Understanding cruelty-free logos

With the cruelty-free movement on the rise, I thought I would dedicate an entire post to talking about cruelty-free logos. Some logos are legitimate, some are completely made up, and they don’t always mean the same thing. I know, it can get very confusing. So in this post, I explain what the cruelty-free logos mean and how to spot a fake one.

Cruelty-Free Certifications

There are three cruelty-free organizations that certify brands as cruelty-free. Leaping Bunny, PETA and Choose Cruelty-Free are the only official bunny logos that certifies brands. If you see one of these logos, the brand is officially cruelty-free. However, these logos do not all mean the same level of cruelty-free. Below I break down what each official cruelty-free bunny logo represents.

Leaping Bunny

Leaping Bunny is considered the golden standard for certifying brands. To be Leaping Bunny certified, the brand cannot test on animals. The brand’s ingredient suppliers also cannot test on animals, and the brand cannot sell in China at all, or any country that requires animal testing. Leaping Bunny does not take the parent company into account, though. So if that is something that matters to you, double check the 100% Cruelty-Free Brands List to make sure the brand is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals.

PETA

You cannot ALWAYS trust the PETA logo. There are tons of PETA certified cruelty-free brands that are in fact 100% cruelty-free. But then there are some PETA certified brands who sell in China and are subject to post-market animal testing. The chance that post-market animal testing can happen in China right now are veryyyy slim, and that’s why PETA believes it is okay to certify them as cruelty-free. (Read more about this here.) However, I do not want to support a brand that is willing to take ANY chance on animal testing, so I don’t consider any brand that sells in China to be cruelty-free at this time. PETA also only requires the brand to take a pledge, and may or may not do routine audits. The takeaway here is that if you see a PETA logo, you may need to do some additional research. You can always double check by going to the 100% Cruelty-Free Brands List as well.

Some exampes of PETA certified brands that sell in China: Herbal Essences, Dove, Aussie, and Wet N Wild.

Some examples of PETA certified brands that are 100% cruelty-free: Bliss, Makeup Revolution, Aether Beauty.

Choose Cruelty-FREE

Choose Cruelty-Free is Australian-based and is another golden standard. They are at the highest level of authority on certifying brands as cruelty-free. They have the same standards as Leaping Bunny, but the parent company must also be certified. Before getting the certification, the brand must also be cruelty-free for 5 years. If you see a Choose Cruelty-Free bunny logo, the brand is 100% cruelty-free per the Free The Bunnies standard.

how to spot a fake cruelty-free logo

If you see a bunny logo that is not Leaping Bunny, PETA or Choose Cruelty-Free, it’s fake. It is something that the brand pulled off of the internet or generated themselves. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because the brand could still be 100% cruelty-free without a certification. Brands do not have to get a cruelty-free certification, and they can still be cruelty-free. However, some brands that are not truly 100% cruelty-free use it as well. Below are some fake cruelty-free logos that you could come across.

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If you spot a fake logo, definitely do your own research. Even though they could truly be 100% cruelty-free, the term “cruelty-free” is not regulated. This means that any brand could slap a bunny logo or any cruelty-free claim on their bottle, no matter how true it is. This is seen with a lot of brands who don’t test the finished product on animals, but they sell in China, or their ingredients are tested on animals. It’s only *partly* true. To verify if the brand is truly 100% cruelty-free, double check using the 100% Cruelty-Free Brands List when you’re out shopping.

I hope this helps you understand the different cruelty-free logos you could spot when you’re out shopping. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a message down below!

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XO, Stephanie