12 Best Vegan & Cruelty-Free Face Oils For 2024

By Liis Hainla. Updated: January 2024.
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Vegan Face Oils

Face oils have always been a staple of vegan skincare. Rich in vitamins and fatty acids, facial oils nourish and protect your skin in a simple and natural way (1).

With a wide variety of vegan face oils available, it can be difficult to choose the best option for your skin. This is why we have listed our favorite vegan face oils for 2024.

All products below are vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they are free of animal-derived ingredients and have not been tested on animals. 💚

Best Vegan Face Oils For 2024

These are the best vegan face oils for 2024. Pamper your skin with these cruelty-free vegan facial oils from Biossance, Drunk Elephant, Youth To The People, and others.

  1. Best Overall: Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil
  2. Best Runner-Up: Youth To The People Superberry Dream Oil
  3. Best Organic: Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil
  4. Best Affordable: Derma E Radiant Glow Facial Oil
  5. Best Multi-Purpose: Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
  6. Best Anti-Aging: Ren Bio Retinoid Youth Concentrate Oil
  7. Best For Dry Skin: Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil
  8. Best For Oily Skin: Herbivore Lapis Blue Tansy Face Oil
  9. Best For Combination Skin: Naked & Thriving Detox Balancing Facial Oil
  10. Best For Sensitive Skin: Pacifica Beauty Vegan Ceramide Facial Oil
  11. Best For Acne-Prone Skin: Sunday Riley U.F.O. Acne Treatment Face Oil
  12. Best For Men: Ancient Greek Remedy Oil Nature’s Moisturizer

Best Vegan Face Oil Overall

1. Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil Vegan Face Oil
Courtesy of Biossance

Biossance has made our very favorite vegan face oil. The oil is incredibly lightweight and it gives your skin an instant natural glow. It has a very delicate rose scent that gives the oil a very luxurious and refreshing quality.

The oil uses vitamin C, rose oil, and sugarcane-derived squalane. The ingredients hydrate and brighten the skin and protect it with antioxidants. The oil also has natural crystal oil to rejuvenate the skin and reflect light beautifully.

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil Review

Read our Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil full review here.

This oil is non-comedogenic and works for all skin types. You can use it both in the morning and evening – it allows your skin to breathe and works well on top of a moisturizer. If we could change one thing about this oil though, we would make it less expensive.

  • What we like: it hydrates and nourishes the skin, helps very dry skin
  • What we don’t like: it’s expensive
  • What reviews say: gives a healthy but not shiny glow, can be used day and night, good smell

Key ingredients: vitamin C, squalane, Damascus rose extract, Chios crystal oil | Main benefits: brightening, firming, hydrating | Features: vegan, artificial fragrance-free, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Vegan Face Oil Runner-Up

2. Youth To The People Superberry Dream Oil

Youth To The People Superberry Dream Oil Vegan Face Oil
Courtesy of Youth To The People

Superberry Dream Oil is a beautiful vegan antioxidant face oil. This vegan oil is best for reviving dry and dull skin with acai, maqui, and goji berries. The vitamin-rich oil has also prickly pear and vegan squalane to protect the skin’s moisture levels.

Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil Review

In addition to all the berries, the oil includes nourishing jojoba and moringa oils to give you all the healthy omega acids and vitamin E. The texture of this oil is really silky. It absorbs well and has a natural, radiant finish. Read our full review here.

  • What we like: hydrates really well during the night, gives a nice soft feeling on the skin
  • What we don’t like: uncomfortable packaging
  • What reviews say: calms the skin and brightens it, works for different skin types

Key ingredients: maqui, acai, prickly pear, goji, sunflower, jojoba, moringa, squalane | Main benefits: softening, hydrating, brightening | Features: vegan, recyclable packaging, artificial fragrance-free, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Organic Vegan Face Oil

3. Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil

Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Organic Vegan Face Oil
Courtesy of Pai Skincare

This organic vegan face oil from Pai is made from rosehip oil – one of the world’s best natural anti-aging ingredients. The oil conditions the skin, fades dark spots, reduces wrinkles, and improves the overall skin tone and texture.

The organic rosehip oil from Pai is extra special. With advanced methods, the brand has managed to use all parts of the fruit making the oil even more potent than usual. While rosehip has a bit peculiar natural scent, your skin will happily drink it up.

