Beauty shoppers have become increasingly more educated about good-for-you ingredients and equally discerning in supporting socially responsible companies. To that extent, they seek out brands that feature that sweet little bunny on its packaging.

Have you ever stopped to think about what that bunny illustration really represents? Each year, over 500,000 animals suffer and die as they are used to test shampoos, makeup and other cosmetic products? Rabbits, mice, guinea pigs and rats are force-fed potentially harmful substances, have chemicals dripped in their eyes and smeared on their skin causing unknown effects, as well as death. All for the sake of beauty.

“Keep animal testing out of your shopping cart.”

When you see the Leaping Bunny symbol on a product, it means that the company that manufactured it does not perform any animal testing and it conforms to the standards set by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics and Cruelty Free International. When you see the PETA Cruelty-Free Bunny it represents that the company doesn’t, at any point in the production process, perform animal testing, including their suppliers, and they will never do so in the future. To use either of the bunny symbols, companies are required to submit an application for approval before they are granted use.

Thanks to new innovations, there is no need to cruelly test cosmetics on animals. For one thing, there are thousands of proven safe ingredients that don’t require additional testing. Additionally, innovations in testing methods, such as human cell-based tests and complex computer models, have replaced traditional animal tests. These new ways of testing are often faster, less expensive, more reliable and, best of all, leave animals completely out of the picture.

Today, forty countries worldwide have full or partial bans on cosmetics animal testing, including the entire European Union, Australia, India, Israel, New Zealand and South Korea. What’s more, as of May 1, 2021, China released new regulation dictating that imported general cosmetics will be permitted to be exempt from animal testing—a huge win for animal rights in global cosmetics.

But the fight is not over. Support the brands that have the bunny symbols on cosmetics you purchase. You can also take action to help stop cosmetic testing on animals in the U.S. by contacting your local legislators and encourage them to reintroduce the Humane Cosmetics Act.

Learn more and take action at: humanesociety.org/all-our-fights