Human Guinea Pigs Risked Their Skin for Soap
Nowadays, many cosmetic products like soap or shampoo are actually tested on animals in order to see what kinds of reactions they might have and avoid selling any products that could be harmful, but human testing can still be necessary as people don’t always react the same way as other species like rabbits and guinea pigs.
Women volunteers test effects of soap suds on hands, 1954. (Photo by Walter Nurnberg/SSPL/Getty Images)
Women, like those seen in the photo, would have to immerse their hands in bowls of soapy water in order to see how their skin might react. It seems relatively simple on the outside but could actually be quite a dangerous job. Modern scientists understand elements and chemicals much better nowadays than they did in the 1950s, so these women were putting themselves at risk of rashes, allergic reactions, acid burns, and many more unwanted side effects.