Explained: Cruelty-free Certifications
Beauty product manufacturers are becoming more conscientious about ensuring products are not tested on animals. This shift has occurred due to a growing consumer consciousness about the need for clean products. While it is easy to make claims about being cruelty free, there are 3 official certifications from specific bodies that ensure conformance to these claims.
The most far reaching of these is Cruelty Free International’s Leaping Bunny Program which also includes the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments and the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics. This certification endorses that the product was produced without animal testing by the company themselves and also that there was no third party commissioned animal testing. It is also ensures that no party in the supply chain conducts animal testing and the product is not sold in any country that requires animal testing. We have a number of brands that conform to this gold standard of cruelty free products here at Socialite Beauty including 100% Pure, Bāsd Body Care, Captain Blankenship, Goddess Garden, Ilia Beauty, and Ursa Major among others.
Another certification is issued by PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies Program. It is a cruelty free logo that certifies that the company does not condition or conduct any tests on animals of its ingredients or products. A popular certification, we have a number of brands that conform to this and are certified by PETA as being cruelty free including 100% Pure, Coola Suncare, Glo Skin Beauty, Hynt Beauty, John Masters Organics, Kaia Naturals, and Lily Lolo among many others.
It is important to note that cruelty free does not mean vegan.
A company may not test any products on animals in any part of their supply chain but their products can still contain animal products rendering them non-vegan. There are plenty of cruelty free certified companies that sell non-vegan products. So if you are looking not just for cruelty free but also vegan products, bear in mind that you may need to look specifically for products that are certified vegan as well as cruelty free.