Cruelty Free International

FAQs

All Aromatherapy Associates’ cosmetic and personal care products are now Leaping Bunny approved by Cruelty Free International.  

You can use the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny search tool for confirmation:

Search for Cruelty free products | Cruelty Free International 

At Aromatherapy Associates, we have always been against animal testing but being officially approved under the Leaping Bunny Programme by Cruelty Free International is a decisive step in our commitment to creating sustainable and ethical wellbeing products by sourcing the best possible essential oils, natural ingredients and plant extracts available. 

All new products in 2023 will now have the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny logo on pack and we will gradually introduce the Leaping Bunny logo onto packaging across the rest of the range.  

It took a year for Aromatherapy Associates to become Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny approved. We had to submit over 200 documents for approval and we will have to collate documents to be checked for every new ingredient we may choose to use in the future. The Leaping Bunny Programme has the rigour that requires us to keep checking for animal testing throughout our supply network, down to manufacturer level.  
 

To learn more about the Leaping Bunny criteria, please visit: Leaping Bunny FAQs | Cruelty Free International. 

Leaping Bunny approval is considered the global gold standard for cosmetics & personal care products and household products. It is the only internationally recognisable approval that requires: (i) a supplier monitoring system to be implemented by the brand, (ii) checks for animal testing down to and including ingredient manufacturer level of the supply chain, (iii) adherence to a fixed cut-off date and (iv) regular independent supply chain audits to ensure compliance.  

The approval is the best assurance that a company has made a genuine commitment to help end animal testing. Brands must meet rigorous criteria which apply globally and extend over and above laws governing animal testing. The Programme requires adherence to a fixed cut-off date, checks a brand’s supply chain for animal testing – including both suppliers and manufacturers; requires the brand to have a system in place to regularly collect evidence from the supply chain; and requires regular ongoing independent audits following approval. 

Leaping Bunny approval requires a brand to put in place internal protocols to regularly collect evidence from it's suppliers and confirm that every ingredient complies with Leaping Bunny’s strict animal testing criteria. To achieve approval, a brand must check its entire supply chain for cosmetics animal testing right down to ingredient manufacturer level, adhere to a fixed cut-off date and agree to ongoing independent audits to ensure compliance. 

The Leaping Bunny approval is considered the recognisable global gold standard for cosmetics and personal care products.

The Leaping Bunny approval involves: 

- Checking a brand’s supply chain for animal testing, including both suppliers and manufacturers.

- Requires a brand to have a system in place to regularly collect evidence from the supply chain.

- Requires regular ongoing independent audits following approval.  

All Aromatherapy Associates products are vegan.  
However, being Leaping Bunny approved and vegan are two separate matters. The term “cruelty free” has a long association with ending animal testing. This is what the Leaping Bunny logo and approval means. Vegan indicates the product has no animal derived ingredients. Aromatherapy Associates products are both Leaping Bunny approved and vegan.  

We do not sell products in Mainland China.