At Avon, we believe in the beauty of doing good – charged by the spark of possibility and driven by a shared vision of a fairer world where progress, equality, and sustainability thrive. Within that lies our unwavering commitment to animal welfare and our determination to be a powerful voice against testing beauty products on animals. And today marks a significant milestone in our journey: we’re delighted to announce that Avon is approved as cruelty free under the Leaping Bunny Programme.
Championing change for 30 years
For 3 decades, we’ve been at the forefront of beauty brands against animal testing, while ensuring our products’ safety, quality and efficacy. With a mission to shake up the cosmetics space, we were one of the first global beauty companies to stop animal testing.
Over the years, we’ve joined forces with organisations driving positive change around animal testing in the cosmetics space, including the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), FRAME, Humane International Society and PETA. In December 2019, PETA recognised us for ‘Working for Regulatory Change’ – a prestigious acknowledgement of our strides towards developing, validating and accepting non-animal testing methods within the beauty industry.
But there’s always more we can do. In the words of Natalie Deacon, our Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability: “We won’t stop working for regulatory change until the unnecessary use of animal testing in the cosmetic industry has ended completely.” Achieving Leaping Bunny approval further expresses this commitment, building on our 30-year effort to end animal testing for cosmetics worldwide.
Empowering your choices
We know that our Reps and customers are committed to seeing an end to animal testing in the beauty industry. Queue the old cliché: actions speak louder than words. So, it’s important to show you our dedication to the cause and share how our unwavering efforts to support animal welfare are coming to fruition.
The Leaping Bunny Programme does just that – it provides the strongest guarantee that we are doing all we can to be cruelty free, with independent auditing that ensures we always adhere to strict global criteria. With Leaping Bunny approval, you can be confident that we’re constantly working to make a positive difference that aligns with your values – and that you’re always fully informed about your beauty buys.
A whistle-stop tour of the Leaping Bunny Programme
If you’re unfamiliar with the Leaping Bunny Programme, here’s a snapshot of what makes it so revered.
Globally recognised as a gold standard for cruelty free cosmetics, personal care, and household and cleaning products, the Leaping Bunny Programme offers the world’s most comprehensive definition of ‘cruelty free’, with rigorous criteria to help make ethical shopping easier and brands more trustworthy in their animal-friendly claims.
By the time the Leaping Bunny logo came to be in the mid-1990s, ‘cruelty free’ had become a bit of a buzzword. But companies weren’t being held to account by an independent standard – their definition was unregulated and could be subjective. As such, they often banded these terms around without the participation of, or guidance from, animal protection groups.
Honoured to partner with Cruelty Free International
The Leaping Bunny programme is operated globally by Cruelty Free International.
Established in 1898 by the formidable women’s rights campaigner and philanthropist Frances Power Cobbe, Cruelty Free International is a renowned organisation dedicated to ending animal experiments worldwide.
As the gold standard for cruelty free products and experts in corporate responsibility, its work spans award-winning campaigns, political lobbying, and pioneering investigation to educate, challenge, and inspire people to respect and protect animals.
What it means to be Leaping Bunny approved
We are beaming with pride and excitement for the journey ahead, especially because achieving Leaping Bunny approval is no mean feat. It takes time, resources, and the ability to meet strict criteria that extends over and above laws restricting animal testing, like implementing an internal supplier monitoring system, supply chain checking for animal testing of ingredients, and adherence to a fixed cut-off date policy.
What makes it even more significant and trusted is that Leaping Bunny approval is an annual commitment, requiring ongoing supplier monitoring and independent audits, and the best assurance you can get that a brand is truly cruelty-free. And with it, you’ll know that year in, year out, we’re here to do the work.
Building a brighter future for animal welfare, together
As of 3 July, 2023, Avon Fragrance, Care, and Anew products have received Leaping Bunny approval. And while we’re delighted to celebrate this significant milestone in our animal welfare journey, we’re not stopping there. We’re working diligently through our remaining portfolio and are on track to secure approval for all Avon beauty products within the next 12 months.
As a community, Avon shares a deep passion for animal welfare within the beauty space, and we wholeheartedly embrace Cruelty Free International’s vision of a world where animal experimentation for cosmetics is neither wanted nor deemed necessary.
A plight – and our fight – beyond labs
Bringing an end to animal testing of cosmetics around the world is just one of the many causes we’re passionate about at Avon. But in essence, they’re all connected – rooted in a belief that all people, our planet, and every living being deserves kindness.
For us, it’s about contributing to a better world as a whole – a commitment to Life. Whether it’s how we support our communities globally, make strides in our sustainability pledges, or our ongoing commitment to operating responsibly, we’re in the business – and always see the beauty – of doing good.
And that’s a wrap on our biggest, latest ‘no’ to animal testing in beauty products! But stick with us – we’re doing lots of work to make even more strides in animal welfare, and we’ll be keeping you updated with all the progress we’re driving across the business.