Yup, you read that right. A company may state that they do not test on animals or that they are cruelty-free, but it could be misleading, and they know it too. Cruelty-free products are becoming more popular everyday so if a company can advertise as ‘cruelty-free’ to get you to buy their product, they are going to take advantage.
Some companies may look at one aspect of being cruelty-free and use that to gain cruelty-free status, but it is quite deceptive. Even if a brand claims they are “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals”, they might not actually be cruelty-free if any of these are valid:
- They sell in China
- They do not verify their ingredient suppliers aren’t testing on animals
- They hire third parties to conduct animal testing on their behalf
Here are some tips to determine whether a company is TRULY cruelty-free or if it is complete bs.
Does the company sell their brands in China?
If a company says they are cruelty-free, that may be true for countries where animal testing is optional. In mainland China however, it is required by law to have all imported products animal-tested prior to sale. Domestic products sold in China are subject to animal testing after they hit the shelves if there is a safety concern. So, if a company sells their products in China, they are not 100% cruelty-free.
If they are selling to third parties that test on animals, such as China, then they are looking at profitability before animal cruelty.
Is the brand owned by a parent company who tests on animals?
If you go to your local Ulta or Sephora and look at certain beauty stands, they may advertise that the brand is cruelty-free. However, that brand may be owned by a parent company who tests on animals, which brands typically do not openly advertise.
Whether or not to support a cruelty-free brand that is owned by a parent company who tests on animals is a grey area and ultimately comes down to what you can personally accept from brands you want to support. But for the sake of this discussion, the reason why non-cruelty free parent companies seek out cruelty-free brands is to make profit from the cruelty-free market without sacrificing their own practices. If you are buying from a cruelty-free brand who is owned by a non-cruelty free parent company, you are ultimately supporting the parent company that is not cruelty-free.
Does the label advertise ‘finished product not tested on animals’ or something similar without a bunny logo?
If the bottle label advertises ‘not tested on animals’ or ‘cruelty-free’ without an official Leaping Bunny or Choose Cruelty Free certified bunny logo , you need to verify the brand is in fact cruelty-free. If the brand is not on the Free The Bunnies cruelty-free brands list, chances are that it is not really cruelty-free.
The final product may not have been tested on animals before hitting the shelves, which allows brands to unofficially advertise as cruelty-free, because technically the finished product is. However, to have true cruelty-free status, all of the following must be true for the brand:
- They do not test on animals during any part of production
- They do not order materials from any third party vendor who tests on animals
- They do not have third parties test their products on animals on their behalf
- They do not sell their products in countries that require animal testing (i.e. mainland China)
- They are not owned by a parent company who tests on animals
The companies that put ‘not tested on animals’ on their labels don’t test their final products on animals, which is nice, but they may not be following all of the rules above.
Is the brand PETA certified cruelty-free?
PETA is known for certifying brands that are made and sold in China, because PETA believes that brands have a way around animal testing if the products are made in China (Dove for example). However, this is not the case, and any brand sold in China, regardless of place of manufacture, is still subject to post-market animal testing. You can read more on China’s animal testing laws here.
If a brand is PETA certified cruelty-free, it is important to double check the cruelty-free brands list.
I hope you found this helpful for the next time you go out shopping for some new cruelty-free beauty products.
If you enjoyed this post or would like to know more information about certain brands or products, be sure to leave a comment below. And remember – having a vegan, cruelty-free beauty routine, while a small change in your everyday life, can have the largest impact on the world around us.
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XO, Stephanie
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