NourishUs Naturals - Leaping Bunny Certified

Do you run your own natural and naturally derived cosmetics brand and hope to obtain recognized cruelty-free approval for your business? Or are you a consumer who consciously supports companies that sell cruelty-free cosmetic products? In either case, it is important to understand how to identify products that are aligned with a credible third-party standard, and what steps may be involved if you want that type of approval for your own product line. 

One of the best known programs in this space is the Leaping Bunny Program, which provides a published corporate standard and a globally recognized rabbit logo for companies that meet its criteria. The program was developed by an international coalition of animal protection organizations and is administered in North America by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), with partner organizations in Europe and other regions. Leaping Bunny focuses on documenting that approved companies do not conduct, commission, or be a party to new animal testing for their approved cosmetic, personal care, household, and cleaning products and their ingredients after a fixed cutoff date, and that they have a supplier monitoring system in place. Some companies will use a certification logo without actually having the rights. Make sure to not only refer to the Leaping Bunny website, but also note that the logo is blue and black or single color. That is the only allowance for colors when Leaping Bunny certifies a company.  

Leaping Bunny was originally created in the 1990s at a time when many brands were creating their own “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals” logos without a consistent definition or verification process. Because the term “cruelty-free” is not clearly defined by law, the Leaping Bunny standard and logo were designed to give consumers a more reliable way to find products that meet a specific, audited set of animal testing criteria, and to help companies communicate those practices more transparently. You can learn more specifics about the Leaping Bunny Program and its requirements on their website. 

NourishUs Naturals is proud to participate in the Leaping Bunny program as a certified company for our entire product range. We’ve pulled together some Questions & Answers (Q&As) to help explain what that means for us, and how we support our customers who are interested in pursuing Leaping Bunny approval for their own brand.

Q: What does it mean to be Leaping Bunny certified? What does “cruelty-free” mean in this context?

A: Leaping Bunny approval is a third-party program that sets specific requirements for companies that want to market certain products as cruelty-free, including commitments related to animal testing for finished products, ingredients, and formulations. In this context, “cruelty-free” means the approved company has agreed not to conduct, commission, or be a party to new animal testing for its approved cosmetic and/or household products and their ingredients after a fixed cutoff date, and to maintain documentation from manufacturers and suppliers supporting that commitment. Because “cruelty-free” is not legally defined in the United States, using a recognized independent standard like Leaping Bunny helps provide clearer, more verifiable support for this type of claim.

Q: Why did NourishUs Naturals choose to participate in the Leaping Bunny program?

A: Our customers care about how products are made, including the avoidance of new animal testing for cosmetics and personal care products. NourishUs Naturals does not conduct animal testing on our products, and by participating in the Leaping Bunny program, we align our internal practices with a published standard that includes supply chain monitoring and documentation related to animal testing. This participation helps provide additional third-party assurance about how our approved products are developed and manufactured, subject to Leaping Bunny’s own requirements.

Q: Will you be adding the Leaping Bunny logo and Cruelty-Free statement to all your product labels?

A: The Leaping Bunny logo may be used when a company has all their products and ingredients falling within the scope of Leaping Bunny approval and any applicable logo use or licensing agreement. For all products we have included the Leaping Bunny logo on all our labels, in line with Leaping Bunny’s brand use guidelines and applicable advertising and labeling laws in the markets where the products are sold.

Q: Can I put the Leaping Bunny logo on my product? Can I say my product is cruelty-free?

A: Use of the Leaping Bunny logo is controlled by Leaping Bunny and is subject to its approval, licensing, and territory specific rules. If you purchase products from NourishUs Naturals that are manufactured using ingredients and processes that meet Leaping Bunny criteria, those products may be eligible to be included in your own application to Leaping Bunny, but we cannot guarantee approval, certification, or logo use. You are responsible for ensuring that any “cruelty-free” statement you make about your brand or products is truthful, not misleading, and compliant with the laws and guidance in the countries where you sell. We are happy to provide information about our role in manufacturing and ingredient sourcing (for ingredients we supply) to support your application and claim substantiation.

Q: What if you are making a custom formula for me? Is my product automatically covered by Leaping Bunny?

A: Since Leaping Bunny is companywide specific, NourishUs Naturals can only purchase ingredients that can be certified by Leaping Bunny or its partner organizations, thusly custom formulas will automatically be covered by Leaping Bunny. If you request an ingredient that cannot be Leaping Bunny certified, we will not purchase or use that ingredient.  If the product is manufactured by NourishUs Naturals using our Leaping Bunny approved ingredients and you, as the brand owner, apply to Leaping Bunny, the product may be considered as part of your brand’s application. However, only Leaping Bunny (and its partner organizations) can decide whether your brand and specific products are approved and authorized to use the logo, subject to their standard and any applicable regional rules.

Q: How does NourishUs Naturals support my Leaping Bunny application? How do I receive my Leaping Bunny approval?

A: We can provide information about our manufacturing processes, the ingredients we supply, and our internal practices related to animal testing to help you complete Leaping Bunny’s required declarations and documentation. However, if you apply directly to Leaping Bunny and let them know we are your manufacturer, we won’t need to supply you with documentation. While we cannot provide legal advice or guarantee that you will be approved, we aim to make the process more straightforward by responding promptly to Leaping Bunny’s verification requests and by sharing supporting technical information that they typically request from manufacturers. To register for your company’s use of Leaping Bunny, you may register at http://www.leapingbunny.org/company/register.

Still have questions? Email us at contactus@nourishusnaturals.com