When you see make-up, lotions and other personal care items that say "cruelty free" and "not tested on animals" what do you think that means? The Food and Drug Administration says there is no specific definition and the website cites "no legal definition for these terms."
"The Food and Drug Administration says they will not and do not regulate those terms. Therefore companies have free will to say whatever they want, make their own 'no animal' testing claims and have no data to back it up," says Vicki Katrinak, with the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics
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The FDA declined an on camera interview, but admits some companies may claim the finished product is cruelty free but Katrinak says it could still be tested on animals.
So how is that possible? Experts say through third parties or outside labs they contract with. No cosmetic company trade group would agree to an on camera interview with us about animal testing but Nancy Beck, who's the Science and Policy Advisor for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says fewer companies test on animals today. That's partly because many common cosmetic ingredients were tested years ago and are known to be safe. So, they don't have to be re-tested.
Another reason: animal testing is unpopular with consumers. "Many companies are putting big investments into developing new methods that don't depend on the use of animals because of public opinion against the practice," says Beck.
So how do you know if a product is really "cruelty free"? People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics both have lists of companies they say don't test on animals on their websites.
And both organizations license their own bunny logos, which consumers can look for on products in the store to help avoid cosmetic claim confusion.