What Does 'Cruelty Free' Even Mean?

Not much, says Leaping Bunny Program's director

Last year, we celebrated our commitment to cruelty free, vegan beauty with a shiny new Leaping Bunny certification.

I thought you might have some of the same questions I had about it, so I called the program’s director, Kim Paschen, early one morning to chat.

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Rare Beauty Insider: Kim, I’m so excited to talk about the Leaping Bunny Program—it’s something we're really proud to be a part of. But I need to get one question out of the way. What’s the difference between a Leaping Bunny certification and a cruelty free label? There seems to be a lot of confusion around that.

Kim Paschen: Cruelty free doesn’t have any legal meaning. In the U.S., there’s no federal regulation that stipulates what cruelty free means, no laws that make companies prove their cruelty free status. Compare that to something like USDA Organic, where any company who wants to claim that status has to follow a very strict set of guidelines.

Over the past 20 or 30 years, brands have been self-identifying as cruelty free without really having to explain themselves. And now, we're discovering that animal testing is still happening, particularly at the ingredient level.

We formed the Leaping Bunny Program in 1996 with the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals. To date, we're the only certification program that makes their standard publicly available.

What does the certification signify?

It's basically a deep dive into a company's supply chain management to make sure that everything from ingredients and formulations to finished products are all free of animal testing. We wanted to give companies a single standard with thorough, third-party verification, and we wanted to give consumers something they could rely on when they see our logo.

How does a brand get certified?

They apply through our website and then set up their own supplier monitoring system. They make sure all manufacturers and ingredient suppliers sign individual statements confirming they do not animal test or supply animal-tested products to, in your case, Rare Beauty.

How long does the process typically take from, from applying to actually being certified?

It really depends. The main factor comes down to how many declarations are needed. A brand can fill out all of their information quickly in the application, but then they have to invite all their vendors to sign individual declarations, which could take months or even years. It really depends on the company and how complex their supply chain is.

“I have a bunch of Rare Beauty stuff. My two favorites are the Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer and Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush. I live in the Netherlands (where there’s no Sephora) so I stock up when I travel.” - Kim

Once a company is certified, how do you ensure they're still following those guidelines?

I think this is one of the huge differences between us and some of the other programs: a company must recommit to our program annually. They have to make sure their application data and supplier monitoring system stay current. We also have a third-party auditor who audits companies at random each year. They ensure the orders being placed for formulations or ingredients actually correspond to the vendors listed on our website.

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How has the program grown since it launched in 1996?

It's funny, I was looking at some older documents yesterday from when I started in 2010. I had written something like, “We've certified 400 companies!” Today, we have almost 2,400. Consumer interest has driven a lot of that growth.

In what way?

There's animal testing done for things like pharmaceutical purposes, and that's more of a gray area. Is it okay in that situation? But what if someone in your family is sick?

But shopping cruelty free is something everyone can agree on, whether or not you’re vegetarian or vegan. It's an amazing entry point for learning about compassion, animal protection, and animal rights. Consumers have a lot of power. Money talks, and brands are listening.

Is there any reason a company would support animal testing? Are we risking safety without it?

I think it's usually just a lack of knowledge on the company’s side. A lot of times this testing is happening at the ingredient level, and they might not be aware.

We absolutely advocate for safe cosmetics. We just hope that they’re made without animal testing. Nowadays there are validated alternatives for what was previously done on live animals. In fact, earlier today I was talking with someone about a newer test that uses pig skin from a slaughterhouse (a natural byproduct), which can act as a substitute for human skin in tests. I’m vegetarian so I’m not personally excited about it, but animals aren’t expressly being killed for testing, which is good.

What do you love most about your job?

God, I love my job so much. I love that I can combine a sacred part of who I am, which is “do no harm to animals,” with paying the bills. I don't think I could ever raid a puppy mill or even work at a shelter. I’d just get too emotional about it.

But animals need help. They need voices. And I get to work with companies that are trying to do the right thing, so I have this incredibly beautiful balance of my love for animals and my professional, business brain. I sleep well at night.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Kim!