Countless animals are forced to suffer in order to test our cosmetics. These products are dripped in their eyes, rubbed on their skin, and forced down their throats.
This inhumane practice is NOT necessary for cosmetic testing. Good quality and cruelty cosmetic products exist and they are readily available. Consumers just need to know what to look for.
If you want to know whether or not a product is cruelty free, you need to do is look for the cruelty free label first. However, it needs to be the right cruelty free label. Unfortunately many companies have found and have taken loop holes to trick consumers into thinking a product was humanely produced. Let's run through a few of these loopholes to look out for.
1) The company claims: "We don't test on animals"
Companies that state that they do not test on animals may be paying others to do it.
This happens mostly with products that are imported or sold in countries like China, where animal testing is necessary for a cosmetic product to go on the market.
The loophole allows companies to test on animals without being held accountable. Yes, the company is not directly doing testing in one of their own laboratories, but they are still responsible. Just because a third party is the one physically doing the testing, doesn't mean the company was not an accomplice.
2) The company uses an unofficial logo on their packaging
When checking for a cruelty free logo, only trust the official logos. A company can chose to put an trademarked bunny logo on their packaging to suggest they are cruelty free even if they are not.
An official logo certifies that a company has committed to following a specific set of guidelines and have shown proof that they have a no animal testing policy.
It is also a good idea to check on the organisation who owns the logo's website to make sure that the company didn't use the trademarked logo without permission. The websites will contain a database of approved companies.
The logos in the image below (Left to right: Leaping Bunny, Caring Consumer, CCF Rabbit) are trademarked. If you see these logos on a products packaging and the compnay is listed on these organisations databases, it is a pretty safe bet that you have found a real cruelty-free product.
3) The company claims: "This product was not tested on animals"
If it is written on the packaging that the product was not tested on animals, it could mean that the ingredients were. Testing is not always necessarily done on the final product.
Make sure to check if the company's suppliers are cruelty free. The suppliers of the materials may be testing their products in their own laboratories, another example of the company not being held accountable for inhumane production procedures.
4) The company claims that they are "cruelty free"
There is no legal definition of cruelty free. This means that the label cruelty free can be used by anyone and can be defined whichever way they like without liability. The best way to handle this is to look for the trademarked logos and to ask the company specific questions in regards to animal testing. Ask if their products and ingredients are tested on animals. Ask if their suppliers are cruelty free. Ask if their products are tested by a third party on their behalf.
The best way to beat animal testing is to stop buying tested products. Using these tips, you can easily find real cruelty free products at your local supermarket or drugstore. Good luck!
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For more information and examples about cruelty free loopholes, check out
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