Get your brand endorsed
Endorsement is Beauty Without Cruelty’s audit confirming that a company does not test on animals. It is the trusted mark South African consumers look for — and brands earn the right to call their products Humanely Manufactured.
What is endorsement?
The Humane Guide is a list of all companies endorsed for their humane status by Beauty Without Cruelty. We audit each company to verify — independently — that it does not test its products on animals.
Do I have to pay?
No — there is no charge. Endorsed companies may use the Beauty Without Cruelty name and logo on products by arrangement, at no cost, provided no ingredients cause animal suffering.
Why get endorsed?
Meets — and exceeds — the international standard
BWC endorsement matches the international standard for animal-testing endorsement, and goes beyond it.
100% plant-based since 2018
Applications from 2018 onward must be 100% plant-based to be accredited, listed, and use the BWC logo.
Compliance certificate for dairy/bee (pre-2018)
Companies with dairy or bee ingredients receive a compliance certificate — but cannot use the logo or be listed.
Free listing in the Humane Guide
No partial ranges: the whole company must comply. Endorsed brands are listed free in the Humane Guide.
Criteria for endorsement
Your brand must meet Beauty Without Cruelty’s criteria in full:
- 1
Department stores have different criteria to other retailers; all other ranges must comply with vegan/vegetarian status for the products sold.
- 2
A self-imposed cut-off date of at least five years before application for any animal-tested ingredients — strictly adhered to going forward, or the endorsement is removed.
- 3
Written assurances from your ingredient suppliers confirming no animal testing after the cut-off date, per ingredient.
- 4
Parent companies and all subsidiaries must comply with the same criteria.
Endorsement & testing — FAQ
What is vivisection?
Vivisection is the practice of performing operations on live animals for the purpose of experimentation or scientific research. Animals are deliberately harmed to test cosmetics and household products.
What is the Humane Guide?
The Humane Guide is a list of all companies endorsed for their humane status by Beauty Without Cruelty. Companies in the Guide have proved they do not test their products on animals by passing our criteria — spanning sunscreen, shampoo, toothpaste, toiletries and cosmetics.
Which companies test on animals?
Major manufacturers still testing on animals include Procter & Gamble (Pantene, Gillette, Olay), Unilever (Dove, Axe, Lux), Avon, L’Oréal, Revlon and Chanel, among others.
A company says they don’t test on animals. Is it humanely manufactured?
Not necessarily. Common deceptions: testing the final product but not the ingredients; a parent company or subsidiary that tests; outsourcing testing to a third party; or buying ingredients recently tested on animals by suppliers. Never rely solely on a company’s word.
A label says it hasn’t been tested on animals. Is it humanely manufactured?
A product can only be certified as “humane” if it is endorsed by an independent third party. Label claims with no third-party audit behind them carry no real verification.
The product has a bunny icon. Is it cruelty-free?
Unless it is the logo of a verified third-party auditor — like Beauty Without Cruelty or the Leaping Bunny — then probably not. Many companies use unverified bunny logos as marketing.
Why is the PETA list meaningless?
Because a letter from a company saying it doesn’t and won’t animal test is irrelevant — companies hide behind conditional language about what the law requires. Only the Leaping Bunny and Beauty Without Cruelty provide acceptable verification.
What alternatives are there to animal testing?
In-vitro tests, cell cultures, epidemiology, computer modelling, and human clinical trials using microdosing.
Why does Beauty Without Cruelty endorse non-vegan products?
BWC’s focus is specifically ending animal testing. As of 2018, only 100% plant-based applicants will be listed and may use the logo once accredited.
Are BWC-endorsed products cruelty-free?
No — we use the term “Humanely Manufactured” instead, because almost all ingredients have been tested on animals at some stage in history. The endorsement confirms that the company itself does not test on animals.
Why is it called Beauty Without Cruelty if products aren’t 100% cruelty-free?
The name carries 51 years of expertise, reputation and public trust. Rebranding would waste that hard-won recognition.
Apply for endorsement
Tell us about your brand. We’ll review every application against the criteria above.