Garnier has become the first L’Oréal Group brand to be granted approval under the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny programme.

Ranked by Brand Finance as one of the world’s top ten most valuable cosmetics brands, Garnier’s empire is worth $4,664 million, making the move a significant milestone in the fight against cosmetics animal testing.

Cruelty Free International is now urging the L’Oréal Group and its other global subsidiaries to seek Leaping Bunny approval for more of its brands.

Since 2017, Leaping Bunny has seen a 190% increase in brands enquiring about Leaping Bunny status, demonstrating that global consumer demand for cruelty free products is impacting how cosmetics brands operate.

The programme requires brands to forensically investigate their entire supply chain, including all raw materials and individual ingredients, for any cases of animal testing. Approval must be given to all of a brand’s finished products - individual products or items cannot be approved in isolation.

To meet Leaping Bunny’s strict criteria, Garnier had to secure a declaration from more than 500 suppliers, who source more than 3,000 different ingredients, from across the world.

Michelle Thew, Cruelty Free International CEO, says: “Garnier being approved under the Leaping Bunny programme is an important gear shift for major cosmetics, and a step in the right direction towards meeting the European Parliament’s call for a worldwide ban on testing cosmetics on animals by 2023, a call which Cruelty Free International wholeheartedly supports. It is the first of many L’Oréal Group brands and we urge more to step forward for Leaping Bunny approval.”

Since the 1990s, the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny programme has served as the most trusted gold standard programme for cruelty free products, enabling consumers to make cruelty free choices and speeding up the development of animal-free testing. The programme celebrates 25 years in 2021.