The world of cruelty-free cosmetics isn’t as easy to navigate as it seems. One of the biggest tactics big brands use to mislead cruelty-free customers is to claim that their products aren’t tested on animals when their ingredients actually are.
A product that is vegan is not only cruelty-free but also does not contain any animal ingredient or animal derived ingredients. This includes honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumin, carmine, cholesterol, and gelatin – as well as many others.
Whether an ingredient was derived from an animal is not always clear. Many companies remove the word “animal” from their ingredient labels in order to avoid putting off consumers and to increase profit margins. Animal ingredients are used not because they are better than vegetable-derived or synthetic ingredients but rather because they are generally cheaper. Today’s slaughterhouses must dispose of the byproducts of the slaughter of billions of animals every year and have found an easy and profitable solution in selling them to food and cosmetics manufacturers.
There are plenty of companies that PETA has endorsed as being both cruelty-free and vegan (these are also often endorsed by Leaping Bunny as well). However, just like with cruelty-free items, it’s often wise to e-mail the company directly and ask. There are lots of beauty companies that are cruelty-free and offer a mostly vegan selection of items. These companies often are more than happy to tell you exactly what items and shades are vegan. If they are unable to give you a clear answer, it’s best to avoid products by that company.
In the same way that organizations provide brands with logos to denote a researched cruelty-free status, the same also exists for vegan products. There are two logos that are used to show that a product is certified vegan – the one issued by Vegan Action and the one issued by The Vegan Society.
WHAT DEFINE CRUELTY-FREE?
For a product to be cruelty-free, there should be no form of animal testing at any point in the product’s creation. It’s common for companies to not test the final product on animals, but test it along the way or to use ingredients that have been tested on animals by a third-party. These products, no matter what the packaging says, are not cruelty-free. If you aren’t sure about a product, it’s always a good idea to contact the company itself and ask flat-out if they test on animals in any way during the creation of the process. Most companies who do not test on animals and whose suppliers do not test will give you a prompt reply stating so. If you do not receive a reply, or if the reply gives you an unclear answer, then it’s best to not purchase products from this company just to be safe.
One of the easiest ways to spot a cruelty-free product is to look for the official Leaping Bunny logo.
The Standard is short for the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals, a voluntary pledge that cosmetic, personal care, and/or household product companies make to clear animal testing from all stages of product development. The company’s ingredient suppliers make the same pledge and the result is a product guaranteed to be 100% free of new animal testing. All Leaping Bunny companies must be open to independent audits, and commitments are renewed on an annual basis.
Can a company be cruelty-free and not have the Leaping Bunny Logo? It’s possible though unless the company in question goes through their certification process, Leaping Bunny cannot guarantee that it is truly cruelty-free. Joining the Leaping Bunny Program is free for companies. The only cost associated with the program comes with the optional licensing of the Leaping Bunny Logo. Adaptation of the logo is not required and fees are fed directly back into the program because they pay for the audits conducted by companies to verify compliance with the standard. Regardless, all Leaping Bunny certified companies are listed in the program’s Compassionate Shopping Guide, available as both a wallet-sized insert and as a free app for iPhones and Android phones. As always, when in doubt, contact the company with a clear and specific question. You can ask just about their process and also the process of any of their suppliers. A clear and specific response back is usually a good sign.
Products that are not tested on animals are not necessarily vegan. Commonly used ingredients are: honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumin, carmine, cholesterol, gelatin, etc. If you wish to avoid these ingredients, then buying vegan products would be a good course of action for you to take.
There are several independent third parties that certify products as having not been tested on animals, including Choose Cruelty-Free, the Leaping Bunny, and PETA. All three organizations compile lists of companies that sign statutory declarations promising they do not test, nor do they allow others to test on their behalf, any products or ingredients on animals. These bodies do not certify companies that sell their products in markets like China, where animal testing is required.
However, it is important to note that in some cases, even companies that stay away from the Chinese market may be penalised by the certifiers on the basis of their parent company’s stance on animal testing.
Not all logos are created equal; just because they’ve put a bunny on it, doesn’t make it cruelty-free. Look for an official logo from one of the third party certifiers.
Cruelty-Free International
