The term “cruelty-free product” is generally understood within the animal rights movement as meaning a product has not been tested on animals by the manufacturer. It’s important to buy cruelty-free products to support companies that are animal-friendly and to boycott companies that still test on animals. Several mainstream cosmetics companies, such as Revlon and Avon, have been cruelty-free for many years.
Federal law requires drugs to be tested on animals, but no law requires cosmetics or household products to be tested on animals.
Gray Areas
One of the gray areas is when the individual ingredients might have been tested on animals by a supplier to the manufacturer. Some animal rights activists seek to support companies that do not purchase ingredients from suppliers who test on animals.
Another tricky issue is when a cruelty-free company is owned or acquired by a parent company that tests on animals. For example, The Body Shop is cruelty-free, but was acquired by L’Oreal in 2006. Although The Body Shop still does not test its products on animals, L’Oreal continues to conduct animal testing.
Cruelty-Free v. Vegan
Just because a product is labeled “cruelty-free” does not necessarily mean that it is vegan. A product that has not been tested on animals may still contain animal ingredients.
Companies like Origins and Urban Decay are cruelty-free, and carry both vegan and non-vegan products. The Urban Decay website has a page with vegan products, and if you visit an Origins store, their vegan products are labeled.
Completely vegan, cruelty-free companies include Method, Beauty Without Cruelty, Arbonne, and e.l.f.
Companies v. Products
It is important to distinguish between whether a specific company tests on animals and whether a specific ingredient or product has ever been tested on animals. To expect that an ingredient has never been tested on animals is unrealistic, because centuries of animal experimentation mean that almost every substance, even those that are natural and generally considered safe, has been tested on animals at some point in history. Instead of focusing on whether an ingredient or product has ever been tested on animals, ask whether the company or the supplier conducts animal testing.
Where can You Buy Cruelty-Free Products?
Some vegan, cruelty-free products, like Method, can be purchased at Costco, Target or mainstream supermarkets. PETA maintains a list of companies that do or do not test on animals, and their list of companies that don’t test on animals has a letter “V” next to the companies that are also vegan. You can also find vegan, cruelty-free products online at stores like Pangea, Vegan Essentials, or Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe.
