|
The controversial subject of cosmetic testing on animals can spark very heated and lively discussions, with advocates for-or-against taking their respective stance.
 |
on this page |
As a humanist a person cannot act indifferently when looking at these various testing methods – yet a point can be made for animal cosmetic testing as well.
None of the skin care products manufactured by Sallamander Concepts are tested on animals – that includes the herbal Ageless skin care range, the hi-tech Dermaxime anti-aging skin care products, Dermaxime acne and problem skin range and Crème de Vie anti-wrinkle cream.
Our South African director - Michael Meyer is personally against animal testing, because of the moral issues involved, yet understands the need for safe human products.
Michael did research on sun damage of the skin at a large French manufacturer, just outside Paris, many decades ago, and was abhorred by the tests performed on hairless mice to test SPF factors.
Due to his personal experience in witnessing such testing, he will not allow animals to be used for any testing of cosmetics manufactured by Sallamander Concepts.
Therefore, Sallamander Concepts only use safe and non-toxic ingredients and ingredients that do not require animal testing.
All testing is done either in a clinical setting at our research laboratory – using volunteers – to check the clinical action of active ingredients. We require this testing to make substantiated claims on the effectiveness of our products.
To test for allergic reactions and for any side effects, we use human volunteers in a non-clinical setting, to research if any of our completed skin care products will pose any problems to the end user.
None of our products use ingredients from animal source or any by-products of animals.
The United States of America FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not specifically mandate that products have to be tested on animals, but urges cosmetic manufacturers to ensure that their products are safe for use.
Although the FDA supports and adheres to provisions of applicable laws, regulations and policies regarding animal testing, including the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals - this area is still a controversial one.
To sit in judgment on this issue is also not fair to the FDA - as they are charged by the United States government to ensure the safety of American consumers, and if they did not do their work properly, people would have the option of suing the FDA for not looking after the health of the nation and allowing dangerous ingredients to be used.
It is unfortunate that people always want to have somebody responsible - just to move the burden of responsibility away from themselves and dump it on somebody else. In modern society you find more-and-more that people will not accept responsibility for their own actions - and mistakes - and for this reason an institution like the FDA must take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of American citizens.
All ingredients used by us are safe, and their safety has been established beyond a shadow of a doubt, and therefore we are not required, in terms of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, to perform any animal testing.
Should a company use untested ingredients in their products, they need to test them on animals, since that is currently the only method to determine safety as prescribed by the FDA.
The moral and ethical right for human beings to use animals for testing purposes is opposed by many people, and their concern is well founded.
Yet - in the public interest careful and responsible manufacturers need to ensure that untested and untried cosmetic ingredients are safe for human use. And with this moral and ethical dilemma and stalemate, we rather opt to use safe ingredients that do not require animal testing.
| 
