How to Verify if a Beauty Brand Is Truly Cruelty-Free: The 5-Step Audit You Can Do in Under Two Minutes

Shoppers want to do the right thing. Seeing “cruelty-free” on a beauty product feels reassuring, but “cruelty-free” is not legally defined in Canada or the U.S. Brands can use the term without third-party proof or full supply-chain auditing ( FDA Cosmetic Labeling Guidelines ). That is why learning to fact-check claims yourself is essential.

Consumer curiosity surged in 2025. Younger shoppers are skipping traditional marketing and using TikTok and Search to hunt real answers. The beauty conversation is finally about receipts, not rhetoric. Here is a two minute, evidence driven audit anyone can use.

Step 1: Check a Public Third-Party Certification Database

The gold standard is Leaping Bunny, which requires:

• No animal testing at any stage
• Mandatory supplier audits and annual recommitment
• Full supply chain accountability

Verify any certified brand, including VHUES, in their official registry: Leaping Bunny Certified Brands Search .

Step 2: Research Parent Company Ownership

A brand may appear cruelty-free while its parent company funds animal testing or sells in regions that still require regulatory testing.

Check ownership before you buy: CrueltyFreeKitty Parent Companies Directory .

Why it matters: ethical spending should support ethical systems, not just words.

Step 3: Read Explicit Testing Statements

Look for direct language such as:

Avoid vague statements like:

Most animal testing occurs at the ingredient level, not on finished formulas. Precision in wording matters.

Step 4: Watch for Greenwashing Red Flags

Signals to watch:

• Certification like icons with no proof
• Emotional messaging over evidence
• No supplier transparency or policy page
• Evasive or delayed answers
• Using “clean” or “natural” to imply cruelty-free status

Summer 2025 saw #BeautyTruth trending as creators and consumers demanded documentation instead of marketing language. Similar to how Spotify Wrapped turned massive data into transparent proof, beauty is shifting from performance culture to proof culture.

Step 5: Send the Email Test

Ask directly:

Honest brands respond quickly and clearly. Loopholes or hesitation are warning signs.

Ethics and Performance Should Coexist

Creating vegan formulas that truly serve deeper skin tones requires real scientific precision:

• High-performance pigment loads

• Accurate undertones based on real skin behavior

• Oxidation control throughout wear

• Microbiome compatibility for skin health

Brands like LYS Beauty, known for inclusive complexion systems, and BKIND, a Canadian maker of vegan skincare, show that cruelty-free values and performance can evolve together across categories. That combination of ethics and performance is the standard consumers deserve — and the future VHUES is committed to helping build.

The VHUES Point of View

VHUES Beauty stands for transparency you can verify, not claims you must trust blindly. We are Leaping Bunny certified, and you can find us anytime in the public registry. Ethical beauty is built on openness, not perfection.

Transparency is our promise. Join the movement.