  • What we like: even dry skin feels hydrated, calms the skin, helps to improve the texture
  • What we don’t like: leaves a greasy texture
  • What reviews say: keeps the skin hydrated for a long time, easy to apply, skin feels softer and brighter

Key ingredients: rosehip seed & fruit | Main benefits: nourishing, brightening, hydrating | Features: vegan, artificial fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, silicone-free, made in the UK

Shop on: Amazon, Cult Beauty UK

Best Affordable Vegan Face Oil

4. Derma E Radiant Glow Facial Oil

Derma E Radiant Glow Affordable Vegan Facial Oil
Courtesy of Derma E

Our favorite affordable vegan face oil is the Derma E Radiant Glow Oil. Born in collaboration with beauty influencer SunKissAlba, this natural oil became an instant hit. It uses jojoba, argan, and seabuckthorn oils to give your skin a super dose of vitamins and a dewy glow.

  • What we like: skin feels softer and brighter, works well with makeup
  • What we don’t like: contains fragrance oils
  • What reviews say: hydrates very well, helps with pigmentation, reduces fine lines and small wrinkles

Key ingredients: jojoba oil, seabuckthorn oil, argan oil, sunflower oil, pumpkin seed oil, vitamin E, mica | Main benefits: moisturizing, brightening, hydrating | Features: vegan, dermatologist recommended, mineral oil-free, gluten-free, soy-free, GMO-free, recyclable packaging, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Walmart

Best Multi-Purpose Vegan Face Oil

5. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Multi-Purpose Vegan Face Oil
Courtesy of Josie Maran

Argan oil can be a lifesaver for your skin as well as your hair and cuticles. And we love this oil from Josie Maran. It is 100% vegan and made only from the highest grade organic argan oil. The oil deeply nourishes the skin with fatty acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants.

  • What we like: hydrates deeply, gives a nice glow, hair looks more healthy
  • What we don’t like: it’s expensive
  • What reviews say: can be used as a makeup remover, makes skin softer and hydrates, helps with pores

Key ingredients: argan oil | Main benefits: nourishing, moisturizing, hydrating | Features: vegan, gluten-free, synthetic fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Anti-Aging Vegan Face Oil

6. Ren Bio Retinoid Youth Concentrate Oil

Ren Bio Retinoid Youth Concentrate Anti-Aging Vegan Face Oil
Courtesy of REN Skincare

If you are looking for a great anti-aging vegan face oil, Youth Concentrate Oil is our winner. The vegan oil stars a little plant called Bidens Pilosa – a natural vegan retinol alternative that smooths fine lines and wrinkles without irritation.

The natural retinoid is paired with skin-renewing rosehip oil and antioxidant-rich seabuckthorn oil. From this power trio, you can expect firmer, smoother, more hydrated, and more even skin. The fine lines are visibly blurred after using the oil regularly.

  • What we like: works well with makeup, skin looks more glowy and healthy, reduces small wrinkles
  • What we don’t like: not safe during pregnancy
  • What reviews say: helps with fine lines, the skin complexion looks brighter and smoother

Key ingredients: Bidens pilosa, organic rosehip oil, sea buckthorn oil | Main benefits: firming, smoothing, brightening | Features: vegan, planet positive, made with recycled plastic, alcohol-free, fragrance-free, silicone-free, made in the UK

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Vegan Face Oil For Dry Skin

7. Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil

Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Vegan Facial Oil For Dry Skin
Courtesy of Drunk Elephant

Drunk Elephant is all about marula oil. You know, the fruit that drops from the trees, spoils, and makes elephants drunk. While the elephant story is a myth, this fruit really deserves a central role in the brand’s whole skincare line.

Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, this nourishing vegan face oil is perfect for dry skin. The texture is luxuriously silky and it absorbs well leaving a nice glow. As the oil is free of essential oils and fragrance, it is also safe for dry sensitive skin.

