The Truth Behind Cruelty-Free Makeup

Think about it, do you really want your makeup tested on animals? Why should animals be tortured in the name of our beauty and if it can’t be tested on humans, do you really want to put it on your face? I don’t. You may have noticed (thankfully) there is a big push for cosmetics companies to stop testing on animals. You might also be amazed in this day and age how many cosmetics companies are still animal testing. While doing my research on this post I thought I would find a lot more cruelty-free cosmetics than I actually found. One of the main reasons major cosmetics brands still do this form of testing is because if they want to sell in China (and many do because it’s a massive market) they must test on animals.

ARE ALL CRUELTY-FREE COSMETICS CREATED EQUALLY?

Well yes, that’s sorta the point – but the truth is not all cruelty-free makeup has the leaping bunny certification. And just because they don’t have that little leaping bunny label does not mean it’s not cruelty-free. If the label on the tube reads “not tested on animals” and you don’t see that little leaping bunny, you can still trust it’s cruelty-free. Getting that official leaping bunny logo is a little more complicated than you’d think.

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I had a long discussion about this very issue with my friend Candice Sabatini, Beauty Director and Skin Care Editor of Beauty News NYC who commented, “Having the Leaping Bunny on the cosmetic label is proof that the product ingredients have not been tested on animals. However, don’t be put off if a label doesn’t have the official bunny, yet says their product is cruelty-free, and not tested on animals. Getting the leaping bunny certification is a process. Small companies often can’t afford the fees associated in the testing, or paying for the right to use the official logo especially when they are busy growing their business and adding new products to their line. So having the bunny is nice, but not having the bunny doesn’t mean it’s not a cruelty-free product.”

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The Cruelty-Free Leaping Bunny Logo

HOW ELSE CAN YOU TELL IF PRODUCTS ARE CRUELTY-FREE?

So how can you know if the product is cruelty free? Well besides reading the label, do a little research if this is an important issue to you. There are some fantastic small companies making amazing products (like dry hair shampoo) and just because they don’t have that leaping bunny logo on their packaging, you shouldn’t rule them out. Many cruelty-free brands are using other bunny logos to show they are indeed not testing on animals.

Also don’t be worried you will have to pay more for cruelty-free products. Some brands you can find at your drugstore and Walmart are cruelty-free! Brands like Hard Candy, Flower and Wet N’ Wild (you really can’t get cheaper than that brand) are all cruelty-free. So it is possible to find quality cruelty-free makeup for every budget.

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW

If you are really into this issue you should know there are some cruelty-free brands that are owned by a parent company that tests on animals. Those are usually the ones that have makeup brands they sell in China. So again, do your research. Sadly giant companies like L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, CoverGirl, Maybelline and Avon still test on animals, but hopefully one day that will change.

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PETA’s Cruelty Free Logo

In conclusion, there are basically three types of cruelty free brands; those that have the Leaping Bunny certification, those that have signed the PETA pledge and those that simply say they are cruelty-free. I’d trust all three because you would have to be an animal to lie and say you don’t test on animals if you do. One way to check is to make sure the product is not sold in China.

MAKEUP BRANDS THAT DO NOT TEST ON ANIMALS

Anastasia Beverly Hills
Bare Escentuals
Becca
BITE Beauty
The Body Shop Makeup
Burt’s Bees
By Terry
Cargo
Chantecaille
Charlotte Tilbury
Chella Beauty
Ciaté London
Colorescience
ColourPop Cosmetics
CoverFX
Duri
DuWop
Edward Bess
ELF cosmetics
Ellis Fass
Face Atelier
Flower
Hard Candy
Hourglass
Huda Beauty
Ilia
Jane
Jane Ireddale
Josie Maran
Kat Von D
Koh Gen Do
Lipstick Queen
Manic Panic
Milani
Milk Makeup
NARS
Natasha Denonia
Nuance by Salma Hayek
NudeStix
NYX Cosmetics
Physicians Formula
Pixi
Prestige Cosmetics
Pure Minerals
Rouge Bunny Rouge
Sonia Kashuk
Tata Harper
Too Faced
Urban Decay
Wander Beauty
Wet N’ Wild
Youngblood

You can also look here to see if a brand you love is cruelty-free: leapingbunny.org and check their compassionate shopping guide.

* Please let me know if I left out a favorite or another brand our readers should know about. I tried to keep this list to cosmetics only and know there are many beauty and skincare lines that are also cruelty-free which I will attack in another post at another time.

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