My skin is extremely dry in the winter and harsh Nordic temperatures do not exactly help the situation. What has me helped though is finding the right vegan skincare that is specially made for dry skin.
If your skin also suffers from dryness, see my favorite vegan skincare for dry skin in 2024.
Many cruelty-free and vegan skincare brands offer fantastic vegan products for hydrating, soothing, and repairing dry skin.
Biossance
The Ordinary
Drunk Elephant
Paula’s Choice
Derma E
Skinfix
Best Products
Best Vegan Skincare Ingredients For Dry Skin
When shopping for vegan skincare for dry skin, choose ingredients that have been proven to protect and hydrate dry skin. All these ingredients either are vegan or can be made vegan:
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a terrific moisturizing ingredient for dry skin. Occurring naturally in the skin, vitamin E alleviates dryness and flaking and protects the skin from free radical damage. Mainly derived from vegetable oils, Vitamin E in skincare is vegan.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that boosts collagen production, repairs skin cells, and reverses sun damage. Vitamin C boosts radiance for dry and dull skin. In skincare, Vitamin C is vegan-friendly.
Vegan Squalane
Squalane protects the skin barrier as well as softens and hydrates dry skin. Compared to other oils, squalane is very lightweight and penetrates the skin well. Traditionally made from shark oil, you can also find vegan squalane that is derived from olives and sugarcane.
Niacinamide
Niacinamide aka vitamin B3 is another excellent ingredient for dry skin. It strengthens the protective barrier function of the skin and reduces water loss. Niacinamide also reduces inflammation and redness often associated with dry skin. In skincare, niacinamide is typically vegan.
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5 aka pantothenic acid has become a real hit skincare ingredient for dry skin. The function of Vitamin B5 is to retain moisture and prevent water loss in your skin. In turn, your skin will be plumper, softer, and overall hydrated. In skincare, vitamin B5 is usually vegan.
Vegan Glycerin
Glycerin is great for dry skin because it gets deep into your skin and ties water from your bloodstream to plump and hydrate dry skin. Glycerin can be both derived from animal fats as well as from plant oils.
Vegan Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid works similarly to glycerin – it ties water into your skin. In fact, it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. Hyaluronic acid in skincare can be either vegetable-derived or animal-derived.
Vegan Peptides
Amino acids and peptides (short-chain amino acids) rebuild and repair damaged skin cells and signal skin to produce collagen. In turn, peptides alleviate dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles. Peptides can be both animal-derived and vegan.
Vegan Ceramides
Ceramides are great for dry skin and sensitive skin. Ceramides are lipids that form a protective layer to help prevent moisture loss and environmental damage. Ceramides in skincare are usually plant-based but not always.
Argan Oil
If you want to experiment with plant oils, start with argan oil. Argan oil is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids (oleic acid and linoleic acid) and it nourishes dry skin well. Oils in skincare work as occulents – they form a protective layer over the skin to prevent water loss.
Jojoba Oil
Another great plant oil for dry skin is jojoba oil. It is a lightweight oil that mimics your own skin’s sebum, thus, it naturally nourishes and conditions dry skin. Jojoba oil is also rich in moisturizing vitamin E as well as skin vitamin A and essential fatty acids.
Best Vegan Skincare Routine For Dry Skin
Above all, dry skin should moisturize-moisturize-moisturize. And you can find plenty of good-quality vegan moisturizers to keep your skin hydration levels optimal.
Dry skin should first use a hydrating vegan serum and follow it with a vegan moisturizer. That way you ensure both deep hydration and surface hydration.
In the morning, dry skin can also benefit from a vegan vitamin C serum. It gives dry skin a much-needed antioxidant boost that strengthens the skin and boosts radiance.
Since dry skin needs to be protected from environmental stressors, always wear vegan sunscreen – with every weather, especially after using a vitamin C serum.
When cleansing, use a gentle vegan cleanser that does not strip your skin of moisture. You can exfoliate your skin once a week with AHAs but avoid harsh mechanical scrubs. Also, as AHAs can cause more dryness, you need to apply moisturizer over and above it.
Best Vegan Skincare Brands For Dry Skin
These are the best brands and their vegan skincare products for dry and dehydrated skin.
Biossance
Biossance is the best vegan skincare brand for dry skin. All their products use a base of vegan squalane – a fantastic natural moisturizer derived from sugarcane.
My favorite Biossance products are their Omega Repair Cream, Vitamin C Rose Oil, and Lactic Acid Night Serum. The products are also available as a skincare set.
The rich vegan cream plumps and hydrates the skin beautifully and the C vitamin oil adds radiance for the day. The night serum gently exfoliates and revives dry skin.
