Vegan Skincare: The Complete Guide 2024

By Liis Hainla. Updated: January 2024.
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You will find everything you need to know about vegan skincare on this page.

We have assembled resources about the best vegan skincare products and brands. In addition, if you have a specific skin type or skin concern, we got you covered. We also write about effective skincare ingredients that are vegan-friendly.

We all know by now that vegan skincare is not a passing fad. It’s the future of skincare.

It is one of the fastest-growing beauty sectors and we are seeing the green vegan label pop up on more creams and cleansers every day. Even skincare giants like The Body Shop have pledged to go fully vegan by the end of 2024.

We love to choose vegan skincare because it’s an easy choice to make. If you care about animals, choose vegan skincare. If you want a clean and natural ingredient list, do the same. Your skin will thank you and so will the animals.

See also:
Best Vegan Skincare Products 2024
Best Vegan Skincare Brands 2024

To help you find the right cruelty-free vegan skincare, see our complete vegan skincare guide for 2024. See our top product and brand picks as well as the best vegan skincare for your skin type.

Jump to

Best Vegan Skincare 2024
Vegan Skincare By Concern
Vegan Skincare By Product Type
Vegan Skincare By Ingredient
What Is Vegan Skincare
What To Look For In Vegan Skincare
Where To Buy Vegan Skincare
A Simple Vegan Skincare Routine

Best Vegan Skincare 2024

Here are the best vegan skincare products and vegan skincare brands for every skin type and skin concern. Whether you have dry, oily, sensitive, or acne-prone skin – there’s the right vegan skincare out there for you.

Vegan Skincare By Concern

Here are some vegan skincare products to target a specific skin concern.

Vegan Skincare By Product Type

Vegan Skincare Product Types — Courtesy of Biossace, Tatcha & Klairs

Looking for a specific vegan skincare product? Here are our top choices for vegan moisturizers, vegan cleansers, exfoliators, face oils, serums, skincare sets, and more.

Vegan Skincare By Ingredient

Vegan Skincare Ingredient Types — Courtesy of High Beauty

If you prefer a particular active ingredient, we have also compiled a list of vegan skincare products featuring vitamin C, retinol, and other top actives.

What Is Vegan Skincare

Curious about what is vegan skincare? Vegan skincare is skincare free from all animal-derived ingredients such as milk, honey, beeswax, lanolin, or collagen. Vegan skincare is also not tested on animals or contains ingredients that have been tested on animals.

The most common animal-derived ingredient in skincare is beeswax (Cera Alba). The ingredient is vegetarian (meaning the animal is not killed in obtaining it) but not vegan. In vegan skincare, beeswax is usually replaced with plant waxes such as soy wax or carnauba wax.

Vegan Skincare Cruelty-Free Skincare Vegetarian Skincare

Being entirely animal-free, vegan skincare is also a step up from cruelty-free skincare. Cruelty-free skincare is not tested on animals but can still contain animal ingredients. Vegan skincare has a strict policy on both animal testing and animal ingredients.

In 2024, it is safe to safe that most skincare ingredients are vegan – either plant-derived or synthetically made. However, animal testing is still a widely used practice which is why many famous skincare brands cannot still call themselves vegan.

Is Vegan Skincare Better For Your Skin

Vegan skincare is not necessarily better than non-vegan skincare. Above all, vegan skincare is an ethical and environmental choice. That being said, vegan skincare is not also worse than non-vegan skincare and comes with many important skincare benefits.

What To Look For In Vegan Skincare

When buying vegan skincare, you should make sure the products are made for your skin type. While vegan skincare is generally safe for every skin type, the wrong formulas won’t still deliver the desired results for your skin.

For dry skin, choose vegan skincare that is alcohol-free and designed to lock in moisture. For oily skin, invest in a more powerful vegan cleanser and lightweight moisturizer. If you have sensitive skin, avoid harsh additives, fragrances, and essential oils in your vegan skincare.

We believe the best kind of vegan skincare also uses natural, organic, and sustainably sourced ingredients. By supporting ethical vegan businesses, we are helping the animals as well as the environment and the people working in the industry.

