Clinical Safety Testing

This is a 2-week test with at least 100 participants.  We conduct two types of home user trials, one on newborns aged 0-3 months and another on babies aged 0-18 months who have medically diagnosed eczema. The tests are controlled and managed by the same international research team as our clinical safety tests. Parents are given a bottle of one of our products and asked to use it for 2 weeks as part of their baby or child’s normal bathing routine. They are then asked to thoroughly review the product with the research team and the results are analysed. This allows us to gather responses from likely users of our brand and means we can give you, our customers, the reassurance of feedback from real parents that our products are suitable to use on your little ones.

All of our products are formulated to be extremely gentle. They are dermatologist and paediatrician approved for use on children and newborn babies, including those with sensitive skin and suitable for people who may be prone to eczema. However, as a common sense precaution, we always recommend a patch test be carried out at least 24 hours prior to first use of any new product. The best places to test are inside the upper arm and behind the ear – don’t patch test on skin that’s already irritated.

Take a look at our video on the best way to patch test!

This is a managed and controlled test procedure carried out by an international research company so that all results are universally recognised. We use testing experts who follow a standard, industry-approved, scientific protocol. The test takes the form of a 96-hour patch test on a selection of healthy men and women of varying ages, all of whom have may be prone to eczema. Every product has been tested on four different parts of each participant’s body and any adverse reactions recorded.

The results of the test are then analysed by a dermatologist and a paediatrician. If both these doctors believe the results satisfy their strict criteria, they confirm their approval and we are able to claim the products are:

✓ dermatologist approved

✓ paediatrician approved

✓ clinically tested

✓ suitable for people who may be prone to eczema.

✓ suitable for newborns

✓ kind, mild and safe to skin

If a product doesn’t pass a clinical safety test, we won’t sell it!

We know that ethical shoppers recognise the Leaping Bunny as the most trusted cruelty free certification for non-animal tested products, and we are pleased to be able to offer this guarantee for our cosmetic & personal care products.

Achieving Leaping Bunny certification shows consumers that we are genuinely committed to producing products without forcing animals to suffer.

To become certified, a company must apply a strict fixed cut-off date, which is an immovable date after which none of its cosmetic products or ingredients have been animal tested, no matter where that testing takes place).

Each company undergoes independent audits to ensure that they adhere to their animal testing policy and the strict criteria of the Leaping Bunny programme.

The Leaping Bunny is the gold standard, international, no-animal-testing certification programme. It requires certified companies to strictly comply with its comprehensive criteria and open their systems to ongoing independent audits to prove what they claim.

We are aware of no other ‘no animal testing’ scheme that does this and to the same high standard. Many other ‘not tested on animals’ lists are limited in scope and based on no more than simple company assurances.

Sadly, 80% of the world’s countries would still permit animal testing for cosmetics. Cruelty Free International is working to achieve a global ban on animal testing everywhere and forever.

Companies which are Leaping Bunny certified are committed to no animal testing for certified own brand products, no matter where it takes place.

Of course, it is essential that the products we use on our faces and bodies are safe, and much progress has been made in establishing alternative non-animal testing methods. Alternative test methods have been validated by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing and have subsequently been included in OECD Testing Guidelines – an international harmonisation body.

Humane alternatives to animal tests can use simple organisms like bacteria or human tissues and cells as well as sophisticated computer models.

In addition, lots of ingredients for cosmetics and personal care products have already been shown to be safe, and companies can draw from these.