The Leaping Bunny | Photo Credit
One of the most hotly debated phrases in the beauty industry today is the statement ‘not tested on animals’.
This term is often confusing and misleading because there are a wide range of definitions that exist for cruelty-free products. Some companies claim to be against animal testing and do not test their final products on animals, but instead test the individual ingredients on animals. Others just outsource the testing to other companies and claim that they do not animal test. Frustrating, right?
The only way to be sure the product you are buying is truly cruelty-free is to look for the Leaping Bunny logo. Products bearing this mark are certified cruelty-free under the internationally recognized Humane Cosmetics Standards. Companies who undergo this rigorous certification never test their ingredients or finished products “in any phase of product development by the company, its laboratories or its suppliers” on animals.
Want to know more? Read on for five beauty companies who are all Leaping Bunny marked and who are also committed to progressing human and environmental rights.
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Afterglow Cosmetics
For girls who have sensitive skin or are wary of the ingredients used in many makeup products, Afterglow Cosmetics offers makeup formulated without petro-chemicals and parabens that doesn’t sacrifice color selection or product pay-off. All of their products are also 100% gluten-free.
In addition to pledging to never test on animals, Afterglow Cosmetics is a proud partner of the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), the premier international organization dedicated to the issues unique to young women with breast cancer. Afterglow Cosmetics donates $2 of every purchase of their Organic Infused Hydra Gloss in CIRQUE to YSC.
Paul Mitchell
There are nearly 100,000 salons in the U.S. that sell Paul Mitchell products, so chances are you’ve either seen or used some of them. In case you’re not familiar, Paul Mitchell sells high-quality, professional grade products with hundreds of editorial mentions and beauty awards.
In addition to offering some of the best products in the industry, Paul Mitchell strives to maintain a culture of giving back. Along with promising to never test on animals, Paul Mitchell has also partnered with the American Cancer Society, Chrysalis, and Grow Appalachia, as well as other human rights and environmental causes.
Burt’s Bees
Best known for their classic Beeswax Lip Balm, Burt’s Bees also offers a variety of 99-100% natural hair, face, and body products, always letting their customers know how much of the product is really natural. Although Burt’s Bees does use some animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax, royal jelly, and milk, they have never tested their ingredients or finished products on animals.
For all you ladies who are also committed to helping the environment, Burt’s Bees also uses the highest levels of post consumer recycled materials in their packaging and have partnered with the EPA’s Green Power Program to buy green power and reduce environmental impacts associated with their electricity use.
The Body Shop
If you’ve ever slathered on any of The Body Shop’s bestselling Body Butters, or achieved soft and glowing skin with one of their Body Scrubs, then you know just how skilled they are at making our bodies look and feel good.
But The Body Shop isn’t just about making their customers feel good – they want the world to feel good, too. Not only has The Body Shop been at the forefront of the fight to ban animal testing since 1996, but they have also been campaigning on various human rights and environmental issues for years. Additionally, many of their products contain Community Fair Trade ingredients.
Urban Decay
What’s not to love about Urban Decay? From their immensely popular Naked Palette, to their forever-lasting 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, to their amazing Naked Skin Finish foundation and All-Nighter Setting Spray, this edgy makeup brand is committed to churning out some of the best and most effective cosmetics on the market and ending animal testing.
In addition to being cruelty-free certified by both PETA and The Leaping Bunny Program (though they were controversially removed from – then reinstated to – both lists this year due to a move to expand to China), Urban Decay also offers a variety of vegan products, denoted by a purple paw print on their website.
Want more info?
Visit Cruelty-Free International to learn more about The Leaping Bunny and the global campaign to end animal testing.
What do you think?
Do you only buy cruelty-free cosmetics? Are you a fan of the brands listed? How do you support animal, human, and environmental rights? Let us know in the comments!
Urban decay is owned by loreal. Body shop is owned by loreal. Burts bees mother company is clorox.
Other non-cruelty brands that I love
Bath & Body Works
ELF Cosmetics
NYX
Hard Candy
LA Colors
@Ursa, L’Occitane is no longer considered cruelty-free because it’s considering to market in China, a country that requires animal testing.
I’m trying to transit my makeup/cosmetics into cruelty-free, it’s hard since I live in Taiwan and a lot of the brands mentioned above (e.g. Urban Decay, Too Faced, NYX, ELF..etc) aren’t sold here. But I’m sure that I can find cruelty free brands here if i just keep on looking! 🙂
And like Amanda mentioned above, cruelty-free mostly means that the finished product isn’t tested on animals. However, the ingredients that they use might have been tested before. So research and emailing the company with specific questions is the way to go before buying!
I’m glad this topic was chosen, BUT I really wish that lower-end cruelty free products were brought up. Being a poor college student, I will choose eating over buying a more expensive makeup brand every time.
