We are delighted to announce that we are now officially a PETA-certified company! 🎉
In this article, you can find out exactly what this is all about, what we did to obtain the certificate and, above all, why we decided to apply for this certification.

1. What is PETA and what do they stand for?
2. What are the requirements for PETA certification?
3. Why did we opt for PETA certification?
4. Hasn't animal testing been banned in the EU since 2013 anyway?
5. We are vegan & cruelty-free

1. what is PETA and what do they stand for?

PETA is the world's largest animal rights organization, which, together with many partners, has dedicated itself to the goal of "helping every animal to a better life". In many countries around the world, including Germany, PETA is committed to exposing animal cruelty, educating the public and ending speciesism. PETA defines speciesism as a "discriminatory pattern of thought and behavior that justifies the exploitation or exclusion of living beings on the basis of their species". In short, PETA fights for the rights and equality of all animals, against exploitation, cruelty and abuse.

In addition to campaigns and demonstrations that regularly make the news, PETA is also active at a political level. They want to establish animal rights more profoundly through discussions with politicians, encourage discourse at conferences, support research into alternatives to animal testing and at the same time offer advice to companies that want to set up an animal-free business. It also has its own legal department to take action against animal abusers.

If you would like to find out more about PETA's milestones and successes, take a look at their page to find out more.

2. what are the requirements for PETA certification?

What certificates are available?

In addition to various cooperation opportunities, PETA offers various certifications. Fashion labels that are animal-friendly can be certified as "PETA-approved vegan".

In the world of cosmetics, there is the "PETA Approved Vegan Global Animal Test Policy" logo, which is awarded to EU companies that, after thorough testing, can prove that their products are vegan and cruelty-free from the raw material to the bottle. This can be manufacturers of individual ingredients or entire brands, like us.

In addition, a cosmetics company that is not completely vegan can still qualify for the "PETA Approved Global Animal Test Policy" certification and thus officially demonstrate that it does not carry out animal testing at any stage of production.

What conditions must a company fulfill for the "PETA Vegan Global Animal Test Policy" certificate?

To obtain certification, a company must submit proof that neither the manufacturer and suppliers nor the company itself carry out animal testing - and not just for the final product, but for every single raw material that is used. In addition, a statement, the "Global Animal Test-Free and Vegan Statement of Assurance", must be signed, in which the company clearly states that it does not carry out animal testing and that no animal ingredients are contained in the products. This is how it worked for us:

After the decision was made that we wanted to obtain the "PETA Approved Vegan Global Animal Test Policy" certification, a lengthy process began for us in exchange with our suppliers and producers. For our more than 200 raw materials, we obtained assurances and signatures that the suppliers and producers neither carry out animal testing themselves, commission it nor pay for it. Furthermore, all of this must also apply to the future. We have therefore had it confirmed that we will be informed by our suppliers as soon as an animal test is carried out on a raw material we require. So that we can take action against the animal testing with PETA if necessary or replace the raw material with another one. Because animal testing is a no-go for us. 

As we are dealing with such a large number of ingredients, it naturally took a while for us to receive the documents from our suppliers and producers. Once we received the relevant assurances from all of them, we submitted our documents with the corresponding signed contracts to PETA so that they could be evaluated by their testing center. After PETA reviewed all our submitted documents, we finally got the green light for our certification and are happy to share this news with you.

3. why did we choose PETA certification?

We have made our products vegan right from the start and have made sure from the very beginning when searching for suppliers and manufacturers of individual raw materials that they do not carry out animal testing. It is a matter close to our hearts that neither the planet nor its inhabitants have to suffer for our products. On the contrary. We want to give something back to people, animals and our environment.

We want to make it possible for our community and interested parties to see our values and our quality standards at first glance. That's why it was so important for us to have a seal that certifies all our products, and therefore us as a company, as vegan AND cruelty-free. This combination is something very special for us and reflects the focus that we have chosen for ourselves.

For us, this certificate also complements our commitment to Doctors Against Animal Testing, which we have been promoting since 2018.

4. hasn't animal testing been banned in the EU since 2013 anyway?

This is true, but the so-called REACH regulation (which stands for "Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals") provides a loophole for this decision. This regulation was issued by the European Union in June 2007 to ensure and improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks posed by hazardous chemicals. It applies to the registration of all authorized chemicals and applies in principle to all chemical substances, including substances in cosmetic products. If there are insufficient data sources and no alternative methods available to assess the effects of the substances, the substance may be tested on animals as a last resort, regardless of whether it is only used in cosmetics. This is to ensure that there is no risk to humans during production as part of occupational safety. There are also exceptions for certain substances, such as fats and oils, but also glycerine from plant-based raw materials. These are exempt from the REACH regulation. Many of our ingredients fall under this exemption and have therefore never been tested on animals. If an animal test is required under the REACH Regulation for a raw material that we already use, the relevant raw material suppliers are required to inform us of this fact. If this is the case, it is already clear to us that we will refrain from continuing to use this raw material and we will look for an alternative raw material. In addition, PETA supports us with its certification to take action against the planned animal testing.

5. we are vegan & cruelty-free

Even if it was already the case before, it is yet another reason for us to be pleased to have our stance on vegan products and the absence of animal testing officially confirmed in the form of the PETA certificate. It was also particularly important to us that these values are visible to you as a customer or interested party at first glance. Because your trust in us as a brand and our products is our number one priority.

If you would like to find out more about PETA and our certification, listen to our podcast with Judith Schefzyk from PETA:

Our podcast with PETA

Find out more about PETA and the certification.

This way to the podcast