Since day one, our mission has been to create the highest-quality products at approachable prices. We’re excited to announce that we are now Leaping Bunny certified as a cruelty-free brand.

But what does it mean to be a cruelty-free skincare brand? The increased focus surrounding ethical manufacturing processes has made brands and customers alike evaluate their production and consumption behaviors, respectively.

What does it mean to be cruelty-free?

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is an ‘unrestricted use’ of the phases “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals” as there are no legal definitions for either term. This can lead to creative interpretation, of sorts, on the brand’s part to present the most-favorable representation of its manufacturing process and ingredient selection integrity. Once again, marketing trends outpace regulation. 

Today, there is no regulation in the United States or Canada for the term 'cruelty-free'. Claims such as "cruelty-free" or "not tested on animals," or even the simple image of a bunny might refer to or suggest the finished product. But in fact, nearly all animal testing occurs at the ingredient level. The ole square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square trick. In theory, a company could still outsource its testing on animals to a third party, yet claim ‘we do not test on animals.’ According to Leaping Bunny, the only way to be 100% certain a company is cruelty-free is to buy products from companies that have been certified by the Leaping Bunny Program, which requires that no new animal testing be used in any phase of product development by the company, its laboratories, or ingredient suppliers.