Animal Testing: A Cosmetic History

In 1944, toxicologists John H. Draize and Jacob M. Spines developed the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Parascandola/publication/11728285_The_development_of_the_Draize_test_for_eye_toxicity/links/556e0fea08aeab777226a092/The-development-of-the-Draize-test-for-eye-toxicity.pdf" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Draize Test</a>. The Draize Test is a toxicity test used to determine which cosmetics were safe for eyes and skin. It involved a small amount of product being dropped into the eye of a restrained, conscious animal. After a certain amount of time had passed, the product was then washed out. Observations of the animal were made for up to 2 weeks. Besides the controversial practice of keeping the animal awake, many were killed if the damage was irreversible. The animals used were mainly albino rabbits, but other domestic animals were used as well. These tests are now considered unscientific, as<a href="https://safermedicines.org/reports/Perspectives/vol_1_1989/Problems%20with%20the%20Draize.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank"> the structure of the rabbits’ eyes is different from those of a human</a>. They would also often have inconsistent and unreliable answers when repeated. <a href="https://medium.com/think-dirty/animal-testing-a-cosmetic-history-290c4121ae4d">Website</a>