Animal Test–Free

1. Review eligibility requirements: Visit PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies program page to confirm your product categories (cosmetics, personal care, or household cleaners) qualify and that your company does not sell in markets requiring animal testing by law (e.g., mainland China for non-exempt products).

1. Conduct an internal supply chain audit: Map every ingredient in your products to its supplier and verify that none have conducted animal testing on those ingredients after your chosen fixed cut-off date.

1. Collect supplier declarations: Obtain signed fixed cut-off date commitment letters from all ingredient suppliers, confirming they have not and will not conduct animal testing on ingredients supplied to you.

1. Build your Supplier Monitoring System (SMS): Compile all supplier declarations, ingredient lists, and internal policies into a documented SMS that demonstrates full supply chain compliance.

1. Submit your application: Complete the online application on PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies portal, upload your SMS documentation, and pay the application fee.

1. Undergo documentation review: PETA or its coalition partners will review your submitted materials. Be prepared to respond to follow-up questions or provide additional supplier verification if requested.

1. Receive certification and access marketing assets: Upon approval, you will receive the right to display the "Animal Test–Free" logo on your products and packaging, and gain access to PETA's marketing toolkit and online registry listing.

1. Renew annually: Each year, resubmit updated supplier declarations and ingredient documentation to maintain your certification status, and remain available for spot audits.

PETA's Animal Test–Free (Beauty Without Bunnies) certification evaluates whether a company's products and their entire ingredient supply chain are free from animal testing. There is no scored rubric or point system — the standard is binary: a brand either meets the full criteria or it does not.

Finished Product Testing: The company must confirm that its finished products have not been tested on animals after a declared fixed cut-off date. This applies to all product lines submitted for certification, including cosmetics, personal care items, and household cleaners.

Ingredient Supply Chain: Every ingredient used in certified products must be sourced from suppliers who have signed a fixed cut-off date agreement, committing that they have not conducted or commissioned animal testing on those ingredients after the specified date. This is the most complex part of the assessment, as it requires tracing the entire supply chain — including raw material suppliers and any contract manufacturers.

Supplier Monitoring System (SMS): PETA evaluates the completeness and credibility of the company's SMS documentation. This includes the collection of signed supplier declarations, a comprehensive ingredient list, and internal processes for monitoring supplier compliance on an ongoing basis.

Third-Party Audit Readiness: Companies must agree to independent audits at any time. PETA or its authorized auditors may conduct spot checks or request additional documentation to verify that claims remain accurate after certification is granted. Companies that cannot substantiate their claims risk decertification.

PETA's Animal Test–Free certification, delivered through its Beauty Without Bunnies program, is one of the two most widely recognized cruelty-free seals in the global beauty and personal care market — the other being Leaping Bunny (administered by Cruelty Free International). PETA's program is particularly dominant in North America and has strong consumer recognition due to PETA's high-profile advocacy brand. The searchable online database and logo licensing make it a practical marketing tool for brands targeting ethical consumers.

The cruelty-free certification market has grown significantly over the past decade, driven by millennial and Gen Z consumer demand for ethical products, retailer sustainability commitments, and increasing regulatory scrutiny of animal testing. The EU banned cosmetic animal testing in 2013, and several other markets have followed, making cruelty-free certification increasingly mainstream rather than niche. Brands certified under PETA's program gain visibility in major retail channels including Sephora, Ulta, Whole Foods, and Target, where cruelty-free labeling influences purchasing decisions.

Compared to Leaping Bunny, PETA's program is generally considered slightly less rigorous in its third-party audit requirements, which makes it more accessible to smaller brands but also means some consumers and retailers place greater weight on Leaping Bunny certification. Many brands pursue both certifications simultaneously to maximize market coverage. The "vegan" certification space (e.g., Certified Vegan by Vegan Action) is an adjacent but distinct credential that some brands layer on top of cruelty-free certification. Overall, demand for cruelty-free certification continues to grow, and PETA's program remains a leading entry point for brands entering this space.

PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies program, which issues the Animal Test–Free certification, was launched in 1987, making it one of the earliest formal cruelty-free certification initiatives in the consumer products space. It was created in response to growing public awareness of animal testing practices in the cosmetics and personal care industries, and PETA's broader mission to end animal experimentation. The program initially operated as a simple pledge system but evolved over time to include more structured documentation requirements and supply chain verification.

Over the decades, the program expanded from a primarily North American focus to a globally recognized standard, with thousands of brands across more than 50 countries participating. PETA introduced the searchable online "Beauty Without Bunnies" database to help consumers identify certified brands at the point of purchase. The program has also adapted to address the complexities of global supply chains, introducing the Supplier Monitoring System (SMS) requirement to ensure that cruelty-free claims extend beyond finished products to raw ingredients. Today, the Animal Test–Free seal is one of the most visible cruelty-free logos on retail shelves worldwide, alongside the Leaping Bunny seal administered by Cruelty Free International.