Animal testing has long been a controversial topic with no easy answers. While animal welfare advocates deem it an unnecessary cruelty, it remains a highly effective method for determining the safety of products. It’s a polarizing debate, but now one cosmetics company is empowering consumers to make their own choice on the matter according to their own beliefs: Revlon has announced that they are discontinuing animal testing but will now be including a rat with each tube of lipstick in case you want to do it yourself.
Awesome! Finally, a way to make everyone happy.
Revlon announced the news in a press release earlier this week, explaining that all of their lip products will now come packaged with a live lab rat and a small set of surgical instruments so that consumers can perform experiments on the animal if they’d like to make their own determination as to whether or not the product is safe for human use. This way, individuals who need to inflict suffering and death on innocent creatures to feel safe can do so, while those who are opposed to animal testing can simply free the rats in their backyards and use the products as usual.
Revlon has started promoting the rat-inclusive packaging with the tagline, “We don’t test on animals, but you can,” neutrally positioning themselves in a way that appeals to animal rights advocates while not casting judgement on those who choose to pin down rodents and rub lipstick all over them so they can have some peace of mind. The marketing is also inviting to morally ambiguous individuals who would largely prefer not to harm animals but occasionally would like to test out a lip shade on a rat first to make sure it looks good before putting it on themselves.
What an amazing innovation!
Whoever came up with the idea of packaging a lab rat with lipstick and leaving the testing up to the customer deserves a massive raise, because this is a brilliant yet simple solution to an impossibly complex issue. Whether you’re someone who tries to lead a do-no-harm lifestyle or someone who sometimes feels the need to expose rats to unfamiliar chemicals to make sure you don’t get a rash or whatever, Revlon has the perfect line of products for you. It’s great knowing that you don’t have to be cruel—although totally cool if you want to!—in order to feel beautiful.
