If you knew that the beauty products you use were tested on animals, would you continue to use them? Sadly, there are many companies that do use animal testing for their beauty products, and labels can be deceiving.

Concerned? Keep reading to find out how to tell a cruelty-free product from one that isn’t, and a list of companies that don’t test any of their beauty products on animals.

Labels are Often Misleading

When shopping for beauty products, you will undoubtedly run into claims on a product label that may lead you to believe that product hasn’t been tested on animals. Unfortunately, some of these labels are often quite misleading.

For example, a product may have a label that states “Final Product Not Tested on Animals.” True, the final product wasn’t tested on animals, but the ingredients in the product most likely were. See what I mean when I say labels can be misleading?

How to Tell if a Product Hasn’t Been Tested on Animals

If you are concerned about the beauty products you use, there are a few ways to tell whether a product has been tested on animals.

PETA’S new cruelty-free logo (shown, right) often appears on products whose companies have pledged to stop animal testing. If you see this logo, that’s an excellent indication that you are buying a cruelty-free beauty product.

To avoid supporting animal testing and the companies who engage in these practices, Caring Consumer has compiled a list of companies who have pledged they do not test their products on animals; Almay, Aveda, Clinique, and many more made the list. The website also has a list of companies that still use animal testing. For those of us who would like to buy beauty products that are cruelty-free, it’s good to know which companies hold to those standards and which do not.

The Bottom Line

Because there are no specific laws that regulate the use of the term “cruelty-free,” it can often be difficult to know whether the beauty products we are buying are actually free from animal suffering. Fortunately, more companies are making the switch to alternative methods of product testing; that, coupled with PETA’s cruelty-free logo and informed decision-making, can help reassure you that you’re buying cruelty-free beauty products.