Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Eve Dawes
A comprehensive cruelty free makeup brand guide | How to spot leaping bunny certified brands & what the Leaping Bunny logo means
Which makeup brands are cruelty free? Leaping Bunny and the cruelty free bunny logo are logos most of us are familiar with. Leaping Bunny certified means a brand has submitted all of its ingredients and suppliers to Leaping Bunny and met with their standards to get certified. There are other cruelty free logos but this is one of the most recognized and if you see it you know the brands met the strict Leaping Bunny brand criteria. However, not all brands use this logo or cruelty-free symbols as they cost to use and for smaller brands it may not be in their budget. So don’t just rely on the leaping bunny logo. Here’s how to find cruelty free makeup brands with and without the cruelty free logo.
How to tell if a brand’s cruelty free
Some skincare and makeup companies wording can be a little ambiguous and lead you to believe they’re cruelty free. Others change their policy depending on where they’re manufacturing and selling. So it can be hard to keep up.
With all of the sales coming up like Sephora’s 20% off sale, Black Friday and small business Saturday I wanted to add some clarity on how to tell if a product or brands cruelty-free and know if it’s truly a cruelty free makeup brand. The leaping bunny logo is a great place to start but it’s not the full picture or the only way to tell.
What does the Leaping bunny logo mean
The Leaping Bunny Logo is the only internationally recognized symbol guaranteeing consumers that no new animal tests were used in the development of any product displaying it. The Logo can be seen on packaging, advertising, and websites for cosmetics and household products around the world.
5 ways to find cruelty-free brands and beauty products
Here are my top 5 tips for identifying cruelty free makeup brands:
5 ways to find cruelty-free brands | The Leaping Bunny logo, cruelty free logos & more
There are 5 easy ways to check for cruelty free makeup brands:
1. Look for certified leaping bunny logos on product packaging and website product descriptions
Keep an eye out for one of the certified bunny logos on a product’s packaging to ensure the product wasn’t tested on animals. It’s usually displayed prominently on the product packaging and a fast and easy way to ensure the product is cruelty-free.
The downfall of this method is that companies have to pay to license and use one of the certified cruelty free bunny logos. Which new or small indie makeup brands often can’t afford to do. Even though they meet all of the standards and have gone through the lengthy certification process. The certification process involves paperwork submissions from all of the companies the brand sources its ingredients from.
They can then get leaping bunny certification and say they’re cruelty and be listed on leaping bunny’s website, they just won’t be able to use the logo.
TIP: Don’t just look for the logo, look at the wording.
2. Use an online list of certified cruelty-free brands
Google an online list of certified cruelty-free makeup brands or something brand specific. Unlike the first method of looking for the leaping bunny logo, a company doesn’t have to pay to be on a list of cruelty-free brands.
They still need to meet all of the cruelty-free standards but using this method will ensure you aren’t missing out on any noteworthy brands or brands that have changed their policies.
Cruelty free makeup brand lists you can trust are:
- Leaping bunny brands cruelty-free brands list
- Choose Cruelty Free
- Beauty Without Bunnies
- Google specific brand name e.g: Is Dawes Custom Cosmetics cruelty free? It is btw. Results will also normally tell you if they’re vegan and the year they went or were certified cruelty-free.
The cruelty-free brand lists are organized alphabetically by the brand name. So as long as you know the cosmetic company name, you can refer to the list. You can also discover new brands this way.
TIP: Check Leaping Bunny brands and logos regularly as brands are often added or taken off as their processing and where they sell changes.
3. Use a cruelty-free brand finder app!
This is good for when have the product in front of you e.g. at the store and can’t see a cruelty-free symbol. Download a cruelty-free mobile app they range from free to $3.
In the apps you can scan a product’s barcode to find out whether it’s cruelty-free which makes it really easy when you’re out and about.
Cruelty-Free Mobile Apps recommended by Ethical Elephant:
- Leaping Bunny brands Cruelty-free Brand App
- Choose Cruelty Free: Choose Cruelty Free App
- Bunny Free App: Bunny Free App (PETA)
- Cruelty Cutter App: Cruelty Cutter App (Beagle Freedom Project)
- SAFEShopper Cruelty Free: SAFEShopper Cruelty Free NZ
4. Consult a Cruelty Free Beauty Blogger
This is helpful when you need more information. As bloggers do a lot of research into brands and specific products. Plus they normally keep it up to date and are on top of the latest brands to hit the market and often have personal experience using them too.
Personally, I’m always on the look out for new cruelty-free products to use as formulas are constantly improving and getting cleaner. As well as scoping out my cosmetic brand competition. You can follow, DM, or email a cruelty-free blogger if you can’t find the answer on their blog. Most of us are pretty responsive.
I use Ethical Elephant as I trust their information and find it better than asking a brand as their info is less biased but also a personal opinion and opinions vary.
I was using Cruelty-Free Kitty but stopped when they started charging brands to be listed. Which means it’s not an exhaustive list and new or indie brands may not be on there.
5. Email/Message the Brand Directly to find out if they’re Leaping Bunny certified
This might take some time if you’re messaging multiple brands and waiting for responses but at least you should get a proper answer. As long as you trust the company you’re messaging.
I’d use this method as a last resort if you can’t find any info on their packaging, their website, or the web as to whether they’re cruelty-free or not. In this case, they’re probably not cruelty free. Most cruelty free makeup brands are vocal about being cruelty free.