- Squalane + Omega Repair Cream: Amazon, Sephora
- Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil: Amazon, Sephora
- Squalane + Lactic Acid Night Serum: Amazon, Sephora
The Ordinary
I was not sure about The Ordinary before trying out their Regime Builder. The short test helped me find exactly the right vegan skincare products for dry skin – and the formulas work.
From the dry skin regimen, I mostly love their Amino Acids + B5 vegan serum. The serum is a little sticky but you can just feel how dry skin drinks it up.
The hyaluronic acid vegan moisturizer is very clean and simple. Pycnogenol is a powerful antioxidant from pine tree bark. And again, a vegan squalane cleanser just fits dry skin.
The Ordinary products are also very affordable. Just see for yourself if those formulas help your dry skin – you can also add them to your current skincare routine.
- Squalane Cleanser: Amazon, Sephora
- Amino Acids + B5 Serum: Amazon, Sephora
- Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA: Amazon, Sephora
- Pycnogenol 5% Serum: Sephora
Drunk Elephant
Drunk Elephant offers some of the best vegan skincare for dry skin. The formulas provide high-quality and clean skin food for dry skin to feel healthy and plump again.
For dry skin, I love Drunk Elephant’s Lala Retro vegan moisturizer with ceramides. When paired with the B-Hydra vegan serum, you will get all the hydration you need and more.
I can also recommend the Luxury Virgin Marula Oil if your skin is extra dry. And exfoliate dry skin with the Sukari Babyfacial vegan mask to reveal a much brighter complexion.
Drunk Elephant is free of essential oils, alcohol, fragrances, and other harmful ingredients that might irritate or dry out dry skin.
- Lala Retro™ Whipped Moisturizer: Amazon, Sephora
- B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum: Amazon, Sephora
- Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil: Amazon, Sephora
- T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™ AHA + BHA Mask: Amazon, Sephora
Paula’s Choice
Everyone with any type of skin problem is bound to come across Paula’s Choice. I was also happy to find out that Paula’s Choice is cruelty-free with a wide range of vegan products.
For dry skin, I love their replenishing Skin Recovery range. The range is entirely vegan-friendly with some amazing rich vegan moisturizers, masks, and cleansers.
The range is tailored to hydrate and plump the skin and also restore the skin’s firmness. Must-try vegan skincare for dry, flaky, eczema, and rosacea-prone skin.
- Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturizer: Amazon, Official site
- Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser: Amazon, Official site
- Skin Recovery Hydrating Treatment Mask: Amazon, Official site
Derma E
Derma E is a Californian vegan brand that rose to the throne thanks to its ultra-moisturizing vitamin E cream. Now they have many more vegan skincare products for dry skin.
I recommend vitamin E skincare for everybody who would like a simple and natural way to deal with dryness. Vitamin E is a tested and true ingredient that also suits sensitive dry skin.
Derma E products are all free of parabens, mineral oils, soy, gluten, GMOs, and a wide list of potentially harmful additives.
- Hydrating Day Cream: Amazon, Official site
- Hydrating Night Cream: Amazon, Official site
- Hydrating Gentle Cleanser: Amazon, Official site
Skinfix
Skinfix is a much-praised British skincare brand that uses clinically active skincare ingredients. The company is certified cruelty-free with many vegan formulas.
Their bestselling vegan products happen to be perfect for dry skin. The Barrier+ vegan face cream deeply hydrates skin with active lipids, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter.
Hailed as a holy grail vegan face cream for dryness, I recommend pairing the cream with Barrier+ Triple Lipid Hyaloronate serum and hydrating cleanser.
- Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream: Amazon, Sephora
- Barrier+ Foaming Oil Hydrating Cleanser: Amazon, Sephora
- Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Hyaluronate Serum: Sephora, Official site
Best Vegan Skincare Products For Dry Skin
If you want to mix and match different brands, here are the best vegan skincare products for dry and dehydrated skin.
Best Vegan Moisturizer For Dry Skin
Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream
This is by far my favorite vegan face cream for dry skin. The consistency is nice and rich and it makes the skin feel really hydrated and supple for the whole day.
The moisturizer has a gentle earthy scent that does not linger. It is made from sugarcane-based squalane (a superior hydrator) along with repairing ceramides and omega fatty acids. See other vegan moisturizers.
Best Vegan Serum For Dry Skin
The Ordinary Amino Acid + B5 Serum
I found this hydrating vegan serum thanks to The Ordinary Regimen Builder. It pairs two powerful remedies – amino acids and vitamin B5 – that hydrate dry skin deeply.
The serum has a little bit of a sticky texture but it’s still easy to layer with other products. It leaves a nice glow under your moisturizer.