  • What we like: feels lightweight on the skin, absorbs quickly
  • What we don’t like: can clog up pores
  • What reviews say: skin feels more hydrated, works well for dry and sensitive skin, smells nicely

Key ingredients: marula seed oil | Main benefits: softening, hydrating | Features: vegan, essential oil-free, artificial fragrance-free, silicone-free, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Vegan Face Oil For Oily Skin

8. Herbivore Lapis Blue Tansy Face Oil

Herbivore Lapis Blue Tansy Vegan Face Oil For Oily Skin
Courtesy of Herbivore Botanicals

This vegan blue tansy oil is a safe bet for oily skin. The non-comedogenic oil helps to balance sebum production and gives oily skin just the right amount of hydration. For some people, this oil has even reduced pores and clarified acne, so you can only win with this.

  • What we like: balances oil levels, smells great, improves skin texture
  • What we don’t like: might irritate severe acne
  • What reviews say: helps with hormonal acne, moisturizes, skin feels softer and healthier

Key ingredients: blue tansy, kukui nut oil, jojoba oil, squalane, jasmine Sambac oil | Main benefits: balancing, nourishing, calming | Features: vegan, artificial fragrance-free, artificial colors-free, non-comedogenic, silicone-free, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Vegan Face Oil For Combination Skin

9. Naked & Thriving Detox Balancing Facial Oil

Naked & Thriving Detox Balancing Vegan Facial Oil For Combination Skin
Courtesy of Naked & Thriving

Combination skin could use this balancing organic vegan face oil. Made with jojoba oil and evening primrose, this light oil keeps dry areas hydrated without clogging pores in the oily T-zone. Plus, we love the light citrusy scent.

  • What we like: moisturizes, helps with breakouts
  • What we don’t like: absorbs slowly
  • What reviews say: calms and keeps the skin hydrated for a long period, smells great

Key ingredients: jojoba oil, evening primrose, frankincense, orange | Main benefits: calming, balancing, soothing | Features: vegan, gluten-free, sustainable packaging, artificial fragrance-free, artificial colors-free

Shop on: Amazon, Official Site

Best Vegan Face Oil For Sensitive Skin

10. Pacifica Beauty Vegan Ceramide Facial Oil

Pacifica Beauty Vegan Ceramide Facial Oil For Sensitive Skin
Courtesy of Pacifica Beauty

Sensitive will love this velvety vegan ceramide oil. Approved by dermatologists, this hypoallergenic facial oil hydrates and soothes sensitive or distressed skin. Ceramides in the oil help restore the skin’s protective barrier to make it less reactive to the environment.

The oil also includes nourishing sunflower oil, calming marshmallow root, and calendula for instant relief. The irritation-free formula is free of fragrance, parabens, phthalates, SLS, and mineral oil. The texture of the oil is smooth and it absorbs quickly.

  • What we like: hydrates deeply, gives a healthy glow
  • What we don’t like: oily texture which leaves the skin shiny
  • What reviews say: skin feels softer and more hydrated, great to use overnight

Key ingredients: sunflower oil, vegan ceramides, marshmallow root, calendula | Main benefits: hydrating, calming, smoothing | Features: vegan, fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, dermatologist tested, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Ulta, Official Site

Best Vegan Face Oil For Acne-Prone Skin

11. Sunday Riley U.F.O. Acne Treatment Face Oil

Sunday Riley U.F.O. Acne Treatment Vegan Face Oil For Acne-Prone Skin
Courtesy of Sunday Riley

Acne and face oils do not usually jam but Sunday Riley has made it work. Their bestselling U.F.O. Acne treatment oil is vegan and features salicylic acid that clarifies blemishes and blackheads. It also reduces the appearance of pores.

This oil has a variety of other great ingredients. Milk thistle and cucumber boost hydration, hexylresorcinol, and licorice reduce acne scars and chamomile soothes the skin. We can even recommend the oil for hormonal and cystic acne.

  • What we like: softens even very damaged skin, moisturizes without making it feel oily
  • What we don’t like: absorbs slowly
  • What reviews say: helps with redness and acne, skin feels less itchy, gives a nice healthy glow

Key ingredients: salicylic acid, tea tree oil, black cumin seed oil, licorice root, hexylresorcinol | Main benefits: smoothing, clears acne, calming | Features: vegan, gluten-free, fragrance-free, soy-free, made in the USA

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Vegan Face Oil For Men

12. Ancient Greek Remedy Oil Nature’s Moisturizer

Ancient Greek Remedy Oil Nature's Moisturizer Vegan Face Oil For Men
Courtesy of Ancient Greek Remedy

Men love the Greek Remedy Oil – a vegan blend of olive, sweet almond, grapeseed, vitamin E, and lavender oil. The oil keeps the man’s skin smooth and hydrated and even clarifies acne and shrinks pores. For vegan shaving oil, we recommend Thrive Natural Shave Oil.

