Being vegan opens you up to explore a rich world with plant life and all its benefits. However, vegans and non-vegans luckily don’t have to resort to their own devices for skincare.
The experts have done their research and create the best vegan skincare products to nurture the outside of your body, just as a plant-based diet boosts you from the inside.
A quick peek at our Buying Guide for 2022 lets you in on the best vegan beauty products to help you live your anti-cruelty principles to the fullest—supporting beauty at its best.
Best Vegan Skincare Products – Reviews & Buying guide for 2022
Best overall: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
Our best vegan skincare winning product is Aztec Secret. This is a unique Indian healing clay that is perfect for a deep pore cleanse that you can use for your face and body.
This product is a natural bentonite clay available in 1 or 2 lbs.
If you want the ultimate home spa experience, this clay is as good as a healing mud bath. Spoiling yourself with this vegan cruelty-free skincare product will give you a refreshing, youthful experience.
Our pros and cons explain why Aztec Secret is our winner as the best vegan skincare product.
Pros
- 100% natural, organic vegan skincare beauty product.
- It gives your facial pores a deep cleanse, leaving your skin silky smooth.
- This multipurpose cleanser can be used on your face, body, and hair.
- Use as a hair mask, foot spa, clay bath, or full-body wrap.
- This clay also works well as a natural underarm deodorant
- It is also beneficial to chill and use as a soothing knee pack for aching joints.
- Eliminate the pain and irritation of insect bites in minutes.
- Suitable for all skin types and some skin redness and dryness is normal after use and will disappear in half an hour. Anyone with non-sensitive skin can leave their clay mask on for 20 minutes.
- Combine the powder with apple cider vinegar for other health and beauty benefits. Apple cider vinegar creates a smother paste than water.
- Ideal vegan skincare for acne when used regularly for a period.
Cons
- Combine the clay with water instead of apple cider vinegar if you have sensitive skin.
- Always do a test on your forearm before using the product anywhere else to check for sensitivity. If your skin is sensitive to this or any other vegan skincare products, you should immediately stop using them.
- Only use as per instructions and leave on for between 5 and 10 minutes if your skin is sensitive. Leaving this product on for longer can cause redness and irritation to sensitive skin.
- Minor skin discomfort and extreme tautness.
Runner Up: Andalou Naturals Night Repair Cream
Andalou Naturals Resveratrol Q10 Night Repair Cream is a vegan anti-aging skincare product suitable for mature skin. Resveratrol is well-known for its anti-aging properties, as is Q10.
These ingredients are potent antioxidants that help repair the damage caused by free radicals.
If you are fond of the sun, smoke cigarettes, or your skin has undergone other forms of damage, Andalou naturals is one of the best vegan skincare products on the market.
We have chosen this repair cream specifically for its anti-aging properties as the first runner-up because it is a superior, organic vegan skincare product.
Pros
- Perfect for use on dry skin where there are light wrinkles and fine lines.
- Ideal for anyone whose skin is flaky or dull or is aging prematurely.
- Produces youthful, gentler, smoother skin with frequent use.
- Restores integrity of the skin to repair, revitalize and reduce damage.
- Uses scientifically-backed stem cells from fruits for skin repair products.
- All ingredients are organic and subscribe to the Superior Source Ingredient Standards.
- Does not contain GMO ingredients or gluten-containing ingredients.
- Subscribes to Fair Trade policies, and all ingredients are sustainably grown and cruelty-free.
- Andalou is one of the best vegan skincare brands and is comparable to other vegan brands like Alba Botanica, Shea Moisture, Pacifica, Mineral Fusion, and similarly reputable vegan brands.
- All Andalou products are BPA-free, and the contents are also free of sulfates and phthalates.
Cons
- This product is a night cream. If you want to use it during the day, please also use sun protection.
- Some customers complain of flaky, red skin after initially good results and that there is a no-refund policy for this product.
- Other customers complain of product tampering and use before delivery.
- Some customers note that they have received products past their sell-by dates and have wasted money because of the no-refund policy, which is a significant letdown.
Alternative: Bliss Glycolic Resurfacing Pads
Bliss makes these incredible Incredi-peel Glycolic Resurfacing Pads to exfoliate and lift your skin condition in minutes.
Anyone with normal or combination skin can include this resurfacing pad in their vegan skincare routine with confidence, which is why it is our first alternative in five as the best vegan skincare product available.
Pros
- Bliss Incredi-peel is one of those excellent vegan skincare products for acne. Customers with eczema confirm how their symptoms are relieved, and this peel reduces flakiness and dry skin. Simply wipe on your skin and leave it to dry or leave overnight for best results.
- Customers also report how this glycolic acid peel evens their skin tone.
- You can easily include this peel in your vegan makeup and skincare routine because it delivers desirable results.
- Bliss peels will leave your skin feeling smooth and clear, but you should follow the acid peel with a nourishing moisturizer.
- Some customers maintain that the product quality is as good as those available in professional spas.
- This best vegan skincare product is certified by PETA and is free of nasty chemicals such as phthalate, parabens, SLES, SLS, and others harmful to you and nature.
Cons
- Customers suggest that you do not use this product daily as it is an acid peel that contains AHA, which makes your skin sensitive and vulnerable to sun damage if you don’t use proper protection.
- Some individuals may experience red, sensitive skin after first-time use, but this generally improves with regular applications.
