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May 9, 2013

Animal-Friendly Shopping Tips

Eight ways to help animals used in harmful tests

Interested in becoming a more compassionate consumer? Making a difference for animals used in harmful tests has never been easier. Check out our list of eight ways to get started:

1. Pledge to do your part
Take a stand against suffering by signing our pledge to end animal testing of cosmetics.
» Sign now

2. Grab a guide and look for the Leaping Bunny
Want to know which products are tested on animals—and which are not? A good place to start is the Leaping Bunny guide, a list of cruelty-free brands compiled by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC)*. The cosmetic, personal care, household and pet care companies listed have met the criteria of a rigorous, internationally-recognized cruelty-free standard. Some of these products carry the Leaping Bunny logo, making it even easier to tell if a product is animal-friendly. Get a free guide for you—and a few for your friends!
» Download the app for iPhone/iPad or Android
» Request a pocket-sized guide
» Print the PDF version

3. Start sleuthing
If the brand of a product you’re considering purchasing is not on the Leaping Bunny list, call the toll-free number on the package or contact the company through their website and ask if their products or any of the ingredients used in their products are tested on animals at any stage in the manufacturing process. You should also ask if the company sells their products in China, a country that requires animal testing of cosmetics.

4. Get more businesses on board
Are some of your favorite brands missing from the Leaping Bunny list? Help expand the number of companies that meet the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetic’s (CCIC)* standard by asking them to join CCIC and certify their brand as cruelty-free. Download a sample letter for ideas on how to word your request, then call, write or email. Contact information can typically be found on the product itself or on the company's website.

5. Shop around
When you do your shopping at crueltyfreeconsumer.com, vitacost.com/cruelty-free, whiterabbitbeauty.com, or drugstore.com/crueltyfree you can be sure you’re buying cruelty-free—that’s because all of the products for sale are Leaping Bunny-certified. Want to do even more to help out animals? Buy any of these animal-friendly goodies and a percentage of the purchase price will be donated to the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics.*

6. Connect to the cause
Find us on Facebook and Pinterest and spread the word to your friends!
» Join our Animal Testing Campaign Facebook page
» Join the Leaping Bunny Facebook page
» Follow our Be Cruelty-Free board on Pinterest

7. Snag some gear
Show your support for ending cosmetics testing on animals by stocking up on Be Cruelty-Free stamps, makeup bags, stickers and more at Zazzle.com. The proceeds from these animal-friendly items support our work and help animals in laboratories!

8. Study the subject
Learn more about animal testing—check out the following resources:
» Be Cruelty-Free Campaign (United States) (International)
» Cosmetic and Product Testing Homepage
» Fact Sheet: Cosmetic Testing
» Cosmetics Tests That Use Animals
» AltTox.org, a collaborative website for scientists and policy-makers

* The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) is a group of eight animal protection groups—including The Humane Society of the United States—that promotes a single comprehensive standard for cruelty-free products. Some of the companies that meet the standard have taken the extra step of using the internationally recognized Leaping Bunny logo on their products.

Learn more about animals used in testing, training and research at
humanesociety.org/animalsinlaboratories