In 2024, there are many great options for vegan cleansers.
From luxurious cleansing balms to refreshing micellar waters, our favorite vegan cleansers wash away dirt and makeup in a natural and skin-friendly way. Cleansing is shown to be beneficial for your skin.
Powered by delicious berries, fruits, and plants, these vegan facial washes will make you look forward to your cleansing routine.
All products below are vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they are free of animal-derived ingredients and have not been tested on animals. 💚
See also: Best Vegan Makeup Removers
Best Vegan Cleansers 2024
Check out our favorite vegan facial cleansers and face washes for 2024. Rid your skin of makeup, dirt, SPF, and impurities with these plant-based cleansers.
- Best Overall: Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser
- Best Runner-Up: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser
- Best Organic: Eminence Organic Coconut Milk Cleanser
- Best Exfoliating: Tata Harper Regenerating Exfoliating Cleanser
- Best Affordable: Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
- Best Plastic-Free: Ethique Bliss Bar Solid Face Cleanser
- Best Anti-Aging: IT Cosmetics Confidence In A Cleanser
- Best For Dry Skin: Tatcha The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser
- Best For Oily Skin: Olehenriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser
- Best For Combination Skin: Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel
- Best For Sensitive Skin: Pai Middlemist Seven Gentle Cream Cleanser
- Best For Acne-Prone Skin: Paula’s Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser
Best Vegan Cleanser Overall
1. Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser
Superfood Cleanser is the best vegan cleanser. Made with cold-pressed kale, spinach, and green tea extracts, this vegan cleanser gives the freshest cleanse. It washes away makeup, dirt, and SPF without damaging the skin’s moisture barrier. Read our full review here.
- What we like: gives the skin a fresh feeling, deep cleansing
- What we don’t like: contains fragrance
- What reviews say: a gentle cleanser that does not dry up the skin, little amount of product is needed
Key ingredients: kale, spinach, green tea, alfalfa, vitamins C and E | Main benefits: cooling, moisturizing, deep-cleansing | Features: vegan, recyclable packaging, made in the USA
Best Vegan Cleanser Runner-Up
2. Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser
Blueberry Bounce is a great vegan face wash packed with antioxidants from blueberries. It removes makeup and grime while clarifying and brightening the skin. Natural AHAs gently exfoliate your skin leaving it smoother and more radiant over time.
- What we like: brightens the skin, smells great, removes excess makeup easily
- What we don’t like: not suitable for sensitive skin, contains fragrances
- What reviews say: great for normal to oily skin types, tight feeling after the wash
Key ingredients: blueberry extract, hyaluronic acid, AHA, hydrating suds | Main benefits: tightening, mattifying, make-up removing | Features: vegan, mineral oil-free, alcohol-free, synthetic dyes-free, recyclable packaging, carbon neutral
Best Organic Vegan Cleanser
3. Eminence Organic Coconut Milk Cleanser
Eminence has made our favorite organic vegan cleanser from coconut milk and calendula oil. The vegan cream cleanser is so soothing and hydrating. Free of parabens, sulfates, and petrochemicals, the cleanser is also safe for sensitive skin.
- What we like: good coconut smell, very gentle and moisturizing
- What we don’t like: thick consistency which is hard to wash off
- What reviews say: works great with very sensitive skin types, makes the skin glow
Key ingredients: coconut milk, coconut oil, calendula oil, biocomplex2 | Main benefits: cleansing, moisturizing, hydrating | Features: vegan, artificial fragrance-free, nut-free, gluten-free, made in the EU
Best Exfoliating Vegan Cleanser
4. Tata Harper Regenerating Exfoliating Cleanser
Tata Harper’s exfoliating vegan cleanser is a party of botanicals. It cleanses the skin and chaffs away dead skin cells with apricot microspheres and natural BHAs. The cleanser hydrates the skin with aloe and coconut crystals. The skin looks poreless and glowing.