  • What we like: moisturizes deeply skin and hair, calms the skin after shaving
  • What we don’t like: specific smell
  • What reviews say: great value for the price, helps very dry skin, works wonders both in the cold and warm climate

Key ingredients: olive oil, almond oil, grape seed oil, lavender oil, vitamin E | Main benefits: moisturizing, nourishing | Features: vegan, alcohol-free, fragrance-free, essential oils-free

Shop on: Amazon, Walmart

Best Vegan Face Oils By Concern

Best Vegan Face Oils By Concern
Courtesy of Herbivore Botanicals

Looking for a vegan face oil to target a specific skin issue? These vegan face oils are designed to offer relief to different concerns such as eczema, rosacea, or acne scarring.

Best Vegan Face Oil Brands

Best Vegan Face Oil Brands
Courtesy of Votary & Herbivore Botanicals

These companies have the best collection of vegan face oils. All of these brands, except for Sunday Riley, are also 100% vegan.

  • Herbivore: Vegan brand Herbivore has a great collection of vegan face oils. From vegan rosehip oil to hemp seed oil – they have something for every skin type.
  • Sunday Riley: Sunday Riley is not fully vegan but all their facial oils are vegan. These also include their bestselling C.E.O. Vitamin C Glow Oil and Luna Sleeping Night Oil.
  • Pai Skincare: Pai is our go-to vegan brand for sensitive skin. We love their rosehip oil, ceramide face oil, and detox night oil made from clean, natural ingredients.
  • Acure: Vegan facial oils from Acure are affordable and organic. Shop Moroccan argan oil, hemp seed oil, watermelon seed oil, rosehip oil, marula oil, and even castor oil.
  • Votary: British vegan brand Votary offers luxury vegan face oils. They have the most interesting oil blends with clarifying, hydrating and restoring benefits.
  • Derma E: From Derma E, you will find great vitamin-enriched vegan face oils featuring vitamins E, A, and C. The formulas are clean and their prices are affordable.
  • The Ordinary: The Ordinary is another fully vegan brand that offers many effective vegan face oils such as marula oil, argan oil, and borage seed oil.

What Makes A Face Oil Vegan

What Makes a Face Oil Vegan

Vegan face oil is an oil that does not include any animal-derived ingredients such as lanolin, cholesterol, beeswax, honey, or squalane. Vegan face oils are not tested on animals.

Facial oils are predominantly based on plant oils which are vegan. Yet, face oil blends can still include animal fats, proteins, and extracts of animal origin.

In addition, face oils can be tested on animals. Many large drugstore brands like L’Oreal still use animal testing, so their face oils cannot be considered vegan.

What To Look For In Vegan Face Oils

Face oils are best for dry and sensitive skin types. If your skin is oily and acne-prone, you need to be careful and choose the lightest possible vegan face oil that does not clog pores.

Good vegan face oils for dry skin are argan, jojoba, and marula oil along with a variety of antioxidant-rich seed oils. Dry and eczema-prone skin also loves vegan squalane oil.

For oily skin, we recommend blue tansy oil that balances sebum production. Other good non-comedogenic oils include aloe vera, chamomile, and tea tree essential oils.

Sensitive skin should avoid essential oils and fragrances in vegan face oils. Rather opt for a clean, organic, and unrefined vegan face oil – less is more when it comes to face oils.

Remember that face oils act as an occlusive – they do not hydrate the skin but form a protective layer to prevent water loss. Thus, face oil cannot replace your vegan moisturizer.

How We Review Vegan Face Oils

How We Review Vegan Face Oils

Vegan face oils are not all created equal. To separate the wheat from the chaff, here is how we review vegan face oils and form a rating.

  • Ingredients – Vegan face oils should predominantly use natural oils and extracts. Since face oil seals in all other skincare products, it should not burden the skin with needless chemicals, silicones, or fragrances.
  • Texture & Finish – A vegan facial oil should leave a glowing but not a greasy finish. While face oil is occlusive, it should still be lightweight enough to absorb into the skin. You should be able to wear your vegan face oil during the day. In public.
  • Skin Type – Every skin needs a different kind of vegan face oil. We try to match a face oil with a specific need or skin type. Dry skin needs more nourishing oils while oily and blemish-prone skin needs as light and breathable oil as possible.

