Vegan and Cruelty Free certification logos are more than just a decorative symbol, they’re a promise and assurance that no animal has suffered for your beauty products or contain any animal derived ingredients. They provide peace of mind, transparency, and a clear way to support ethical brands that are part of the movement to end animal testing.
Here are some reasons why it is important to look for Vegan and Cruelty Free certification logos when shopping for your favourite beauty and personal care products.
1. Assurance of No Animal Testing or Animal Ingredients & By-products
The most significant reason to seek out cruelty free logos is the assurance that the products you’re buying haven’t been tested on animals. Brands can claim to be cruelty free without any legal definition or standards, so a product’s cruelty free status can be misleading. However, certification logos like the Leaping Bunny (Cruelty Free International) or PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies provide a guarantee that the brand has been thoroughly vetted.
These certifications require brands to adhere to strict standards, ensuring no animal testing is conducted at any stage of product development, including ingredient sourcing. When you see these logos, you can be confident that no animal suffered in the making of your favourite products.
Vegan certification logos indicate that a product does not contain animal ingredients and that none of the manufacturing or testing processes involve animals or animal products.
2. Transparency
Certification logos represent a brand’s commitment to transparency and accountability. To obtain and maintain these certifications, brands must undergo rigorous audits and adhere to a strict code of ethics. This process ensures that companies are held accountable for their claims and cannot mislead consumers with false cruelty free promises.
Brands that proudly display Cruelty Free and Vegan logos are sending a clear message: they prioritise ethical practices and are transparent about their cruelty free and vegan status. This transparency builds trust and allows you to make informed decisions about the products you choose to support.
3. Avoiding Cruelty Free Imposters
Unfortunately, some brands engage in “greenwashing,” where they market themselves as ethical or cruelty free without meeting the necessary standards. Without certification logos, it can be challenging to distinguish between truly cruelty free brands and those that merely claim to be.
Cruelty Free certification logos cut through the noise. They act as a quick reference, saving you the time and effort of researching each brand’s practices. When you spot a certified logo, you know the brand has met the rigorous criteria required to genuinely call themselves cruelty free.
4. Supporting a Global Movement
Choosing products with vegan and cruelty free certification logos supports a global movement against animal testing. These logos represent more than just a guarantee—they symbolise a collective effort to end animal cruelty in the beauty industry. By purchasing certified products, you’re contributing to this cause and encouraging more brands to adopt cruelty free practices.
As consumer demand for vegan and cruelty free products grows, more companies are choosing to abandon animal testing in favour of alternative methods. This shift is creating a ripple effect, pushing the beauty industry toward a future where animal testing is a thing of the past. Your choices matter, and every product you buy with a cruelty free logo helps to accelerate this change.
5. Empowering Conscious Consumerism
Vegan and Cruelty Free certification logos empower you to make ethical choices that align with your values. In a market flooded with options, these logos simplify your shopping experience, allowing you to support brands that share your commitment to animal welfare and align with your personal values.
Being a conscious consumer means considering the broader impact of your purchases. By seeking out vegan and cruelty free logos, you’re taking a stand for animals and making a positive impact on the world. It’s a small but powerful way to align your beauty routine with your ethical beliefs, ensuring that your choices reflect the kind of world you want to live in.
Vegan and Cruelty Free Certified Logos to be Familiar With
One of the easiest ways to identify Cruelty Free and Vegan products is by looking for certification logos from reputable organisations. Unfortunately, some brands are dishonest and will just put a bunny logo or paw print icon on their packaging and they may not actually be Cruelty Free.
Next time you’re shopping for beauty products, take a moment to check for some of these globally recognised Vegan and Cruelty Free certification logos. These logos are your guide to making compassionate choices that align with your values.
Leaping Bunny Certified (Cruelty Free International)
The Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny is the globally-recognisable gold standard for cosmetics, personal care and household products. Hundreds of brands are approved cruelty free under our Leaping Bunny programme. Brands must meet rigorous criteria which apply globally and extend over and above laws governing animal testing and include ongoing independent audits. Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) became part of Cruelty Free International in 2021.
Beauty Without Bunnies (PETA)
Brands that sign up for PETA approval must prove that both their ingredients and final product are ethically sourced, and are not tested on animals throughout the entire production process.
In order to be listed by PETA or carry the “Animal Test–Free” logo or the “PETA Approved Global Animal Test Policy” logo, companies and brands must commit never to conduct, commission, pay for, or allow tests on animals at any phase of development, for both ingredients and final products. They’re required to have agreements in place with their suppliers guaranteeing that the suppliers will never, from the moment the agreement is signed, conduct, commission, pay for, or allow tests on animals for the ingredients purchased by the company or brand. Companies may be certified by PETA under one of two designations:
- Global animal test–free recognises companies and brands that have verified that they and their suppliers do not conduct, commission, pay for, or allow any tests on animals for their ingredients, formulations, or finished products anywhere in the world and that they will never do so in the future.
- Global animal test–free and vegan recognises companies and brands that meet the same requirements and whose entire product line is free of animal-derived ingredients. These companies are truly cruelty free.
Vegan Australia Certified
The Vegan Australia Certified program sets the standard for authentic vegan food and products in Australia. Under the program, product makers may display the Vegan Australia Certified logo on licensed vegan items that meet our strict criteria. The logo indicates to your customers that the product does not contain animal ingredients and none of the manufacturing or testing processes involve animals or animal products.
The Vegan Society
The Vegan Trademark is an internationally recognised vegan product certification, established in 1990 by The Vegan Society, and has been helping make vegan products more accessible ever since. Registration with the trademark gives brands the confidence to shout about their vegan credentials. Look out for the Vegan Trademark on over 65,000 certified vegan products across the world, including cosmetics, clothing, food, drink, household items, and many more!
Certified Vegan
Distributed and recognised globally, the Certified Vegan Logo is a registered trademark for products that do not contain animal products or byproducts and that have not been tested on animals. The certified logo is easily visible to consumers interested in vegan products and helps vegans to shop without constantly consulting ingredient lists. It also helps companies recognise a growing vegan market, as well as bringing the word Vegan—and the lifestyle it represents—into the mainstream. The Certified Vegan Logo is permitted on products owned by companies and manufacturers located in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and US territories but is distributed and recognised worldwide.
Remember, every purchase is a vote for the kind of world you want to see. By choosing certified cruelty free products, you’re helping to create a kinder, more compassionate world—one beautiful product at a time.