The Victorian Garden skincare range is rated gold for cruelty-free ethos
It was a first for the South African skin and personal care industry when three years ago the exquisite Victorian Garden range of natural and organic products was awarded the international gold standard for non-animal tested consumer products – the Cruelty Free/Leaping Bunny certification. They’ve just received their 3rd certification in a row and they remain the only SA brand to enjoy accreditation.
Awarded by Cruelty Free, an international coalition of animal protection organisations, the certificate allows The Victorian Garden to display the Leaping Bunny logo on their products. This logo means that consumers, who today are much more au fait with the authenticity and ethos behind the products they purchase, can identify immediately that a Victorian Garden item will not include any animal tested ingredients nor have been tested on animals.
So, if you’re drawn to the lush Double Rose and Pelargonium Body Lotion or the nurturing Sesame and Honey Nourishing Eye Cream, you can rest assured that no animals suffered in the making of these products. Extremely strict protocol applies for accreditation with Cruelty Free/Leaping Bunny and a file of documentation outlining every ingredient origin, method of extraction and supplier information must be supplied to prove without doubt that no ingredient has been tested on animals. The process is extremely time consuming and costly and strict six monthly audits are carried out by the Cruelty Free/Leaping Bunny auditors on every accredited member. Exceptions to the strict protocol on ingredients are beeswax, honey and propolis which are deemed acceptable by Cruelty Free. Internationally, over 600 companies are proud to be Leaping Bunny certified. As explained above, the core criteria to achieve certification are stringently upheld.
Lindsay Salthouse, Founder and Director of The Victorian Garden says, “We’ve captured the very essence of vintage, natural and organic products from the Victorian era and brought it into the 21st century to craft exquisite personal care products using flower and herb extracts popular in bygone times. We strongly condemn any animal testing and will not use any ingredients from a supplier who does not adhere to our own ethic on this. Every ingredient undergoes stringent Health and Safety testing and we trust our long-standing suppliers to provide us with the best quality, ethical ingredients which do no harm to either animals or the planet!”
Earlier this year, Cruelty Free joined with 100 influencers – politicians, scientists, celebrities, retailers – to call on the European Union to push for a global ban on cosmetics and skincare animal testing. Support for such a ban seems to be growing solidly in many parts of the world, and The Victorian Garden is proud to be the standard-bearer for the cruelty-free ethos here in South Africa.
The Victorian Garden is also endorsed by the UK Cruelty Free organisation NatureWatch.