“Not Tested on Animals” – Are You Sure?

Is It Really Cruelty-Free? Not Tested on Animals?

Many of the consumer products that we use every day, are tested on animals.

But it’s not always easy to know if the products you’re buying are really cruelty-free and genuinely not tested on animals.

What’s the Problem?

“Not tested on animals” is a surprisingly vague claim.

In many countries there are no legal guidelines for “not tested on animals,” so the company can “bend” this claim as it sees fit.

• “We don’t test our products on animals” a company can claim. OK good. But they could be testing ingredients on animals!
• Companies may say “not tested on animals” but actually pay other companies to do the testing for them.

So How Can You Tell?

You can look for logos which indicate cruelty-free products – but the logos mean different things.

Here’s how to tell.

How to Check if Your Products are Cruelty-Free

There are 3 main, well-known logos to look for.

First, this is the most reliable logo to look for – however, it’s not common outside of Australia.

Sitting Bunny with Not Tested On Animals: Companies with this logo must adhere to very strict standards and a legally-binding contract. Based in Australia, CCF (Choose Cruelty-Free) has a policy against animal-derived ingredients, too, so this logo indicates a pretty sweeping animal-free product.

If you can’t find products with that logo, the next best is Leaping Bunny: the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) applies this logo to products that it has certified.  Companies which use this logo must submit to periodic audits by the CCIC, and the company must re-submit its commitment to clear animal testing from all stages of the product’s development.

Finally, there’s the PETA logo – the Cruelty Free Bunny: this logo features a bunny face whose ears look like a pink heart, and the words “Cruelty Free” or “Beauty without Bunnies” are printed underneath.

This is the PETA certification (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). PETA is a very well known organization, famous for its celebrity endorsement of anti-fur clothing.

Be aware that this is the weakest form of the 3 famous logos. Why? Because it simply means that the company has written a statement for PETA that says they do not test on animals in any form.  It simply takes the company’s word for it.

BUT, it’s much, much better to buy a product with this logo, than with no cruelty-free logo at all!

Useful Resources / Lists of Products

Here are 2 websites that I find useful to check if brands are cruelty-free.

https://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/choose-cruelty-free-lists      and

List of Officially Cruelty-Free Brands (2024 Update)

Final Thoughts

If you were wondering why the 3 anti-cruelty logos all feature rabbits, it’s because rabbits are so commonly used in cosmetics testing.

You don’t have to be green and eco friendly to abhor cruelty to animals, but to me, living a green and eco-friendly lifestyle involves, amongst other things, doing no harm. It’s sometimes difficult, but worthy of the effort.

And as Mahatma Gandhi said:

“You can judge the morality of a nation by the way the society treats its animals”.

If you enjoyed this article, please Share, Like, Tweet or Pin it (buttons below) – thank you!