Leaping Bunny FAQs

To become Leaping Bunny approved, brands:

• Must apply a fixed cut-off date, an immovable date 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.* This applies for their entire supply chain down to ingredient manufacturer.
• Cannot have had any final product testing anywhere in the world after their fixed cut-off date.
• Must set up a continuous monitoring system to ensure all their suppliers and manufacturers comply with Leaping Bunny criteria and all products, raw materials and ingredients are checked for any new animal testing at least every 12 months.
• Must open up their monitoring system to regular independent audits (outside of Cruelty Free International) to check they continue to comply with their fixed cut-off date for all their products, including any new ones.

* unless in the exceptional case that a regulatory agency demands a test for an ingredient already established on the market for cosmetics or household use (as applicable) where that test is required, and when that test is not for cosmetic or household product purposes, and over which a brand has absolutely no control. Subject to a formal assessment for every incidence of animal testing to ensure no breach of Leaping Bunny criteria.

All Leaping Bunny brands must meet these criteria for their entire own brand products (eligible for Leaping Bunny) and for every country they sell in.

A brand’s fixed cut-off date is a date after which they adhere to the strict Leaping Bunny criteria. A fixed cut-off date requires a company to enforce its animal testing policy and provides a permanent and practical way to move away from animal testing.

All approved brands must set a fixed cut-off date, regardless of whether or not they or their suppliers have ever animal tested in the past. We do not share the fixed cut-off date of any brand as this is an internal marker for them to monitor suppliers and products by, not an external indicator of previous animal testing. 

You can find Leaping Bunny products in stores and online. You can also locate products via our product search page.

The most accurate place to check if a product is Leaping Bunny approved is on our product search page. You can also look out for the Leaping Bunny logo on products, packaging and on the website of the approved brand.

If your favourite brand is not on our product search page then that particular company is not Leaping Bunny approved. We would always encourage you to contact brands directly to tell them you would like them to be!

Unfortunately, some companies attempt to use the Leaping Bunny logo without approval. We recommend that shoppers check our website for the most current information about approved brands. Please let us know if you suspect a brand is using the logo without permission.

Such claims may be potentially misleading or even untrue, so we recommend that shoppers only purchase products from fully approved brands which will be listed in our search page.

Like you, we want animal suffering to end. We see it as part of our mission to spread our message as widely as possible. Leaping Bunny approval is dependent on a brand being able to demonstrate that it meets the strict criteria. Corporate ownership alone does not affect eligibility. If a brand meets the strict Leaping Bunny criteria, it can apply for approval.

In globalised markets, it is inevitable that Leaping Bunny brands may be bought by larger corporations which may not hold Leaping Bunny approval, and parent companies can keep changing over time. We understand that this may change how some shoppers view a brand’s ethical status, so we do indicate when a Leaping Bunny brand has a non-approved parent company to enable you to make informed choices.

A brand must include all its eligible own brand ‘cosmetics (and personal care) products’ or ‘household and cleaning products’ to achieve approval (depending which licence they apply for).  Search our online list.

Yes, to assist shoppers looking for vegetarian or vegan cruelty free products, we ask our brands to let us know if they have some products which qualify and have included a refined search option on our website. For details about specific products please contact the Leaping Bunny brand.

We encourage all approved brands to use the Leaping Bunny logo on their packaging to make it easier for shoppers to identify cruelty free products. Some may choose not to display the logo - sometimes it may not be practical to fit the logo on packaging, and sometimes a brand may have existing packaging that is yet to run out.  However, if a brand is listed on our website, all its eligible products are approved, even if they do not display the logo.

Leaping Bunny is the globally recognisable gold standard for cruelty free cosmetics, personal care and household products. It is the only internationally recognisable programme that requires a supplier monitoring system to be implemented by a brand, supply chain checking for animal testing right down to ingredient manufacturer level, adherence to a fixed cut-off date policy and acceptance of ongoing independent audits to ensure compliance.

It is the best assurance a consumer can get that a brand is doing everything it can to be cruelty free and that this is independently verified.

Some companies adopt a rolling rule approach (for example a five-year rolling rule) and will not use ingredients that have been animal tested within that specified timeframe. However, the company could then use those same ingredients once that time has elapsed, limiting the incentive for suppliers to develop alternative test methods and not test again in the future.

Brands that operate the supplier specific boycott can use ingredients that are tested on animals tomorrow, providing the supplier then agrees not to test in the future. Without a fixed cut-off date, no line is drawn and animal testing within the industry may continue indefinitely. Furthermore, without monitoring the entire supply chain, there is no assurance that substances have not been animal tested at an earlier stage.

Yes! Should you be unable to find an answer to your question, or have further questions, we are always happy to help. You can find all details on our contact us page.

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