About Cruelty Free Consumer

Company History

Julie began working on the concept in 2006, and launched the website in 2011. Over the years Cruelty Free Consumer has always stayed true to its roots: a trusted source for consumers to easily shop Leaping Bunny certified companies, finding alternatives to replace non-cruelty free brands they were using.

In 2024 Cruelty Free Consumer relaunched with new and fresh initiatives. Now having older children, and with the recent shifts in awareness post pandemic, Julie will now be noting products that are vegan, women-owned, B Corp Certified, CBD products, and made in the USA. Over the last few years we have seen a shift in these areas and minority owned businesses who give back to the community.

One of the major goals of this relaunch is connecting smaller brands with a larger audience. Julie is excited to be a part of this journey, helping the consumer discover small brands that make a difference.

About Julie Kirk

“I believe in being responsible about the products you use and the companies you support. I truly love animals and I can’t imagine the unnecessary terror they have to experience. I think it is important to make thoughtful choices and be socially conscious. It’s our actions that will influence change.” ~ Julie Kirk

Kirk has always loved animals, from helping a turtle cross the road to trying to save a crow in her backyard. When she was young she saw a news program about animal testing that changed her life forever. In 2006 she became a vegetarian and began to strive for a cruelty free lifestyle.

But it wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.

Once she made the commitment to shop cruelty free, Julie found it to be very time consuming and unrealistic. Going to one store for makeup, one store for baby products, one store for pet products, was exhausting and confusing. She found that it took a lot of planning, and remembers times going without concealer because there were too many sites to sort through.

Cruelty Free Consumer.com was “born” that summer of 2006 out of Julie’s need to be able to shop confidently at one place for all the daily products we need while not supporting companies that engage in animal cruelty.

You can be confident that all of the products on our site are certified Cruelty-Free. We have taken the guesswork out for you – thanks in part to the Leaping Bunny coalition, this information is updated on a yearly basis.

You are here at this site because you are conscientious about animals, the planet, and the world. Let’s all do the right thing and support responsible companies who care too!

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been a huge animal lover. Even today at my house you’ll be greeted by no less than four of my furry little friends – Bernie, Teddy, Oscar and Louie.

Cruelty Free Consumer was born out of my desire to live a lifestyle free of any animal cruelty. If you share this desire, you’ll be pleased to learn that every one of the products we offer has been certified Cruelty-Free by my friends at Leaping Bunny. Their sole mission is to certify that products that claim to be cruelty free actually are cruelty free. To learn more, please visit them here.

You are here because you are conscientious about animals, the planet and the world. I applaud you. You’ve discovered a single source for the products you need – all certified cruelty free. What could be better than doing the right thing and supporting responsible companies who care too? Thank you for caring and sharing in this mission.

I would like to acknowledge an important difference in the CFC experience.

We trust that you are clear in your reasons for choosing to purchase cruelty free products and we applaud you. Our goal is not to educate our visitors about the inhumane practices of some corporations; there is already a great deal of information available about the problem, we simply want to offer you a solution.

I want to leave you with a story:

Because it matters…

The scene is a sunny seashore where dozens of baby sea turtles are struggling toward the surf. A few are reaching the water, but many are being attacked and eaten by a growing gang of hovering seagulls. Down on the sand, a child is gently picking the baby turtles up and helping them to the safety of the seawater. A passerby sees what the child is doing, quickly calculates the overwhelming odds and calls out, “You’ll never save them all – why even try?”
The child holding a struggling turtle in his hands calls back, “Because it matters to this one.”

Because it matters. Those three words summarize the spirit of Cruelty Free Consumer. As consumers, our choices have consequences – and by choosing products free of animal testing you are making a choice that matters. Our goal was to create a place where visitors could make conscientious consumer choices while supporting companies that refuse to participate in animal testing. You may be surprised at how many cruelty free products are available – and we are always looking to add more. We hope you’ll enjoy shopping with us – please let us know if you have any suggestions or comments.

Thank you for making choices that matter.

Sincerely,

Julie Kirk