In addition, we also consume a lot of vegan skincare reviews, to determine which brands & products have positive sentiment overall. Also, as skins differ, we scour through reviews to see others’ experiences match our own. See our vegan skincare product reviews here.

Where To Buy Vegan Skincare

The best place to buy vegan skincare is through the online stores below. The best selection of vegan skincare is available on Amazon, Sephora, and Ulta. See also our article “where to buy vegan skincare“

Vegan Skincare On Amazon: Amazon has the widest selection of vegan skincare. You can find vegan skincare from Pacifica Beauty, Acure, Bliss, Klairs, Boscia, I Dew Care, and other vegan brands. With vegan products, “Vegan” is usually in the product name or description.
Vegan Skincare At Sephora: For more high-end vegan skincare, check Sephora. It has a vegan filter to find vegan skincare from Youth To The People, Biossance, Drunk Elephant, and Glow Recipe. The filter is overall quite accurate but we would not buy vegan skincare from brands like Nécessaire, Farmacy, Laneige, Caudalie, Fresh, and Kiehl’s that still conduct animal testing.
Vegan Skincare At Ulta: Ulta has also a vegan filter to shop vegan skincare from brands like Acure, Pacifica, The Ordinary, Osea, and Truly. But similar to Sephora, some non-vegan brands have slipped into their selection such as Philosophy.
Vegan Skincare At Soko Glam: Soko Glam offers clean and effective Korean vegan skincare from Solved, Klairs, Goodal, and Cosrx. But make sure to use their vegan filter and run a quick cruelty-free check on the brand before buying.
Vegan Skincare At DermStore: Dermstore has also made a collection of vegan skincare from Supergoop, Dermalogica, Skyn Iceland, Eminence, and other high-quality brands. It’s just a bit annoying that they have one single category for vegan skincare, haircare, and makeup.
Vegan Skincare At Target: Target also offers good-quality vegan skincare from Cocokind, Naturium, Sweet Chef, and other cruelty-free and vegan brands.
Vegan Skincare At Walmart: Walmart does not have a vegan filter but it’s nevertheless a great place to shop for affordable vegan skincare from Bubble, E.l.f, Versed, Thrive, BWC, Mario Badescu, and other cruelty-free and vegan companies.

A Simple Vegan Skincare Routine

In this day and age, you can build a fully vegan skincare routine that utilizes scientific research and clean cruelty-free ingredients. Ingredients that work best in topical skincare – be it ceramides, vitamin C, or retinol – are already vegan by default.

Want to create your own vegan skincare routine? See my simple and science-based vegan skincare routine here.

FAQ About Vegan Skincare

Which skincare brands are vegan?

Skincare brands that are 100% vegan include Derma E, Acure, Skyn Iceland, Pacifica Beauty, Pai Skincare, and Youth to the People.

Are vegan skincare products good?

Vegan skincare products that use clean and natural ingredients are great for your skin. Natural vegan skincare is often even recommended for people with sensitive skin.

Why do vegans use skincare?

Every skin needs individual care no matter the lifestyle. Skin is our largest organ and its well-being depends on many internal and external factors, not just our diet.

Is Origins skincare vegan?

No, Origin is not vegan since they use honey and beeswax. Origins products are also sold in mainland China which (until recently) required animal testing from imported cosmetics.

Summary

Vegan skincare is here to stay. With megastars like Kylie Jenner launching their vegan skincare lines, you can be sure that animal-derived makeup products are soon history.

You can find vegan skincare for every type of skin. Be it dry or oily, mature skin, or acne-prone skin – vegan cleansers and moisturizers are designed to pack your skin with all the nutrients it needs.

Usually made without harsh chemicals, vegan skincare fosters the power of high-grade botanicals, stem cell technologies, and superfoods to offer safe yet effective skincare treatment.

We hope you found your new favorite skincare brand from our recommended list. Stay tuned for new skin food.

Update on August 9 (2022): We redesigned the vegan skincare page and created separate pages for vegan skincare products and vegan skincare pages. We also added a selection of online stores that offer vegan skincare.

Vegan Avenue • Vegan Skincare

Liis Hainla

My name is Liis. I have been a vegan for a long time and I advocate for the vegan lifestyle. Through Vegan Avenue, I aim to provide quality information about vegan products and bring attention to amazing vegan companies.