I.

INTRODUCTION

A. (Attention getter) It’s no secret to us all that mankind has transcended nature. We have

risen above the food chain and asserted our dominance on this planet. We use our superi-

ority to use animals as a function. Be they for food, or scientific testing, we have lost

most regard for animal life.

B. (Reason to listen): Cosmetic testing has been a grey area in animal cruelty for quite some

time, but the harsh realities of these methods are clearly evident upon doing some brief

research.

C. (Thesis statement with preview of main points) Throughout this talk, hopefully you can

further understand the implications of using animals for cosmetic research and why it’s

cruel and unnecessary.

Transition: Before knowing the end results, it’s good to understand what goes into the processes

of cosmetic testing.

II. BODY

A.

1. According to the Humane Society website, cosmetic tests on animals are most com-

monly used on rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and mice. The tests typically consist of the follow-

ing:

a.Standard tests where materials are applied to the animals’ shaven skin or dropped

into their eyes.

b. Force-feeding tests where animals are forced to consume various products to see if

they have lasting effects.

 2. The skin-level tests are the most commonly found throughout various companies, and

are mainly used to stress-test new makeup materials to see if they damage skin or eyes.

3. As for the forced feedings, those tests are committed to see what happens when an an-

imal ingests a critical amount of said makeup materials and what effects they have.

4. Throughout these practices, the animals do not survive. They spend their time suffering

in a constant state of illness from the experimentation. Eventually, the various illnesses and mate-

rials kill them off, and they are replaced. Animals that survive these test are still considered

property of the company, and are kept for further use until their demise.

Transition: Now with a clear understanding of the process, we can look into exactly why compa-

nies do these practices.

B.

1. The humane society website also states that one reason companies keep using live an-

imals for testing is because of their biological similarities to humans. If a skin care product hurts

them, it would likely hurt us too.

2. Another good reason is that the process is relatively cheap. The animals are not pro-

tected, and thus the company does not lose any money if a testing animals dies.

3. Companies also use animals for testing because they would rather experiment with

newer alternative cosmetic materials rather than sticking to what we already know as effective.

4. All of these reasons are reinforced by the fact that cosmetic testing on animals legal in

the United States and many other countries. There are, however, some places that outlaw

these practices, like the United Kingdom (according to understandinganimalresearch.org)

Transition: Even though many countries around the world allow these inhumane practices, there

are ways to work around them.

 C.

1. As stated in Animal Testing: ProCon.org , There are alternative methods that allow us to

test the safety of new and previously unused cosmetic materials that don’t require a live subject.

2. One widely regarded method is cellular testing within a petri dish. This is not only safe

for all involved, but more beneficial as we are allowed to see what happens to human tissue on a

cellular level.

3. Epiderm and various other companies also offer various alternatives to skin-like substi-

tutes that react the same way as human skin for testing. This would allow us to use a non-living

subject and give us a visual representation of the effects.

4. Another, more simple method, is to just continue using what we already know as effec-

tive. From various tests in the past, we know what can and cannot be used on human skin. It is

quite unnecessary to attempt to find more materials if we already have various substances that

work.

Transition: Equipped with all of this knowledge, you should come to understand that animal test-

ing for cosmetics is unnecessary, unethical, and inhumane.

III. CONCLUSION

A. (Review of main points)

With a much better understanding of the situation, it is important to make this capitalistic cata-
strophe known. We have no need to hurt defenseless animals for the sake of commercialism,
when we truly have nothing to gain from it. As a whole, we would gain more profits and security
with our products through alternative forms of testing.

B. (Restatement of reason to listen)

It only takes a few minutes worth of research to see just how terrible these methods are. Hopeful-
ly through this presentation, you now understand why these practices are wrong and what we can
do to change them.
C. (Closing Statement)
No good changes will ever be made in this world unless we stand up to change them. Sometimes
mankind creates it’s own issues, but they can be resolved through perseverance and good nature.