Best Vegan Vitamin C Serum For Dry Skin
Maelove The Glow Maker Antioxidant Serum
Dry skin is not only dry, it is usually also dull and lifeless. That is why I recommend the bestselling Maelove vitamin C vegan serum that adds visibly radiance to dry and dull skin.
I love this serum because it uses the most form of potent vitamin C – ascorbic acid. Paired with vitamin E and ferulic acid, it visibly improves the skin tone and texture.
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Best Vegan Cleanser For Dry Skin
Tatcha The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser
This creamy vegan cleanser from Tatcha is gentle and PH-neutral. It cleans dry skin well without stripping the skin of moisture. That’s all dry skin asks from a cleanser.
This is a great dry skin vegan cleanser also because it includes a blend of Japanese algae and hyaluronic acid that together hydrate and soften the skin.
Best Vegan Toner For Dry Skin
Fleur & Bee Rose & Shine Natural Rose Water Toner
This alcohol-free vegan toner is made with rosewater – my ultimate favorite toner ingredient. The natural toner gently cleanses and dry skin and slightly tightens the pores.
I love that the toner is made from sustainably sourced, natural rose petals and produced using 100% wind energy. A great eco-friendly vegan skincare product for dry skin.
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Best Vegan Face Mask For Dry Skin
Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask
Want to give your dry skin a superboost of hydration? Try this bestselling hydrating vegan face mask from an entirely vegan brand Youth To The People.
This mask is indeed dreamy with antioxidant-packed superberries, squalane, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. It has a gorgeous smell and it makes your skin soft and radiant.
Best Vegan Face Oil For Dry Skin
Derma E Radiant Glow Face Oil By SunKissAlba
Derma E has united two of my favorite vegan plant oils for dry skin – argan oil and jojoba oil. And they have thrown antioxidant-rich sea-buckthorn oil into the mix. Perfection.
This vegan face oil nourishes and protects dry skin beautifully adding a nice glow to it. Like all Derma E products, the oil is ethically made, natural, and free of all harmful chemicals.
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Best Vegan Sunscreen For Dry Skin
Paula’s Choice Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
If you are looking for a vegan sunscreen that also hydrates dry skin, my go-to is the Paula’s Choice Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30. It’s especially great for the summer.
The lotion is surprisingly rich and nourishing. It keeps your skin moisturized and decreases premature signs of aging with peptides. And all that with mineral sunscreen protection.
Shop on: Official site
Best Vegan Exfoliator For Dry Skin
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial
This powerful AHA + BHA vegan exfoliator works wonders on dry skin. It removes dead skin cells revealing a much brighter and fresher complexion.
Glycolic and lactic acid is a wonderful duo to renew dry skin without breaking it. Use this mask regularly so your moisturizer can do its job better as well.
Best Vegan Skincare Kit For Dry Skin
Biossance Glow With Gratitude Kit
I cannot recommend Biossance enough for dry skin. The brand is 100% vegan, so feel free to try out all of their best products. I’d start with the Unstoppable Glow Set.
The vegan set for dry skin consists of 3 of their bestselling products, the moisturizing face cream, exfoliating night serum with lactic acid, and their vitamin C and rose face oil.
The products complement each other beautifully and are easy to layer. My dry skin looked a lot more plump and radiant already after a week’s use.
Shop on: Amazon
FAQ About Vegan Skincare For Dry Skin
In dry skin skincare, vitamin E and niacinamide are usually vegan. You can also find vegan versions of glycerin, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and squalane.
Biossance makes the best vegan skincare for dry skin. They use vegan squalane oil that is derived from sugarcane and pair it with omega fatty acids, peptides, vitamin C, and other ingredients that help relieve dryness.
You can find a wide variety of vegan skincare for dry skin on Sephora and Amazon. Check out also the online stores of Derma E, Paula’s Choice, and other cruelty-free and vegan brands.
Hyaluronic acid can be both vegan and animal-derived.
Vitamin E in skincare is usually vegan.
Summary
The choice of vegan skincare for dry skin reaches far and wide. The trick is finding the best brands and product lines that are suitable for your skin.
Our favorite vegan skincare for dry skin comes from the selections of Biossance, Drunk Elephant, Derma E, Paula’s Choice, and other quality vegan and cruelty-free brands.
We hope you found new vegan skincare for your dry or dehydrated skin. With dry skin, remember to moisturize day and night and always were sunscreen.
See also: Best Vegan Moisturizers, Vegan Makeup For Dry Skin
Article update on May 02 (2023): Fact checked and medically reviewed by MD Shimona Garg
Article update on February 17 (2023): Added more references
