Vegan skincare ingredients are ingredients that are not of animal origin. Vegan skincare ingredients are made from plants or synthetically, safely, and cruelty-free in the laboratory.
Unfortunately, the use of animal-derived skincare ingredients is still a very common practice. Luckily, with the help of advanced technology, many active ingredients have vegan versions.
We have gathered the best plant-based and vegan ingredients in skincare. As well as added their origin. Some of them are always vegan, and some of them need clarification.
The 100% Vegan Skincare Ingredients
Most vegan skincare ingredients are noticeably vegan-friendly because their name suggests it. Aqua, cocoa butter, coconut oil, plant extracts, and other similar components are self-evident.
Yet, some ingredient names are not so well known to the general public. Here is a list of ingredients unidentifiable at first sight but always vegan in skincare.
- ALGAE: an anti-inflammatory and damage-reducing antioxidant derived mostly from seaweed. Algaes used in skincare are green, red, and brown algae.
- BAKUCHIOL: soothes, firms, induces redness, reduces wrinkles. Bakuchiol is a great vegan alternative to retinol. It is always vegan and derived from a plant called Psoralea Corylifolia (Babchi).
- BHA (beta-hydroxy acid): an anti-inflammatory and exfoliating skincare ingredient. It is blackhead-preventing, blemish-treating, calming, and pain-relieving. BHAs come from willow tree or birch bark.
- NIACINAMIDE (vitamin B3): a barrier-building skincare ingredient. It water loss, excess sebum production, inflammation, and redness. Niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically produced and vegan.
- RETINOL: an acne-treating skincare ingredient. It controls oil production and prevents clogged pores. Retinol is always vegan and made in a lab. See our page on vegan retinols.
- UREA: a skin-softening and soothing humectant improves dry skin. When it comes to skincare, Urea is always vegan and synthetically made.
- VITAMIN E: an anti-inflammatory ingredient. It protects the skin from free radicals and sun damage. Vitamin E is typically found in plant oils.
- VITAMIN C: a powerful skin-improving, anti-aging, damage-reducing skincare component. Vitamin C in skincare is always vegan.
Common And Clearly Vegan Ingredients
Some vegan skincare ingredients we can recognize from afar. So we can be sure that they are always 100% vegan as their name says a lot about their origin. Let’s take a look what are the most famous and beneficial vegan skincare ingredients that we never have to worry about.
- Aqua (water) — used as a solvent
- Aloe Vera — anti-inflammatory, healing, antifungal, antiviral, regenerative
- Argan Oil — emollient, hydrates, repairs the skin’s barrier, regulates the production of sebum
- Avocado Oil — emollient, hydrates, anti-inflammatory
- Calendula Flower — antioxidant, promotes collagen synthesis, regenerative, treats inflammation and swelling
- Chamomile — anti-inflammatory, penetrates the deeper layers of the skin, reduces irritations, increases wound healing
- Charcoal — absorbs well, and draws excess dirt from the skin
- Cocoa Butter — emollient, neutralizes oxidative stress, is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, inhibits the production of collagen
- Coconut Oil — emollient, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, hydrates
- Green Tea Extract — antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, repairs sun-damaged skin, reduces oxidative stress
- Hemp Seed Oil — emollient, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, reduces irritation, reduces signs of aging
- Himalayan Salt (or sea salt) — exfoliator, removes dead skin cells
- Jojoba Oil — emollient, absorbs easily, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, heals the skin
- Lavender — promotes collagen synthesis, is anti-inflammatory, repairs injuries and wounds, soothes sunburn
- Olive Oil — moisturizer, reduces signs of aging, heals wounds and burns
- Pomegranate Extract — reduces inflammation, protects against oxidative stress, reduces signs of aging, promotes regeneration
- Rose Water — anti-inflammatory, reduces redness, soothes irritation, has anti-aging properties
- Rosehip Oil — antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, strengthens dry skin, heals irritated skin, reduces signs of aging
- Rosemary Extract — antimicrobial, antibacterial, heals wounds
- Sea Buckthorn Oil — treats dry and flaky skin, repairs and regenerates, protects against infections, treats sunburn, reduces acne
- Shea Butter — antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, emollient, treats the skin, protects against the environment, inhibits free radicals
- Sunflower Seed Oil — barrier-enhancing, increases lipid synthesis, reduces inflammation
- Tea Tree — antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, treats acne
- Turmeric — antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, treats acne, heals wounds and burns, reduces sun damage
Skincare Ingredients That Might Be Vegan
Some ingredients in skincare may be both – animal-derived or vegan. They have the same name but different origins. These include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalene.
