Iconic American beauty brand CoverGirl Cosmetics has become the largest makeup brand to earn the “Leaping Bunny” certification from Cruelty Free International (CFI), an organization that campaigns for an end to animal testing.
Coty, one of the world’s leading beauty companies and current owner of the 60-year-old brand, announced today that it is kicking off an official partnership with CFI. Both parties worked together to audit CoverGirl’s supply chain and ingredients, leading to the Leaping Bunny certification which ensures that neither products nor ingredients used by Coty have relied on animal testing.
“The Leaping Bunny certification of CoverGirl marks a new milestone in this area as the largest makeup brand to be certified cruelty free after having met our rigorous criteria,” said Michelle Thew, CEO of CFI, in a statement. “Importantly, CoverGirl’s certification demonstrates to the world that it is possible to be an accessible and innovative brand without inflicting suffering on animals.”
We’re celebrating the largest makeup brand to achieve Leaping Bunny certification, @COVERGIRL ! ❤️?? COVERGIRL’s certification demonstrates to the world that it is possible to be an accessible & innovative brand without inflicting suffering on animals. https://t.co/QBWNZCDcF3 pic.twitter.com/nUDGb5hcPg
— Cruelty Free International (@CrueltyFreeIntl) November 5, 2018
What Makes a Beauty Brand ‘Cruelty-Free’?
According to the organization, CFI’s Leaping Bunny is the only internationally recognized certification that requires brands to implement an ongoing supplier monitoring system, right down to ingredient manufacturers, in order to ensure that a products are “cruelty-free” on all accounts.
“Consumers expect brands to be leaders for positive change so today CoverGirl is taking a stand about making cruelty free cosmetics a mainstream reality,” added Ukonwa Ojo, chief marketing officer at Coty. “We know we are not alone in wanting a beauty industry that is free from animal cruelty and, working with Cruelty Free International, invite others to join us in turning these conversations into action.”
CoverGirl will not be the only Coty-owned beauty brand to eschew animal testing at all levels of production. The multinational company said that at least one more of its brands – which include Clairol, Rimmel, Max Factor, and Philosophy – will be cruelty-free by 2020.
According to Coty CEO Camillo Pane, the change comes as a result of consumer demand. “Being cruelty free and achieving the Leaping Bunny certification for CoverGirl is the right thing to do, at the right time, in the right way,” Pane said. “Listening to our consumers, we started this journey with CoverGirl to demonstrate our commitment to this issue by achieving such an ambitious certification at scale.”
Across the globe, more individuals than ever before are realizing that cosmetic animal testing is an antiquated practice that can be replaced by new advancements in technology. Last month, CFI and cruelty-free cosmetics brand The Body Shop delivered a petition to the UN that was signed by 8.3 million people calling for a ban on animal testing. Nearly 40 nations already have bans in place. In September, California lawmakers voted unanimously to pass a new law banning the sale of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals. Experts predict that the change will influence other governing bodies to follow suit.
Large corporations are already beginning to make changes in order to appeal to more conscious consumers. That same month, global corporation Unilever announced that Dove, its largest personal care brand, earned a cruelty-free certification from international animal rights organization PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
The change to CoverGirl’s stance on animal testing comes shortly after Coty’s commitment to make the popular drugstore makeup brand more inclusive to all consumers.
Image Credit: CoverGirl
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