Live Humanely: Shop Cruelty-free

Did you know that your lotion, laundry detergent, shaving cream or shampoo could have been tested on animals? As a conscientious consumer, you may already look for products that say "not tested on animals." What you might not know is that labels don't tell the whole story. Companies can make this claim if their final product was not tested on animals, even if the ingredients they use were.

How are you supposed to know what is cruelty-free? Your first stop can be LeapingBunny.org. The companies in this shopping guide have pledged not to conduct or commission animal tests, nor purchase ingredients that have been tested on animals.

If you don't see a company listed, contact them and ask the following questions:

• Do they test final products on animals?
• Do they ask/pay someone else to test the final products or ingredients?
• Are the ingredients they buy tested on animals?

If you like the company's answers, then you can feel good about buying their products. Ask them to take the Leaping Bunny pledge.

Read more tips on living humanely, and thank you for being a compassionate consumer.