- What we like: gentle scrub which gives an extra cleanse, works great with sensitive skin
- What we don’t like: leaves a little oily finish on the skin
- What reviews say: it cleanses and hydrates at the same time, leaves the skin very soft
Key ingredients: apricot seed powder, pomegranate enzymes, willow bark, french pink clay | Main benefits: exfoliating, cleansing, hydrating | Features: vegan, artificial fragrance-free, GMO-free, artificial colors free, toxins free, made in the USA
Best Affordable Vegan Cleanser
5. Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
If you are looking for an affordable vegan cleanser for under 10$, this is the one.
The vegan face wash removes grime and makeup while nourishing the skin with sea algae, coconut, and white tea extracts. No sulfates, parabens, phthalates, SLS, or mineral oil.
- What we like: removes easily makeup, leaves a creamy and hydrated after feeling
- What we don’t like: does not work well with oily skin types
- What reviews say: great value for the price, leaves the skin feeling very soft, smells great
Key ingredients: coconut water, coconut oil, sea algae, white tea | Main benefits: hydrating, softening, makeup removing | Features: vegan, artificial fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, made in the USA
Shop on: Amazon, Official Site
Best Plastic-Free Vegan Cleanser
6. Ethique Bliss Bar Solid Vegan Face Cleanser
Bliss Bar is a fantastic plastic-free vegan cleanser from Ethique. Made from coconut butter, vegan glycerin, and clay, the bar gives a good cleanse while calming and hydrating the skin. The eco-friendly vegan cleanser bar is also available for oily and acne-prone skin.
- What we like: leave the skin very soft, cleans and removes makeup
- What we don’t like: it has to be stored in a dry place
- What reviews say: hydrates and do not try out the skin, comfortable to use while traveling
Key ingredients: creamed coconut, kaolin clay, vegetable glycerine | Main benefits: cleansing, hydrating, softening | Features: vegan, fragrance-free, carbon neutral, compostable packaging, essential oils free, soap-free, made in New Zealand
Best Anti-Aging Vegan Cleanser
7. IT Cosmetics Confidence In A Cleanser
This bestselling anti-aging cleanser from IT Cosmetics is fully vegan and cruelty-free. The soap-free vegan cleanser removes makeup, SPF, and pollution without drying the skin. Acting also as a serum, it loads the skin with anti-aging ceramides, colloidal oatmeal, and hyaluronic acid.
- What we like: removes gently makeup, improves skin texture
- What we don’t like: contains fragrances
- What reviews say: moisturizes while removing makeup, works great for different age groups
Key ingredients: ceramides, hyaluronic acid | Main benefits: cleansing, makeup removing, smoothening | Features: vegan, soap-free, alcohol-free
Best Vegan Cleanser For Dry Skin
8. Tatcha The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser
Japanese brand Tatcha has made a lovely vegan cleanser for dry skin. The gentle cream cleanser removes dirt and bacteria while hydrating the skin with vitamin-rich rice powder, hyaluronic acid, and algae. Skin feels soft and plump after use.
- What we like: hydrates, skin feels more bright and soft after using
- What we don’t like: does not remove heavy makeup
- What reviews say: clears breakouts, helps with hormonal acne, leaves a very clean feeling
Key ingredients: pH-neutral amino acid base, Japanese rice powder, Okinawa algae blend + hyaluronic acid | Main benefits: hydrating, brightening, exfoliating | Features: vegan, non-comedogenic, artificial fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, made in Japan
Best Vegan Cleanser For Oily Skin
9. Olehenriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser
Oily skin will love this minty vegan cleanser. It washes away dirt, bacteria, and excess oil, buffs away dead skin cells, and unclogs pores. The cleanser uses healthy green tea, algae, and Irish moss extracts along with skin-renewing glycolic and lactic acids.
- What we like: fresh and minty smell, a little amount of product is needed, skin is less oily under makeup
- What we don’t like: can irritate eye area for sensitive skin types
- What reviews say: clears out oily skin, does not dry out, and balances the skin
Key ingredients: green fusion complex, neem seed oil, glycolic & lactic acids (AHAs) | Main benefits: cleansing, mattifying, reducing breakouts | Features: vegan, non-comedogenic, artificial fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, made in the USA
Best Vegan Cleanser For Combination Skin
10. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel
The Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel is ideal for combination skin. The pH-balanced vegan gel cleanser deeply cleanses the skin, unclogs pores, and balances oil production. Dry areas will feel smooth and hydrated and the T-zone shine-free.
