Campaigners condemn idea of testing ‘acid attack-proof’ makeup on animals Dr Almas Ahmed said that testing her product on animals was a possibility but clarified that she intends to seek alternatives

PETA has hit out at potential plans to test ‘acid-proof’ makeup on animals after a doctor announced she was seeking funding for a laboratory to carry this out.

Dr Almas Ahmed revealed to the i she has spent the last decade formulating a compound which can be used on the face to protect against acid attacks.

She has launched a GoFundMe page with a target of raising £250,000 to fund a clinic trail in the UK of her product called Acarrier, which she says would be a world first of its kind.

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The Bradford doctor explained it had passed basic tests in India – involving testing how it works on items such as wood and meat. She also told i that the make-up’s effectiveness would then be tested on animals.

She previously said: “The UK’s regulatory system is extremely robust and it will have to go through similar tests here and then on animals. We know it works, they will just get lightly splashed.”

The animal rights organisation said splashing animals with acid would cause “an uproar”.

Emily McIvor, science policy advisor at PETA UK, said: “This plan is an abomination. There would be an uproar – not to mention legal charges – if a cat or a dog were splashed with acid outside a laboratory, but this could be the reality for animals used in crude and cruel tests to assess the effectiveness of this product.

“If it is, there will be an uproar and Dr Ahmed and her product will rightly be condemned.”

She urged the medic to use alternative, humane methods. “PETA asks Dr Ahmed to use only state-of-the-art, non-animal testing methods, including 3-dimensional reconstructed human skin models, that provide human-relevant results and spare animals the misery of burns, bloody ulcers, scabs, and extreme pain.”

When contacted over PETA’s concerns, Dr Ahmed said she is considering humane alternatives.

“We were looking at potentially testing on animals but were actively looking for other options to be cruelty free,” she said. “We are happy to support PETA and be a cruelty-free product. I want to reassure them and explain that absolutely no animal testing has taken place and would like to work with them to keep it that way.”

The law on animal testing

Animal testing on cosmetic products is now banned in the UK and Europe, which applies to everyday hygiene products, such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste, as well as perfumes and makeup.

Products that make medical claims need to undergo both toxicity and efficacy testing, which usually involves animals.

A revision to UK law has now enshrined the principles of the ‘3Rs’ – of replacement, reduction and refinement.

What is synthetic skin? Scientists have developed a technique to grow artificial skin using stem cells taken from the umbilical cord. It is used in severely burned patients, during plastic surgery of the skin, and in treatment of chronic skin wounds. New research suggests that currently available types of synthetic skin may now be good enough to imitate animal skin in laboratory tests, according to The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers from Ohio University compared the response of engineered skins to rat skin when they were both exposed to a generic skin cream treatment, and the results showed both reacted similarly. “Scientists have continued to improve the practical and aesthetic properties of synthetic skin, which suggests it may soon be ready to replace animal skin and, farther in the future, human skin,” an article on the study published on the Johns Hopkins’ website states.

This means is that when a scientist applies for a licence to conduct animal experiments, they must prove to the Home Office’s Animals in Science Regulatory Unit that there is no scientifically satisfactory non-animal based procedure that can be used instead of an animal experiment.

PETA said it intends to contact the Home Office to request confirmation that splashing animals with acid would not be approved in Britain.

Dr Ahmed is aiming to get approval of Acarrier to be able to market it globally potentially.

What is Acarrier? Dr Ahmed said that her foundation is made up of very strong bonds which make the structure impenetrable. The 32-year-old says it looks, feels, smells, and works just like regular makeup, but it’s completely heat-proof, acid-proof and water-proof. She also claims the makeup has a high heat resistance so it can’t be melted by temperatures up to 400 degrees. The medic said that she cannot at this stage reveal details of her formula for confidentially reasons. She submitted her patent last month.

After medical school, Dr Ahmed started her career as a research physician in neurosurgery then spent four years working in medical research, having worked on over 45 clinical trials.

She now works on a freelance basis as a chief investigating officer at Discogel, a company producing gel prostheses for spinal discs.

Dr Ahmed says she has ploughed £60,000 of her own money into the project which has become her “passion” .

“I first came up with the idea when I was in university and heard about Katie Piper on the news,” she told i previously. “Then I’ve been pushed on to figure out how to do it by seeing how acid attacks are such a major problem in counties such as India where they’ve sadly become normal.

“Bangladesh introduced the death penalty to punish perpetrators but it still happens there. Now the UK has one of the highest rates of acid attacks per capita in the world.

“It’s worrying times and I hope I can bring a product to market that helps people feel safer.”