The NZAVS Cruelty-Free Guide makes shopping with a conscience easy as all brands listed are 100% free from animal testing.

If a company isn't listed in our Cruelty-Free Guide, then there are two easy methods you can use to check if they are genuinely cruelty-free:

1. Look for a genuine cruelty-free certification.

2. Send a quick email to a company to get confirmation!

3. Share those answers with NZAVS so we can invite them to fill in the application to be added to our Cruelty-Free Guide.  

1. Genuine Cruelty-Free Certification

Just because a company states that it is ‘against animal testing’ or is ‘cruelty-free’, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t test their products or ingredients on animals.

Companies know that cruelty-free is becoming a more important factor for consumers, and more and more people are looking for the most ethical option.

Instead of earning, and following through, with a cruelty-free claim, some companies willfully choose to trick consumers into believing they are against animal testing by using confusing claims on their packing and crafty, well-written answers in articles and on their website.

Confusing claims on packing can include:

• “Against animal testing”

• “We love animals”

• “We hate animal testing”

None of which state that the product they are selling is Cruelty-Free!  

The above statements are therefore not guarantees that animals weren't harmed in the making of a product.  

Putting these companies on the spot by asking a few questions about their marketing claims can be a powerful way to send a clear message that consumers like you want Cruelty-Free products that don’t test on animals, not just empty promises!  

2. Send a Simple Email

Ask a company to clarify their claims by sending a quick email!

Step 1: Look for a company name on the product you are inquiring about or if you already know the company name skip to step 2.

Step 2: Use a basic Google search to find the email address for this company (or message them on Facebook, Instagram, etc.).

Step 3: Send an email/message asking the following questions: ‍

• ‍Does your company test any of its final products or product ingredients on animals? ‍
• Does your company pay anyone else to test any product ingredients used or final products on animals? ‍
• Does your company have a parent company? If so, who are they and do they test any of their final products or product ingredients on animals or pay anyone else to? ‍
• Does your company sell their products in China? ‍
• Does your company refuse to sell in China until they no longer require any mandatory animal testing?

Step 4: The answers you are looking for are:

• Does your company test any of its final products or product ingredients on animals? No
• Does your company pay anyone else to test any product ingredients used or final products on animals? No
• Does your company have a parent company? If so, who are they and do they test any of their final products or product ingredients on animals or pay anyone else to? Yes, we have a parent company, they are (insert name) but they do not conduct or fund any animal testing whatsoever, OR no we have no parent company.‍
• Does your company sell their products in China? No OR yes but only under special conditions.‍
• Does your company refuse to sell in mainland China until it no longer requires any mandatory animal testing? Yes – 100%

The above questions can be used for other products (i.e. household products), just remove the question about China, as the mandatory animal testing laws only relate to cosmetics.

To make this even easier, here is an email template that you can copy:

Kia ora,

I'm interested in purchasing a product made by your company but before I can do this, I want to ensure that the product I'm purchasing is 100% cruelty-free.

Could you please answer the questions below:

1. Does your company test any of its ingredients or final products on animals?

2. Does your company pay anyone else to test any ingredients used or final products on animals?

3. Does your company have a parent company? If so, who are they and do they test any of their products or product ingredients on animals or pay anyone else to?

4. Does your company sell their products in China?

5. Does your company refuse to sell in China until they no longer require any mandatory animal testing?

Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindly,

(Insert name)

3. Share the Results

Remember: Please share your answers with NZAVS so your mahi can make a powerful impact on animals by adding products to the guide or keeping them out.  

Let’s show these companies that harming animals is not just cruel but bad for business!