- What we like: removes excess makeup and dirt, smoothens and improves skin texture
- What we don’t like: sticky feeling after washing
- What reviews say: helps with blackheads, deep cleanses, makes the skin feel very fresh
Key ingredients: alpha beta acids, farnesol, jasmine, bisabolol | Main benefits: cleansing, smoothening, makeup removing | Features: vegan, fragrance-free, soap-free, made in the USA
Best Vegan Cleanser For Sensitive Skin
11. Pai Middlemist Seven Gentle Cream Cleanser
Pai Skincare is an organic vegan skincare brand specially made for sensitive skin. Their Middlemist Seven vegan cream is the best vegan cleanser for sensitive skin. It features camellia and rose oil to wash away impurities while hydrating and comforting sensitive skin. It’s the most gentle hypoallergenic vegan cleanser.
- What we like: makes the skin feel very soft and smooth, calms very sensitive skin
- What we don’t like: leaves an oily finish
- What reviews say: leaves the skin very clean without drying it, has a lovely smell and texture
Key ingredients: camellia, rose | Main benefits: cleansing, brightening, makeup removing, softening | Features: vegan, artificial fragrance-free, artificial colors-free, made in the UK
Shop on: Amazon, Credo Beauty
Best Vegan Cleanser For Acne-Prone Skin
12. Paula’s Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser
This community-favorite cleanser clarifies acne-prone skin without causing irritation or dryness. The vegan gel formula is gentle yet refreshing. It uses salicylic acid and panthenol to get rid of acne, blemishes, and blackheads, and reduce the appearance of pores.
- What we like: removes oils and dirt from the skin, foams nicely which makes it easy to use
- What we don’t like: very drying and can be uncomfortable for the first time using it
- What reviews say: reduces pores, removes acne in long term, helps with hyperpigmentation
Key ingredients: sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, glycerin, panthenol | Main benefits: deep cleansing, balancing, smoothening | Features: vegan, fragrance-free, made in the USA
Shop on: Amazon, Sephora, Official Site
Best Vegan Cleansers By Concern
If you have a specific skin concern, these vegan cleansers might be what you’ve always been looking for. Whether you struggle with eczema, rosacea, or enlargened pores, we have found a vegan-friendly cleanser for every issue:
- For Eczema: Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Extra Gentle Face Wash
- For Rosacea: First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Vegan Face Cleanser
- For Acne: Humane Maximum-Strength Acne Wash
- For Scars: Derma E Vitamin C Daily Brightening Cleanser
- For Blackheads: The Inkey List 2% Salicylic Acid Cleanser
- For Dark Spots: Eminence Organic Bright Skin Cleanser
- For Dullness: Acure Brightening Cleansing Gel
- For Pores: BareMinerals Poreless Clay Cleanser
- For Uneven Texture: Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser
Best Vegan Cleansing Balms
Vegan cleansing balms are a hit. They clean the skin while nourishing it with plant antioxidants and fatty acids. Here are the best vegan cleansing balms.
- Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Balm: all skin types
- Drunk Elephant Slaai Melting Butter: all skin types
- Juno & Co Clean 10 Cleansing Balm: all skin types
- Youth To The People Superberry Dream Balm: all skin types
- I Dew Care Berry Melting Balm: all skin types
- Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm: best for dry and sensitive skin
- Yadah Green Tea Cleansing Balm: hypoallergenic for sensitive skin
Best Vegan Cleansing Oils
For people with dry or sensitive skin, alcohol-free vegan cleansers are the best choice. We’d love to introduce you to these vegan cleansing oils. Plant-based oil cleansers offer a deep cleanse, remove waterproof makeup, and also nourish your skin.
- Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil: all skin types
- Boscia Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil: all skin types
- Biossance Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil: all skin types
- The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil: best for sensitive skin
Best Vegan Cleansing Wipes
Vegan cleansing wipes and cloths are good for removing long-wearing and waterproof makeup. These vegan towelettes are pre-moistened with vegan ingredients to deeply cleanse and refresh your skin.
