the production of cosmetics occurs for the sake of human whim. Although today even medical experiments are questionable. People who swallow pills in handfuls do not look cheerful and healthy. But there are more and more followers of vegetarianism, a raw food diet, who are tempered by the cold, live up to a hundred years, who have not visited a doctor’s office in their entire lives. So, you see, there is reason to think here.
mention of vivisection (in translation, the word means “living cut”), or experiments on animals, we find in ancient Rome. Then the court physician of Marcus Aurelius, Galen, began to do this. However, vivisection became widespread in the late 17th century. The idea of humanism first sounded loudly in the 19th century, then the famous vegetarians Bernard Shaw, Galsworthy and others began to speak out in defense of animal rights, against vivisection. But only in the 20th century did the opinion appear that the experiments, in addition to being inhumane, were also unreliable! Treatises, books of scientists and physicians have been written about this.
“I would like to emphasize that there was never a need for animal experiments, what originated in Ancient Rome is an absurd wild accident that developed by inertia, led to what we have now,” says Alfiya, coordinator of the VITA-Magnitogorsk Center for Human Rights. Karimov. “As a result, up to 150 million animals die every year due to experiments – cats, dogs, mice, monkeys, pigs, etc. And these are just official numbers.” Let’s add that now there are a number of alternative studies in the world – physical and chemical methods, studies on computer models, on cell cultures, etc. These methods are cheaper and, according to many scientists … more precisely. Virologist, member of the committee of the Russian Academy of Sciences Galina Chervonskaya believes that even today 75% of experimental animals could be replaced by cell cultures.
And finally, for reflection: a person calls experiments on people torture …
PS Products that are not tested on animals are marked with a trademark: a rabbit in a circle and the inscription: “Not tested for animals” (Not tested on animals). White (humane cosmetics) and black (testing companies) lists of cosmetics can be easily found on the Internet. They are available on the website of the organization “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” (PETA), the website of the Center for the Protection of Animal Rights “VITA”.
Ekaterina SALAHOVA.