Dull skin affects all skin tones and it looks most drastic in dark and black skin when it gets a really ashy and lifeless appearance. Dullness can also make your skin look older and fatigued.
To glow up your complexion, we have listed the best vegan skincare for dull skin. Brighten up and lighten up your skin tone with these vegan skincare products.
See also: Best Vegan Vitamin C Skincare
PS 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 Skincare Products For Dull Skin
Here are the best vegan skincare products for dull skin in 2024.
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum is the best vegan skincare product for dullness. It brightens up the skin tone, fights hyperpigmentation, and leaves a beautiful glow. The serum is made with a stable, non-irritating form of vitamin C along with peptides and lactic acids. It also smells nice.
Paula’s Choice Boost C15 Super Booster
Another great vegan vitamin C serum to fight dullness comes from Paula’s Choice. The serum uses the purest form of vitamin C paired with ferulic acid with a boosted effect. It also has vitamin E which improves hydration. The skin looks visibly brighter after use.
Derma E Vitamin C Intense Night Cream
Hydration and vitamin C always do the trick for dull skin. This affordable vegan night cream from Derma E uses natural ingredients and nourishes your skin with antioxidants and prebiotics overnight. The skin is significantly softer and more radiant in the morning.
The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%
If you do not like Vitamin C, The Ordinary offers many great alternative vegan solutions to treat dullness. This Resveratrol serum is excellent at brightening the skin with antioxidants. Another equally good pick is their Pycnogenol 5% serum – both will make your skin glow.
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
Juice Beauty Green Apple Brightening Gel Cleanser
Juice Beauty Green Apple Brightening Gel Cleanser is the best vegan cleanser for dull skin. This refreshing organic cleanser uses apple-derived malic acid that visibly brightens the skin. It gently gets rid of skin-dulling old skin cells and brightens up the complexion with botanical juices.
Paula’s Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment
This is the best vegan retinol for dull skin because it combines the skin-renewing power of retinol with skin-brightening vitamin C. In our experience, this serum significantly revives dull skin and gives a much more even and hydrated skin. Read our full review here.
Acure Brightening Facial Scrub
Acure is an affordable vegan skincare brand with an excellent Brightening collection. Their vegan face scrub is our favorite for dull skin. Featuring green clay and sea kelp, it purifies the skin and nourishes it with antioxidants. It goes on smoothly and leaves a fresh and glowy feeling.
Pacifica Beauty Glow Baby Brightening Peel Pads
These skin-brightening vegan peel pads from Pacifica have an instant impact on dullness. They exfoliate the skin with a high concentration of alpha hydroxy acids. The skin feels so smooth with radiant after use. We also love their Glow Baby Cleanser from the same line.
What To Look For In Vegan Skincare For Dull Skin
When choosing vegan skincare for dull skin, brightening antioxidants and exfoliating acids are your best friends. Do not also forget to hydrate your skin – often skin gets a dull and ashy tone because of dehydration.
There are the best vegan skincare ingredients for brightening dull skin.
- Vitamin C – Research states that vitamin C is the best ingredient for brightening dull skin. This powerful antioxidant boosts collagen production while brightening and evening skin tone. In skincare, vitamin C is always vegan. See more vegan vitamin C skincare here.
- Pycnogenol – This French maritime pine park extract is a vegan antioxidant that protects the skin tone from UV damage and brightens the complexion.
- Resveratrol – A plant-derived polyphenol, resveratrol is a vegan ingredient with the ability to lighten and brighten skin tone along with other wonderful anti-aging benefits.
- Ferulic acid – Ferulic acid is a plant-based antioxidant that helps lighten the skin and can increase the effects of vitamin C eight times. Ferulic acid is always vegan.
- Azelaic acid – A natural carboxylic acid, azelaic acid can brighten up dull skin by reducing hyperpigmentation and evening skin tone. Azelaic acid is vegan. See more vegan azelaic acid skincare here.
- AHAs – Alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid and lactic acid brighten your skin tone by melting away dead skin cells and promoting blood circulation. AHAs will also not dry out your skin. AHAs are vegan-friendly. See more vegan AHA skincare here.
- Retinol – Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that effectively brightens dull skin and fights hyperpigmentation by boosting skin cell turnover and collagen production and improving skin’s moisture levels.
- Algae – Algae aka marine plants are also effective in giving your skin a variety of antioxidants and minerals to improve skin tone and overall skin health. See more vegan algae skincare here.
- Hyaluronic acid – Hyaluronic acid is a great ingredient for brightening up dull skin by hydrating it. Hyaluronic acid keeps the skin plump and radiant. In skincare, hyaluronic acid is typically vegan. See more vegan hyaluronic acid skincare here.
Vegan Skincare Routine For Dull Skin
To brighten up dull skin, it is important to regularly use a vegan exfoliator. We recommend AHA exfoliators that melt away dulling old skin cells and reveal a more radiant complexion over time.
We also suggest using a daily vegan serum that is packed with vitamin C or some other skin-brightening antioxidant such as pycnogenol or astaxanthin.
Often, dull skin often needs just proper hydration. Dehydrated skin can also appear dull and ashy, so make sure to use a hydrating vegan moisturizer daily.
And last but not least, wear vegan sunscreen to keep your skin tone healthy and youthful. UV rays cause your skin to age faster and make your skin tone appear much duller than it should.
FAQ About Vegan Skincare For Dull Skin
Vegan skincare can be good for dull skin as the best ingredients for brightening the skin are already vegan-friendly (e.g vitamin C, pycnogenol, resveratrol).
The best skincare for dull skin includes Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum, Paula’s Choice Boost C15 Super Booster, and Derma E Vitamin C Intense Night Cream.
No. While the mask does not seem to include any animal ingredients, Vichy is a company that still tests on animals, so none of its products can be considered vegan.
Summary
We hope you enjoyed our selection of vegan skincare for dull skin. Sometimes all your skin needs is a brighter complexion and your whole face will look rejuvenated.
The world of vegan skincare is full of vitamins, antioxidants, and natural exfoliators that can bring your skin back to life with minimum effort.
Our favorite vegan skincare products for reviving dull skin include Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum, Paula’s Choice Boost C15 Super Booster, and Derma E Vitamin C Intense Night Cream.
Once we find more vegan brightening skincare products to tell you about, we will add them to this list.
See also: Best Vegan Vitamin C Serums
Article update on May 04 (2023): Fact checked and medically reviewed by MD Shimona Garg
Article update on February 18 (2023): Added more references
Article update on February 20 (2023): Added retinol as a beneficial ingredient to brighten dull skin and included a vegan retinol serum in the recommended products’ list
