What Is a Certified Cruelty Free Product?

In the early 20th century, mass poisonings from certain products claimed hundreds of lives. This tragedy led to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in the U.S., requiring safety testing of drugs on animals before they could be sold.

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Fast forward to 2025, and 80% of the world still permits cruel animal testing for cosmetics. To ensure the safety of ingredients in our deodorants, lipsticks, and laundry detergents, countless rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, and rats continue to suffer and die.

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But things have changed. Many ingredients are now proven safe through extensive testing without animals. For new ingredients, there are non-animal methods that are faster, cheaper, more reliable, and, above all, cruelty-free.

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As a consumer, how can you know if your favorite brand still tests its products and ingredients on animals? That’s where the Leaping Bunny certificate from Cruelty Free International comes in.

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What is Leaping Bunny?

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Leaping Bunny assures that a company has made a genuine commitment to help end animal testing. The cruelty-free certification is issued to brands that produce cosmetic, personal care, household, and cleaning products and do not test their products or any ingredients used in them on animals.

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The certificate is managed by Cruelty Free International and its international partners, which approve companies in specific countries and regions.

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Brands that are certified Leaping Bunny can display the logo on their products, but this gold standard of cruelty-free certification is not easy to obtain. It involves a multi-step process that requires:

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• a supplier monitoring system to be implemented by the brand;
• supply chain checking for animal testing, right down to the ingredient manufacturer level;
• adherence to a fixed cut-off date policy (more on that below); and
• acceptance of ongoing independent audits to ensure compliance.

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The brands must meet these criteria for all of their products (eligible for Leaping Bunny) and for every country where they sell these products.

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Before applying for the certificate, brands must set a fixed cut-off date — an immovable point in time after which neither the brand nor any of its suppliers and manufacturers may conduct, commission, or be party to animal tests for raw materials or ingredients anywhere in the world.

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Important: A cruelty-free certificate does not guarantee that a product is vegan or vegetarian.

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How to find Leaping Bunny Certified Products?

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Leaping Bunny certified products are available online and in stores. Look out for the Leaping Bunny logo ( a Leaping Bunny image with Cruelty Free International written below that) on products, packaging, and on the website of the approved brand.

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Unfortunately, some brands use the Leaping Bunny logo without approval, so if you are unsure, you can always check the product search page on Cruelty Free International’s website.

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