Sadly not. Because labelling terms aren’t legally defined, some companies use misleading statements to suggest a product hasn’t been tested on animals without following cruelty-free standards. The only way to be sure a product is truly cruelty-free is to look for certifications from trusted organisations.

To learn more, take a look at the examples below.

“We do not test on animals”

This sounds great until you consider that companies can contract others to carry out the testing. They may not test on animals, but they could be paying others to do it on their behalf.

“Against animal testing”

Again, a nice sentiment, but it tells you nothing about the specific product you’re thinking of buying.

“This product is not tested on animals”

Perhaps the most deceptive of all – a product and its ingredients are not the same things. Your washing up liquid may not have been tested on animals directly, but an ingredient that’s key to its production may have been.

Every endorsement scheme aims to highlight a particular issue – ours is animal testing. Companies can only feature in our guide if we are absolutely confident that they follow a cruelty-free policy across their whole range (including their parent company and subsidiaries).

Not necessarily. While a brand selling cruelty-free cosmetics in the UK or EU indicates that their products meet their cruelty-free standards, it doesn’t automatically mean they’re cruelty-free everywhere. Animal testing regulations vary by country, so a brand may need to comply with different standards or regulations in regions outside the UK or EU. If you buy from companies that don’t have a cruelty-free animal testing policy, unfortunately you could be indirectly helping them to fund animal testing activities for their international market.

Yes, the animal testing of cosmetics is banned under both EU and UK law. However, tests may still be required to meet other regulations like REACH, which regulates chemicals in the EU and UK. These conflicting regulations are very confusing, and so brands aiming to be cruelty-free need to be cautious when using new ingredients in their products, which might need animal testing under REACH. A brand can always consider using alternative ingredients in new products to remain cruelty-free.

Naturewatch Foundation strongly supports the ban on animal testing cosmetics and wants to see progress to end the testing of chemicals on animals.

Yes, currently household product ingredients can still be tested on animals. Whilst the UK has a partial ban on household product testing, which includes finished products and some ingredients, there are exceptions in certain circumstances. Without a full ban in place that extends to all ingredients, experiments can continue to inflict pain and suffering upon animals for the sake of adding more household products to the shelves. We’ll continue to push for a full ban on testing household products and their ingredients.

A company may no longer be endorsed by us if they have changed their operating practices in a way that doesn’t comply with our standards. Alternatively, it’s possible the company has been taken over by another operation. There have been a few high-profile takeovers in recent years and, sadly, new owners don’t always share the values of the brands they acquire.

We want to give every cruelty-free brand the recognition they deserve. If there’s a brand you love that we don’t currently endorse, you can help by reaching out to them and letting them know they can be included in our guide for free if they meet our cruelty-free standards. Your voice matters—even if a company isn’t cruelty-free yet, your feedback can make a difference. Companies are more likely to go cruelty-free if their customers ask for it. Use our template letter  to get started.

Applying online is quick and easy. If you meet our criteria, your brand and company will be published in our Compassionate Shopping Guide.

Visit our dedicated space for companies to find out more.