Having said that, I urge anyone else who wants cruelty free, vegan makeup who cannot afford the high end makeup brands to look on etsy.com! Really! If you search for mineral makeup, it will not only find great-quality vegan and cruelty free, but it will also support a small business owner. Depending on the shop you buy from, eye 3 grams of loose eye shadow can be as cheap as $3, and a 5 gram bottle of mineral foundation will cost the same as a bottle of Maybeline or L’Oreal foundation.
Hell yeah! Huge fan of Burt’s Bees. Their facial products are fantastic. Thank you for bringing attention to a very important subject!
Great job! I’m a vegan and this stuff is super important to me and a lot of other girls out there who want cruelty free products that are also high fashion, classy, and/or affordable. I’d love to see more articles like this one.
So glad that this topic was chosen! I am having a hard time trying to switch everything in my life to cruelty free. A good site to follow is Vegan Beauty Review! The products she writes about are not tested on animals and have no animal products in them. She also sometimes mentions clothing that is cruelty free and eco friendly (I do not know the owner of the blog, just like the message).
Thank you so much ! This is so important.
Though not all the products in The Body Shop are cruelty free, you’ll have to check in the back (:
I think you should of done Arbonne. Arbonne is what I use and its 100% vegan and has never had animal products or been tested on animals. Arbnne has also been around around longer than other companies you listed. Arbonne also has makeup and skincare so it’s both.
So glad somebody mentioned Lush! They’re just now trying out makeup and while it’s not amazing, everything else they make is. I would love more posts like this because I’ve just recently been trying to find completely cruelty free beauty companies and it’s hard. Love this!
I LOVE that you wrote about this! I recently decided to stop purchasing from brands that test on animals and it’s actually pretty hard. It takes a lot of research to find which brands are actually worth my money.
Lush is also a great cruelty free brand, and they are all vegetarian and mostly vegan. They’re expensive but completely worth the price. As mentioned in a previous comment, Tarte is another cruelty free brand (and I cannot wait to try their mascara!).
Physicians Formula is cruelty-free, doesn’t use GMOs, and has an organic line. Kiss My Face is a vegetarian cruelty free brand. Dr. Bronner’s is USDA Organic Certified, cruelty-free, and has many fair trade options.
By now don’t we know what does and does not work? With all the animal research that has already been done we should be able to create beauty products without putting them in the eyes of rabbits. I personally will not purchase from Cover Girl, Maybelline, etc. I would rather pay triple the amount to support a brand that I believe in then fund this animal cruelty.
Ashley– Thanks for all the info! For this article, I used brands that all had the ‘Leaping Bunny’ mark so as a way to make sure that they 100% did not animal test. I didn’t mention other brands because there really isn’t any way of knowing if they animal test besides taking their word for it.
I love OCC, Bare Escentuals, NYX, Tarte, and Stila but they have not gone through the Humane Cosmetics Standards certification.
I am from central Europe and I dont think these brands are available here. But in DM drugstore there is Alverde (made by Germans) and it is my new favorite brand.
Im glad somebody finally thinks about animals too, so thanks for this article. :-)))
Marissa, I think it would be good to offer brands that are low, medium and high end as well as other focuses in the beauty industry like hair care. I personally try my best not to purchase from any companies (or their parent companies) that support animal testing.
Here are some well known brands I am aware of that are cruelty free.
Bare Escentials (Shiseldo), NYX, E.LF, OOC, Tarte, Stila, Too Faced, Hard Candy,
I would give some indie cosmetic companies some love too as their are a lot that are cruelty free. I personally buy my foundation exclusively from Meow Cosmetics based in the U.S. They don’t mass produce product and only make product when the orders come in. Makeup Geek also sells her own cruelty free line now.
I’m a natural curly girl so the products that I use in my hair that are cruelty free are: Devacurl, Kinky Curly, Giovanni and Live Clean.
I know there are a lot more than this but these are brands that I’ve used / use.
Great article – thanks for highlighting the fact that even though a lot of brands say they’re cruelty-free, animal testing is somehow still involved in the process.
Also, there’s a great Leaping Bunny app you can download on your phone so that if you’re on the go in Target or CVS or whatnot, you can check brands before buying. Crazy useful!
I only buy cruelty-free, and I was pleased to see you bring this up on College Fashion. It’s something a lot of people don’t seem to think about. Just wanted to point out though – Burt’s Bees is owned by Clorox and The Body Shop is owned by L’Oreal… so while Burt’s Bees and The Body Shop’s own brands don’t necessarily test, money from purchasing from those brands ultimately goes to companies that DO test. People might say they’re showing Clorox and L’Oreal that they like their cruelty-free brands by purchasing from them. Everyone’s definition of cruelty-free is different though. To me, it’s better to avoid brands that are owned by companies that still test, and instead support other brands out there that are 100% cruelty-free. (This is obviously a touchy subject and I’m not trying to accuse or offend anyone – just sharing some info and my two cents!)