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Many people have seen and look for their products to be cruelty-free. Just the words themselves sound positive but what do they really mean? With the growing number of products on the market using the words “cruelty-free” on their labels and in their marketing, it’s helpful to be able to decipher what they’re really saying. Cruelty-free beauty products are a great way to support a good trend in the beauty industry but to truly support the movement, it’s best to be well informed.

Cruelty-Free is About More Than Just Being Trendy

Just like with CBD products, the increasing amount of cruelty-free skin care products on the market can make it seem like just a trend. Consumers are becoming more conscious of what goes into the creation of their favorite luxury skin care products and that means that the beauty industry must follow suit.

Being Cruelty-Free is About Responsible Sourcing and Testing

While most people associate cruelty-free with animal rights, it can also be used to describe other parts of the sourcing, production, and distribution process. Companies use the term “cruelty-free” to show that they treat their employees well, are responsible with sourcing ingredients, and make effort to not harm plants or animals when making their skin care or beauty products. These are all positive associations, but they can also make the term confusing for consumers.

Cruelty-Free is About More Than Just Being Trendy

The short answer is no. There is no one government body to regulate whether a company is actually cruelty-free and put specific regulations on the label. This means it’s up to each company to define what it means for them – or go to an independent certifier and go by their standards. This can mean a lack of clarity for consumers that’s frustrating and leads to disinterest in cruelty-free products.

Then What Can “Cruelty-Free” Mean?

Cruelty-free can mean everything from zero animal testing ever, to limited animal testing. It could be that the company has never used animal testing in any capacity or has only tested ingredients on animals but never the final product – or even that they have not tested on animals within a certain time frame. This means it’s important to do your research on a company who claims to make cruelty-free beauty products. Find out what they stand for and what standards they use when choosing and testing ingredients and products.

There are Some Ways to Test a Cruelty-Free Label

Even with all the confusion, there are a few ways you can figure out what a specific company does to stay cruelty-free. From looking for certification to statements and practices that they share online or in public. Sometimes you may have to read between the lines but you can generally get a good grasp of a company’s values when you start looking into them.

Look for Cruelty-Free Certification

There are some independent groups who offer cruelty-free certification for cosmetics companies. They will publish their standards and carry out their own verification of what a company does before allowing them to use the cruelty-free certification in marketing.

Research a New Brand on Your Own

When you’re considering trying a new product, look into the company online. By reading through their website content, any news articles, and reviews online, you can get a good grasp of what they value and how their products are made. If they are transparent about how they source and test their products, there’s a good chance you can trust their label of cruelty-free.

If You’re Unsure, Ask Questions

If you come up with questions while researching a company, reach out to them. Raising questions is not a bad thing and you may come out of it with more information than you anticipated. You can use their answers to judge whether you trust their processes or not and go from there.

KUL CBD Cares About Quality Cruelty-Free Products

Minimizing negative impact is key to our mission and journey at KULCBD. We use independent labs to analyze and test the ingredients in our products and always strive to remain cruelty-free in our practices. We care about doing the best for people, animals, and our planet alike. From sourcing to testing and selling, we are mindful of our impact every step of the way.