In the past, many effective ingredients were most likely animal-derived. Today it has changed. Thanks to technology, it is possible to produce these components in a vegan version.
We have put together the most common skincare ingredients from both categories. When shopping, look for vegan labels on products to be sure.
AHAs
The vegan-friendly AHAs are glycolic acid, lactic acid, and citric acid. Vegan AHA used in skincare is mostly derived from sugar cane or other plant sugars. Non-vegan AHA comes from milk.
Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) is a collagen-promoting and exfoliating skincare ingredient. It improves the texture and coloration of the skin.
Hyaluronic Acid
Vegan HA is made by microbial fermentation. Still, hyaluronic acid could be animal-derived and made from combs of roosters.
The non-comedogenic hyaluronic acid (HA) ties water into your skin. It is capable of holding up to 1000 times its weight in water.
Ceramides
Vegan ceramides are found in soy, wheat, and rice. However, non-vegan ceramides utilize animal skin.
The protective lipids aka ceramides build a strong and protective skin barrier. The barrier prevents skin from getting damaged by external conditions.
Glycerin
Vegan glycerin is derived from different plant oils such as coconut oil or soybean. Non-vegan glycerin is made from animal fats and is fairly popular in skincare.
The colorless humectant prevents water loss and keeps the skin moisturized. It is skin-softening and gets rid of dryness.
Peptides
Vegan peptides are made from yeast and bacteria. Non-vegan versions come from animal proteins.
Peptides are firming and skin-improving amino acids. They encourage the skin to produce collagen, keratin, and elastin.
Squalene
Vegan Squalene is found in olives, sugar cane, rice, and wheat. A lot of the squalene in skincare used to be mostly animal-derived and made from fish liver oil. Nowadays, animal-based squalene is hard to find since most of it is derived from olives.
The fine-line and wrinkle-reducing squalene prevents water loss. It keeps the skin hydrated, and helps other skincare products absorb better.
FAQ About Plant-Based Skincare Ingredients
Vegan skincare ingredients are ingredients that are not of animal origin. Vegan skincare ingredients are made from plants or synthetically, safely, and cruelty-free in the laboratory.
Ingredients that often make skincare not vegan are lanolin, collagen, animal-derived glycerin and squalene, honey, and beeswax.
To make sure the skincare product is vegan is to do previous research online. And it is always possible to read the list of ingredients. However, the easiest way is to go for products that are marked with a vegan label.
Glycerin could be vegan or non-vegan. Vegan glycerin is derived from different plant oils such as coconut oil or soybean oil. Non-vegan glycerin is made from animal fats.
For a while, collagen only came from animals and most collagen in skincare is still not vegan. However, scientists have recently discovered a way to produce vegan collagen with yeast and bacteria.
Squalene could be both. A lot of squalene used in skincare is derived from fish liver oil. Vegan squalene on the other hand is derived from olives and sugar cane.
Summary
Many well-functioning ingredients in skincare are made in labs without any animal suffering. However, many brands still use animal-derived components.
Some active skincare ingredients might be both – vegan and non-vegan. So sometimes it might be difficult to identify vegan skincare ingredients.
The best way to be sure whether the products are vegan or not is to prefer them with vegan labels. Or purchase from a vegan skincare brand.
See also: list of 100% vegan skincare brands or each skincare ingredient a to z
