You’ve seen the little bunny logo before. That cute mark is meant to signal compassion and conscious choices. But what if we told you that “cruelty-free” doesn’t always mean what it sounds like?

Let’s talk about what those labels actually mean… and what they don’t.

The Bar Is on the Floor

Most “cruelty-free” certifications only confirm that the final formula in that specific bottle wasn’t tested on animals.

That’s it.

They don’t account for whether:

• The ingredients inside that formula were tested on animals,
• Previous versions of the product were tested on animals,
• The brand’s other products are still tested on animals, or
• The parent company (the “umbrella corporation”) continues to test on animals elsewhere.

In other words, a brand can sell you one “cruelty-free” item while funding animal testing under a different label, and still get to display the bunny logo proudly.

And to use that sticker? Companies usually just pay a few thousand dollars a year in licensing fees.

That’s not ethics. That’s marketing.

Ethics Shouldn’t Be for Sale

If you only care about the one product in your shower not being tested on animals, but don’t look into the company that profits from it, you might still be supporting animal testing through the back door.

It kind of defeats the point, doesn’t it?

That’s why, for us, it’s not enough for a brand to say they’re cruelty-free. We look at how they prove it.

What True Cruelty-Free Looks Like

At Wicked Hues, we partner with brands that go deep enough to build their ethics into their chemistry from the ground up.

For example, Eufora spends years in the lab perfecting their formulas before they ever reach the salon chair.

They test on stylists who can consent, and clients who can also consent, never on animals.

They’re also not owned by a parent company that tests on animals, so the integrity runs all the way up the chain.

That’s what we call compassion backed by science.

From the Farm to Your Bathroom

At Wicked Hues, we love that Eufora truly lives their values from the farm to your bathroom.

Their definition of “sustainable” goes far beyond trendy buzzwords. It means leaving the Earth better than they found it. They even rehabilitate farmland once considered unusable. Every ingredient is ethically sourced, fair-trade when possible, and chosen not just for performance, but for planetary and human health.

• Their formulas are non-toxic to aquatic life, breaking down safely when rinsed into our waterways.
• They’re crafted to protect stylists’ long-term health, avoiding ingredients that build up in our lungs or skin over time.
• They steer clear of known endocrine disruptors, and any stabilizing ingredients are used well below the tested safe limits, not just to pass a marketing buzzword challenge, but to exceed the standard.

Every choice Eufora makes, from the chemistry bench to the fields where their botanicals grow, reflects a belief that beauty should never come at the cost of well-being.

That’s what we mean when we say cruelty-free shouldn’t just be a sticker, it should be a way of life.

That’s Beauty without Compromise.