We also take into account the maker of the vegan face oils. We prefer to buy face oils from brands that are fully vegan, sustainable, organic, and ethically made.

Vegan Face Oils Comparison

BrandProductTypeKey IngredientsMain Benefits
BiossanceSqualane + Vitamin C Rose OilOverallSqualane, Vitamin C, Rose OilBrightening, Firming, Hydrating
Youth To The PeopleSuperberry Dream OilOverallMaqui, Acai, Prickly Pear, GojiSoftening, Hydrating, Brightening
Pai SkincareRosehip BioRegenerate OilOrganicRosehip Seed & FruitNourishing
Derma ERadiant Glow Facial OilAffordableJojoba Oil, Seabuckthorn Oil, Argan OilMoisturizing
Josie Maran100% Pure Argan OilMulti-PurposeArgan OilNourishing, Moisturizing
RenBio Retinoid Youth Concentrate OilAnti-AgingBidens PilosaAnti-Aging
Drunk ElephantVirgin Marula Luxury Facial OilFor Dry SkinMarula Seed OilSoftening
HerbivoreLapis Blue Tansy Face OilFor Oily SkinBlue Tansy, Kukui Nut OilBalancing
Naked & ThrivingDetox Balancing Facial OilFor Combination SkinEvening Primrose, FrankincenseCalming
Pacifica BeautyVegan Ceramide Facial OilFor Sensitive SkinSunflower Oil, CeramidesHydrating
Sunday RileyU.F.O. Acne Treatment Face OilFor Acne-Prone SkinSalisylic AcidSmoothing, Clears Acne
Ancient Greek RemedyOil Nature’s MoisturizerFor MenOlive Oil, Almond OilMoisturizing

Why Trust Us

Our team at Vegan Avenue loves to try out different vegan face oils and write about our own experiences. Since face oil is the last step of a skincare routine, we will make sure our article only features the highest quality products.

For over two years, we have collectively tried out all vegan facial oils on our list to be able to describe the oils accurately. For a most objective review, we also match our own experience with online reviews on independent beauty sellers.

FAQ About Vegan Face Oils

Is face oil vegan?

Face oil is not necessarily vegan. Face oils can still include animal ingredients such as honey or lanolin. Face oils can be also tested on animals.

What are vegan face oils made of?

Vegan face oils use a wide variety of plant oils such as jojoba oil, argan oil, and vegan squalane. Vegan face oils are often also enriched with different vitamins and botanical extracts.

Where to buy vegan face oils?

You will find the best selection of vegan face oils online, especially on Amazon and Sephora.

Is Sunday Riley C.E.O. Face Oil vegan?

Yes. All Sunday Riley face oils are vegan, including the C.E.O. Face Oil.

Is Farmacy Honey Grail Face Oil vegan?

No. Honey Grail Face Oil is not vegan and includes honey.

Summary

Ready to introduce a new vegan face oil into your skincare routine? If your skin is dry, dehydrated, dull, or stressed, we recommend you give a vegan facial oil a go.

Our favorite vegan face oils come from Biossance, Drunk Elephant, Youth To The People, Herbivore, Pai Skincare, and other great vegan and cruelty-free brands.

The world of plant oils is rich and beautiful and it is great to utilize nature’s best both in your diet and skincare. As we find new vegan facial oils we love, we will add them to this list.

See also: Vegan Moisturizers

Article update on May 05 (2023): Fact checked and medically reviewed by MD Shimona Garg
Article update on February 18 (2023): Added a reference to support face oil benefits
Article update on November 26 (2022): Added a comparison table
Article update on July 23 (2022): We added new vegan face oils to organic, affordable, multipurpose, dry skin, and sensitive skin categories. We also included two new sections to the article: vegan face oils for different skin concerns and an overview of our face oil reviewing process.

My name is Liis. I've been a vegan for a long time and advocate for the vegan lifestyle. Through Vegan Avenue, I write about the latest vegan news, trends, events, and all things related to the vegan lifestyle.