- A customer complaint reveals that the peels did not contact her acne scars, so was useless for her purposes.
Alternative: Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion
A whole-body emollient and moisturizing body lotion is a welcome addition to any vegan skincare routine, especially when it is one of the best vegan skincare brands on the market.
Alba Botanica is well-known for its range of vegan beauty products, and this one is a winner.
Get the original, unscented 32 oz. bottle or opt for the Coconut Rescue, Daily Shade SPF 15, Maximum, or Herbal Healing lotions. Our choice is the organic vegan skincare lotion in its original, unscented form.
Pros
- This emollient lotion is 100% free of synthetic fragrances, parabens, and phthalates.
- Only 100% organic vegan skincare ingredients go into this body lotion.
- Includes natural nourishing plant oils such as jojoba, avocado, and shea butter.
- This product is a suitably rich moisturizer for sensitive and dry skin.
- Product ingredients reflect positive ratings on the EWG’s skin deep database, ensuring that it is one of the best vegan skincare products out there.
- Positive consumer remarks indicate that this lotion leaves their skin feeling well-nourished.
Cons
- A niche group of customers does not like this lotion’s smell, stating that it is unpleasant. Others maintain that the original, unperfumed cream has a delicate aroma which may prove unpleasant for anyone sensitive to odors.
- Customers prefer the previous formula, which was lighter than the current thick, waxy one.
- Because the lotion is thick, it can clog the pump, making it impossible to get the cream out without removing the pump function.
- It contains AHA, which increases skin sensitivity. Increased sensitivity can cause sunburn despite wearing a sunblock.
- It contains Avobenzone, linked with free radicals and skin cancer when exposed to the sun.
Alternative: ACURE Rejuvenating Night Cream
The third runner-up for the best vegan skincare product is ACURE’s rejuvenating night cream.
A unique formulation of peptides, antioxidants, and natural plant materials makes this the best vegan anti-aging skincare choice for all skin types.
People with mature skins who want rejuvenation will appreciate lactic acid and vitamin C’s lifting properties, which also hydrate your skin.
Pros
- Dynamic anti-aging properties visibly rejuvenate skin with soothing glacial glycoproteins, ferulic acid, peptides, and vitamins.
- Anti-cruelty certification and suitable for vegans.
- Free of formaldehyde, petrolatum, sulfates, parabens, and mineral oil.
- Contains healing properties for some skin types.
- The product is not overly oily.
- Produces a clear fresh complexion with regular use.
- Excellent addition to a vegan skincare routine.
Cons
- It contains AHA, which increases skin sensitivity and sun sensitivity, so this product is only suitable for night-time use.
- Products quickly go bad, leaving some customers with the disappointing consequences of not being able to use this product.
- Customers note that the formula has changed, which also causes disappointment with this product.
- There is no return or refund policy for this product which is also a problem for customers who receive rancid products with unpleasant odors.
- It causes skin breakouts for some customers and not others.
Vegan Skincare FAQ
Best vegan skincare products should leave your skin feeling as good as the brand suggests.
People are often curious about other elements of the vegan lifestyle. Some of the FAQs by customers relate to the best vegan skincare brands or what toothpastes are suitable for vegans.
Our FAQs section answers these questions, which should clear up what involves living a fully vegan lifestyle.
What skincare brands are vegan?
Vegans may come across a selection of anti-cruelty products on the market, but not all anti-cruelty skincare ranges are vegan. Anti-cruelty products do not involve harm to animals.
No animals are tested in laboratories to produce skincare and other products when they are anti-cruelty.
But the best vegan skincare brands contain zero animal products or byproducts and avoid any harm to animals. The only skin products that are genuinely vegan are plant-based and anti-cruelty, making for the best vegan skincare.
PETA has created a list of the best vegan skincare brands. Vegans can comfortably use these brands’ products without needing to look at the ingredients.
PETA has already investigated these product ingredients and recommends them as being free of all animal ingredients and are therefore also cruelty-free.
Vegans and others can support these brands as they align with the vegan philosophy:
- Beauty Without Cruelty
- Spectrum Collections
- 7th Heaven
- Arbonne
- MuLondon Organic
- Dr. Botanicals
- Alchimie Forever
- Nature’s Gate
- Pacifica
- EcoTools
- Billy Jealousy
- The Fanciful Fox
- Nanshy
- skyn ICELAND
- Per-fékt Beauty
- Sibu Beauty
- Sparitual
Even though this list may not be exhaustive, it is an excellent place to begin with a vegan makeup and skincare routine. There are many more vegan skincare brands to explore but always check for transparent labeling of ingredients before making a purchase.
Some brands may mistakenly or deliberately mislead unsuspecting customers into thinking their brand is suitable for vegans, only to find products contain beeswax or other animal byproducts.
Confirm the brand that you want to support carries completely vegan cruelty-free skincare products to avoid disappointment.
A strong indication of reputable vegan skincare products will ensure transparency regarding product ingredients.
If the brand is not forthcoming about this aspect, protect your values and move on to another. You shouldn’t have to compromise your principles with fruitless guesswork about a brand’s integrity.
Final Comments
You should be aware of ingredient labeling from the best vegan skincare to the best vegan skincare brands. Besides finding the best vegan beauty products, people are also curious about vegan habits and lifestyle choices.
All in all, we trust that our Buying Guide has been an illuminating, fun read.
Resources: