Charlotte Tilbury Just Gained Cruelty-Free Status

Charlotte Tilbury is now cruelty-free.

The popular British beauty brand just earned its Leaping Bunny certification from Cruelty Free International—an internationally recognizable animal protection and advocacy group that campaigns for the abolition of all animal experiments. The status was bestowed upon the well-known makeup company earlier this month.

“I am incredibly proud that we have achieved Cruelty Free International’s Leaping Bunny approval, a crucial industry benchmark for cruelty-free beauty,” Charlotte Tilbury, founder, president, and chief creative officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, said in a statement. 

The accomplished businesswoman added: “I believe that with the right makeup and skincare, we can build confidence and we can change the world – being cruelty free really is at the foundation of that!”

The brand, which is beloved by celebrities such as Blake Lively, Lizzo, and Salma Hayek, celebrated its new cruelty-free distinction in a series of Instagram posts shared on September 1.

“Charlotte Tilbury Beauty is proud to announce that it is now officially Leaping Bunny approved by the GLOBALLY RECOGNISED Cruelty Free International Programme, having been against animal testing since launch in 2013!” one update read.

Another added: “Charlotte Tilbury Beauty has always been against animal testing and it’s a DREAM COME TRUE to have @crueltyfreeintl confirm our cruelty-free status within the Leaping Bunny programme!” 

Tilbury called the certification a “huge leap forward” and noted that it is a pivotal point in her brand’s global expansion plan with Cruelty Free International.

“Our partnership with Leaping Bunny is an important milestone both for us and for our customers, and we are incredibly proud to be officially recognized as cruelty free,” Demetra Pinsent, CEO of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, explained. “As we continue to expand globally, we are making significant investments in our global and local supply chains to ensure we remain cruelty free.”

What is cruelty-free beauty?

“Cruelty-free beauty” is one of those phrases that’s thrown around quite a bit, but what exactly does it mean for a beauty brand to be cruelty-free?

Generally speaking, cruelty-free beauty is understood to mean that the products have not been tested on animals at any point during the manufacturing process. Cruelty-free beauty brands also don’t conduct business—buying products, sourcing ingredients—with third-party companies that test products on animals.

However, despite Charlotte Tilbury Beauty’s new distinction as a Leaping Bunny-approved brand, the UK, where the company is based, could soon bring back some animal testing thanks to a regulation called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

Should this policy go into effect, it would conflict with the ban on animal testing that was enacted in 1998. Find out more on the step back here.

The cruelty-free beauty boom

The cruelty-free beauty market has expanded quite a bit over the past few years, with several celebrities launching their own cruelty-free brands, many of which are also vegan.

Ariana Grande is slated to launch her own beauty line in the near future that’s expected to be vegan and cruelty-free, while Selena Gomez, Rihanna, and Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown are just some of the big names who already have cruelty-free beauty ranges of their own.

Additionally, tennis pro Naomi Osaka debuted her vegan skincare brand, KINLÒ, earlier this week. The line, which is also cruelty-free, was designed for people of color.

Last but certainly not least, The Morning Show star Jennifer Aniston unveiled her own vegan and cruelty-free hair brand on September 8 called LolaVie. In announcing the debut of her highly anticipated new venture, the actress specifically called out her deep appreciation for animals.

“So much hard work from our incredible team went into making this line — and we’re really proud to say it’s been made WITHOUT all the bad stuff,” Aniston wrote on Instagram. “We’re paraben-free, silicone-free, sulfate-free, phthalates-free, gluten-free, vegan… and of course CRUELTY-FREE, because we love our animals.”