- Bliss Makeup Remover Wipes: safe for sensitive eyes
- Rawganic Anti-aging Facial Wipes: fragrance-free, biodegradable, organic
- Pacifica Purify Cleansing Wipes: suitable for all skin types
- Acure Brightening Cleansing Towelettes: suitable for all skin types
- Vasanti Makeup Magnet Wipes: hypoallergenic, alcohol-free, fragrance-free
Best Vegan Micellar Waters
Vegan micellar waters include tiny micelles that draw out dirt and impurities from your skin. Plus, they are super refreshing. These are our top vegan and cruelty-free picks.
- Derma E Vitamin C Micellar Water: best for oily & combination skin
- Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water: best for sensitive skin
- Drunk Elephant E-Rase Milki Micellar Water: best for dry skin
- Yes To Coconut Ultra Hydrating Micellar Water: all skin types
Best Vegan Cleanser Brands
Here are vegan face wash brands. These companies offer the best selection of vegan facial cleansers made with high-quality natural ingredients.
Drunk Elephant
Drunk Elephant has a great collection of biocompatible vegan cleansers and makeup removers. The brand is cruelty-free and all of its cleansers are currently vegan.
Glow Recipe
Glow is a fantastic brand for natural vegan cleansers that look and smell great. The brand is almost entirely vegan with the only exception of their Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask.
The Body Shop
The Body Shop is another cruelty-free and vegetarian brand that offers a fantastic collection of vegan cleansers and facial washes. You are sure to find a reliable cleanser for your skin type.
Pacifica Beauty
Pacifica is a vegan beauty brand that is also affordable. From them, you will find vegan facial washes, towelettes, and micellar waters made in the USA.
What Makes A Cleanser Vegan
A vegan cleanser is a cleanser free from animal ingredients commonly used in soaps and lotions. A vegan cleanser is also cruelty-free, meaning that it is not tested on animals.
The most common ingredients that make a cleanser not vegan are beeswax, lanolin, glycerin, and squalane.
- Beeswax: wax produced by honey bees, used as a stabilizer in cleansers
- Lanolin: emollient in cleansers derived from sheep’s sebaceous glands
- Glycerin: emollient made from animal fat (can also be vegan)
- Squalane: emollient made from shark liver oil (can be also vegan)
Vegan cleansers replace animal emollients with vegetable oils like argan oil, coconut oil, and different seed oils. Beeswax is replaced with plant waxes such as carnauba wax.
When buying a vegan cleanser, it is best you pick one with a certified vegan label from PETA or Leaping Bunny.
Popular drugstore brands like Garnier and L’Oreal may offer cleansers made with plant-based ingredients but the companies still test on animals.
What To Look For In A Vegan Cleanser
A good vegan cleanser is as natural as possible and preferably free of harsh sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, and fragrance. You do not really need chemicals to wash your face with.
People with sensitive and dry skin should also steer clear of essential oils and alcohol to avoid irritating and drying out the skin even more.
Oily and acne-prone skin, on the other hand, should prefer more lightweight and oil-free cleansers to avoid excess oil and clogged pores.
How We Review Vegan Cleansers
We review vegan cleansers by trying them out for ourselves. After having used the cleanser for a while, we rate it by asking the following four questions:
- How well does it cleanse? Some vegan cleansers can be so packed with nutrients, that the cleanser loses its initial function – cleansing the skin of dirt, SPF, and makeup. We expect the cleanser to give a good wash above all.
- How does the skin feel after the cleanse? We love a vegan cleanser that provides a fresh and clean feel. But the skin cannot be too dry or tight after. The moisture barrier should remain intact.
- Which ingredients does the cleanser include? We generally prefer vegan cleansers without soap, perfume, alcohol, sulfates, parabens, or mineral oils. Any potential irritant that serves no important function should not be included in the vegan cleanser.
- What is the cleanser’s consistency? A good vegan cleanser should feel nice to use. Our favorites are vegan cream cleansers for dry and sensitive skin. Vegan gel cleansers are great for oily and combination skin.
We also make sure our vegan cleansers come from cruelty-free and vegan brands. To our experience, the more sustainable the brand, the better the products.
