Leaping Bunny Cruelty-Free

1. Review the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals: Visit leapingbunny.org and read the full standard to understand what is required — specifically, that no animal testing occurs at any stage of product development, including by ingredient suppliers.

1. Conduct an internal supply chain audit: Map all ingredients and raw materials used in your products and identify every supplier. This is often the most time-intensive step, as you must confirm cruelty-free status at every tier of your supply chain.

1. Collect Supplier Information Forms: Contact each ingredient and raw material supplier and request that they complete and sign a Supplier Information Form (SIF) confirming they do not conduct or commission animal testing. All suppliers must be covered before you can proceed.

1. Complete the company application questionnaire: Fill out the official Leaping Bunny application form, detailing your company's products, manufacturing processes, and supply chain. Be thorough — incomplete applications will be returned.

1. Sign the Corporate Standard pledge: Formally commit to the cruelty-free standard by signing the pledge, which includes agreeing to annual recommitment and openness to unannounced third-party audits.

1. Submit your application to Cruelty Free International: Send all documentation — questionnaire, signed SIFs, and pledge — to Cruelty Free International for review. The review team will assess completeness and compliance.

1. Receive certification and access the Leaping Bunny logo: Once approved, you will receive a license to display the Leaping Bunny logo on your products and marketing materials, and your brand will be listed in the online shopping guide and mobile app.

1. Recommit annually: Each year, reconfirm your cruelty-free pledge and update supplier declarations to maintain active certification status.

Leaping Bunny evaluates cruelty-free compliance across the entire product development lifecycle, not just the finished product. The assessment is documentation-based and covers three primary areas.

Company-Level Commitment: The brand must confirm that it does not conduct, commission, or fund animal testing on any of its products or ingredients, and that it has not done so since its fixed cut-off date. The company must also confirm it does not sell in markets where animal testing is legally mandated for imported cosmetics (or must demonstrate a compliant workaround).

Supply Chain Verification: This is the most rigorous component. Every ingredient and raw material supplier — including sub-suppliers — must provide signed Supplier Information Forms (SIFs) confirming they do not conduct animal testing. The supply chain check must cover 100% of ingredients; partial coverage is not accepted. This distinguishes Leaping Bunny from many competitor programs that only assess the finished product or rely on brand self-declaration.

Ongoing Compliance and Audit Readiness: Certified companies must agree to unannounced third-party audits of their supply chain records and internal processes at any time. Auditors review supplier documentation, purchase records, and internal policies to verify that the cruelty-free commitment is being maintained in practice. Companies must also notify Cruelty Free International of any supply chain changes — such as new ingredients or new suppliers — that could affect their cruelty-free status.

Leaping Bunny is widely regarded as the gold standard for cruelty-free product certification in North America and Europe. Established in 1996 by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) — a coalition of eight major animal protection organizations including the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA — it has built a reputation for rigor that distinguishes it from self-declared cruelty-free claims and lighter-touch competitor programs. With over 2,000 certified brands ranging from indie startups to global names like The Body Shop and Urban Decay, it has achieved meaningful market penetration in the cosmetics, personal care, and household products sectors.

The cruelty-free beauty market has grown substantially over the past decade, driven by millennial and Gen Z consumer values. Research consistently shows that cruelty-free status is among the top purchase criteria for ethically-minded shoppers, and major retailers including Ulta Beauty and Sephora have expanded their cruelty-free product ranges. Leaping Bunny's consumer-facing mobile app and online shopping guide give it a direct-to-consumer discovery channel that competitors lack, reinforcing brand visibility for certified companies.

Leaping Bunny's primary competitor in North America is PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies program, which is free and relies on self-declaration rather than supply chain audits — making it easier to obtain but less credible with informed consumers. In Europe, the Cruelty Free International logo (the same Leaping Bunny mark) is the dominant standard. The program faces ongoing challenges from the complexity of global supply chains and the China market, where animal testing has historically been required for imported cosmetics, though regulatory changes since 2021 have opened pathways for some brands to maintain certification while selling in China.

The Leaping Bunny Program was launched in 1996 by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), a collaborative body formed by eight North American animal protection organizations including the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, and the American Anti-Vivisection Society. The program was created to address consumer confusion caused by a proliferation of inconsistent and unverified cruelty-free claims on product packaging. By establishing a single, coalition-backed standard — the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals — and a unified logo, CCIC aimed to give consumers a trustworthy, independently verifiable signal.

A key milestone came with the international expansion of the program through a partnership with Cruelty Free International (formerly the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, or BUAV), which operates the Leaping Bunny standard in Europe and globally. This alignment created a single internationally recognized cruelty-free mark, making Leaping Bunny one of the few certifications with genuine cross-continental recognition. Over the decades, the program has grown from a small roster of niche brands to over 2,000 certified companies, and has expanded its scope from cosmetics to include personal care and household products. The launch of a consumer-facing mobile app further modernized the program, enabling real-time verification of certified brands at the point of purchase.