I understand both perspectives, but as a new cruelty-free convert gradually educating myself on the products I use, I defer to better safe than sorry. Unfortunately, any company can claim “no animal testing” because guidelines are so terribly unstructured. If I don’t feel absolutely reassured that a product and all of its ingredients aren’t tested on animals then I try to avoid it. Companies really do need to get themselves accredited by the CCIC if they want consumers like myself to purchase their products.

I’m sorry you were so upset by my post. I didn’t actually delete your comment, it just disappears from the interface if I don’t get to it in a week. Unfortunately my dog became very sick and I didn’t get to your comment for a month — it’s still there. However, I am a little surprised you seem so angry at me.

I’m also a little surprised you accuse me “just copying and pasting” my information from PETA. Um — since I actually reference that I took the information directly from PETA in the post — not copying/pasting would be misrepresenting PETA in this situation, so I think copying/pasting is a good thing.

I’m also a little surprised that you accuse me of “not doing my homework.” I think I’ve done a ton of homework, and if you would read my post carefully, and maybe my other post on 100%-cruelty-free companies:

http://www.livingcrueltyfree.com/lists-of-cruelty-free-companies/

you would see that I’ve put a great deal of thought into listing PETA’s good companies as 50%-cruelty-free. I think you really missed my point of why I like the CCIC so much, and why I only buy products from companies who are listed on it. I don’t want to go to the website of every questionably-cruelty-free company I’m interested in. I want to have a reliable source that lists every cruelty-free company out there in one place. Hence, I really like the CCIC and I have a policy of only listing CCIC-registered companies as 100%-cruelty-free. I’m sure I miss a lot of great companies, but at the same time, I weed out the numerous awful companies who lie by implication about not testing on animals and don’t really make sure their initial ingredients haven’t been tested on animals. Not to mention the CCIC is a far better judge of cruelty-freeness than I am — I don’t have the time or resources.

I also wanted to highlight this part of my post to you:

“(If you are shocked to find your company described as 50%-cruelty-free — have you considered registering with the CCIC?”

By this, I mean that if you register with the CCIC, I will put you on the 100%-cruelty-free list. Perhaps I haven’t made that clear enough — I shall go back and try to make that more clear.

I don’t mean to be so harsh to you — it sounds like you’re a wonderful person who is really devoted to not testing your products on animals, and you run just the sort of company I’d like to buy products from. Also — Girlygrub sounds absolutely fantastic! I would be beyond THRILLED to add Girlygrub to my list of 100%-cruelty-free companies — the bath bars and lavender and tea tree dog shampoo sound perfect and I’d LOVE for people to find Girlygrub on my blog. Please email me your acceptance letter from the CCIC as soon as you get it, and I’ll add you to my 100%-cruelty-free list right away. I would really like people to know that Girlygrub is 100%-cruelty-free.

Regards,

You are doing many GOOD honest cruelty free businesses and people who are searching a cruelty free lifestyle (such as yourself, and I applaud that) a disservice by posting this.

It’s too bad you haven’t educated yourself further on what it really means to be cruelty free. I hope you’ll make a difference, and take the time to research all the companies, further, by contacting them first before making a claim like this when you are only ‘50%’ sure.

http://www.girlygrub.com

Just because someone isn’t certified doesn’t mean they aren’t 100% cruelty free. I make all of my products by hand, know where each and every ingredient has come from, and put it together myself. My testers? My family and friends.

Might want to contact the smaller companies (individually) and make sure before you jump to conclusions and ban them from your life forever, because you might be banning some pretty awesome stuff!

As far as Girly Grub, I’m in the process now of working on a CCIC certification for my business, but you didn’t know that did you? So, please do some homework before insisting that these people are only 50%. You might be surprised!

About 50% cruelty-free products, I COMPLETELY AGREE with you, I too think is the best terminology “we” can use and I really don’t want to buy that kind of stuff!
That’s why I was shocked because I though that on the Peta positive list there were only 100% c.f. companies…it was my fault..I excuse myself because I’m not english mother tongue and this is a very delicate matter but I MUST re-read all Caring Consumer website to find out what I got wrong!

Thanks again!
Regards, Raffaella

You’re very, very welcome, and it’s great to hear from you! I’m so glad you found this post informative – I value your opinion greatly of course! You’re SUCH a great ambassador for cruelty-freeism.

I think it would be GREAT if you would send a letter to PETA! I honestly do not know why PETA allows so many companies on its list of cruelty-free companies that do not make products that are 100%-cruelty-free. PETA is such a wonderful organization and it’s usually better about animal welfare than this.

I think you understand my post correctly – but remember, it’s just my opinion! “50%-cruelty-free” is just a description I made up to describe companies that make sure their final products have no animal testing commissioned on them, but do NOT certify that their ingredients have not had any animal testing commissioned on them. I’m not sure if that’s the best terminology for this situation, but it’s the most descriptive to me, so I use it. Other people may disagree with my “50%-cruelty-free” terminology. (That doesn’t bother me in the least – other people are free to believe whatever they want to believe. I shall continue to believe that those companies are 50%-cruelty-free. I am wholly committed to it.)

I have actually gone through and checked all the companies that are on the CCIC’s list and PETA’s list – a huge number of companies are on both (I deleted the ones on the CCIC’s list from my 50%-animal-testing-free list). The CCIC’s requirements are so strict – I imagine it’s easy for a company that complies with the CCIC’s requirements to comply with PETA’s requirements.

However, all this is just my opinion – if you read all this stuff carefully and come to a different opinion, I completely respect that!

Regards,
Emily