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GREEN SCENE Animal Tracking The definition of "cruelty-free" can be murky. Here's how to discern those products and ingredients that are truly animal-friendly. By Tracy Morin 82 DAYSPA | APRIL 2013 pretations about what it means, which is confusing and misleading to consumers," explains Katrinak. This confusion affects conscientious businesspeople such as spa owners, who want to be sure that their shelves are stocked with 100% cruelty-free items. In an effort to help professionals navigate the animal-friendly jungle, DAYSPA called upon spa owners, manufacturers and advocacy experts to shed some light on the truth behind the labels. MURKY WATERS FOR FURRY FRIENDS The lack of regulation backing so-called "cruelty-free" goods has resulted in the broad usage—and in some cases, abuse—of the term. To complicate matters further, "cruelty-free" may refer to the finished product only, or it may also describe individual ingredients. "Companies can say whatever they want about their animal testing policies," points out Katrinak. "A company may provide consumers with the perception that it's committed to no new animal testing when, in fact, it simply hires a third party to do testing. It may purchase ingredients that have, in fact, been newly tested. Or it may make disclaimers, such as 'unless required by law,' after stating its cruelty-free stance." ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM In 1926, philosopher John Dewey wrote, "Cruelty, the wanton and needless infliction of suffering upon any sentient creature, is unquestionably wrong." Increasing numbers of today's consumers share this sentiment: A poll conducted in October 2011 by the Philadelphia-based Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) found that 67% of Americans believe that companies should not test consumer products—such as cosmetics—on animals, and 60% of respondents indicated they were more likely to purchase a product that had not been tested on animals. In fact, a full ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetics went into effect last month in the European Union. Experts say the U.S. is most likely not far behind. Vicki Katrinak, administrator for CCIC, creator of the Leaping Bunny symbol, which denotes cruelty-free products, notes that current U.S. law does not require animal testing to clear products for the market, and that many companies have successfully petitioned the FDA to accept non-animal test data on products. However, the fact that the term "cruelty-free" doesn't carry set-in-stone meaning clouds the issue. "As the FDA doesn't regulate terms like 'no animal testing' or 'cruelty-free,' there have been many inter-