Vegan Cleanser Comparison
| Brand | Product | Type | Key Ingredients | Main Benefits |
| Youth To The People | Superfood Cleanser | Overall | Kale, Spinach, Green Tea | Cooling, Moisturizing, Deep-Cleansing |
| Glow Recipe | Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser | Overall | Blueberry Extract, Hyaluronic Acid | Tightening, Mattifying |
| Eminence Organic | Coconut Milk Cleanser | Organic | Coconut Milk, Coconut Oil | Cleansing, Moisturizing |
| Tata Harper | Regenerating Exfoliating Cleanser | Exfoliating | Apricot Seed Powder, Pomegranate Enzymes, Willow Bark | Exfoliating, Cleansing |
| Pacifica Beauty | Sea Foam Complete Face Wash | Affordable | Coconut Water, Sea Algae | Hydrating, Softening |
| Ethique | Bliss Bar Solid Face Cleanser | Plastic-Free | Creamed Coconut, Kaolin Clay | Cleansing, Hydrating |
| IT Cosmetics | Confidence In A Cleanser | Anti-Aging | Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid | Cleansing |
| Tatcha | The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser | For Dry Skin | pH-neutral Amino Acid Base, Japanese Rice Powder | Hydrating, Brightening, Exfoliating |
| Olehenriksen | Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser | For Oily Skin | Green Fusion Complex, Neem Seed Oil | Mattifying, Reduces Breakouts |
| Dr. Dennis Gross | Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel | For Combination Skin | Alpha Beta Acids, Farnesol | Cleansing, Smoothening |
| Pai Skincare | Middlemist Seven Gentle Cream Cleanser | For Sensitive Skin | Camellia, Rose | Cleansing, Brightening |
| Paula’s Choice | Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser | For Acne-Prone Skin | Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin | Cleansing, Balancing |
Why Trust Us
Vegan skincare is at the core of Vegan Avenue’s mission. To help our readers get acquainted with the wide world of vegan skincare, we have reviewed tens of vegan skincare brands and tested hundreds of vegan skincare products.
A vegan cleanser is an important pillar of vegan skincare. For that reason, we put extra attention to that product group. Even if you are not an avid vegan skincare user, you will still need a good-quality cleanser to wash off the day.
We test out new vegan cleansers every month and keep this article fresh with the latest brands and products. Our team also couples our own experience with online reviews to make sure we are giving the cleansers the most objective possible rating.
FAQ About Vegan Cleansers
A vegan cleanser is free from animal ingredients, most commonly, animal fats and animal waxes such as beeswax. A vegan cleanser is also not animal-tested.
Vegan cleansers are based on plant-based oils such as coconut oil and jojoba oil. Vegan cleansers also use different plant, fruit, and berry extracts.
Amazon and Sephora have the best selection of vegan cleansers from Pacifica, Acure, and other vegan skincare brands.
Massage the vegan cleanser across your face, then active and rinse it with water. For best results, read the instructions on the packaging.
Garnier products are not vegan since the brand uses animal testing. Many of their cleansers also include animal-derived glycerine.
No, Caudalie is not vegan. Caudalie products are sold in mainland China which is an area that requires animal testing by law.
The best vegan cleanser for men is Bulldog Original Face Wash. See more vegan skincare for men here.
Summary
Our favorite vegan cleansers are natural and multifunctional. They offer a deep cleanse while also soothing, hydrating, and prepping your skin for moisturizing.
We love the vegan cleansers from Drunk Elephant, Glow Recipe, and Pacifica Beauty. And we are convinced the best vegan cleanser of all time is the Superfood Cleanser from Youth To The People.
Hope you found your favorite new vegan cleanser from our guide. We will keep reviewing the products and adding the best ones to this list.
See also: Best Vegan Makeup Removers
Article update on May 05 (2023): Fact checked and medically reviewed by MD Shimona Garg
Article update on February 18 (2023): Added references to support cleansing benefits
Article update on November 25 (2022): Added a comparison table
Article update on July 20 (2022): We restructured the article to include one selected vegan cleanser for each main category and skin type. We also added a list of the best vegan cleansers that target specific skin concerns. In addition, we included a section of our vegan cleanser rating criteria.
