The market for vegan beauty products has been around long before buzzwords like "clean," [1] "green," "organic," and "natural" started popping up on the packages of products, but the category in recent years has been fast growing. In fact, Economist reports that searches for "veganism" [2] have doubled since 2015, and that doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
When a makeup, skin-care, or hair-care brand claims to be vegan, that means it doesn't use any animal byproducts in its formulations — no beeswax, no lanolin (an emollient derived from sheep wool), no shellac (a nail-polish ingredient created from lac bugs), or any other animal-derived ingredients. Instead, those are typically swapped with plant-based alternatives, like collagen and squalene.
The tricky part is that it's not always easy to spot ingredients containing animal byproduct on the back of a beauty label; you'll never see a lip balm list "from sheep wool" on the pack, for example. Some brands have obtained independent certifications from organisations like PETA and the Vegan Society [3], but not all. That means your best course of action is to research and familiarize yourself with commonly used ingredients before buying. To help make it a little easier, PETA has a list of animal-derived ingredients [4] often found in beauty products for easy reference.
It's also worth noting that vegan does not equal cruelty-free. While many vegan brands don't test on animals out of principle, it's not always a given. (It works the other way, too; just because a brand is cruelty-free doesn't mean it's also vegan.) You can tell if a brand is cruelty-free and doesn't test on animals by looking for the Leaping Bunny [5] certification or symbol on the brand's website or packaging or checking the Leaping Bunny Shopping Guide [6] (which also occasionally lists whether a brand is vegan, too).
Decoding the many different terms in the beauty industry can be tricky, but after doing some research, you'll be a wiz at deciphering what the claims on your products actually mean. To get you started on your vegan beauty journey, we rounded up a few of our favourite vegan skin-care, makeup, and hair brands ahead.
Best Vegan Skin-Care Brands: Pacifica
It's written in Pacifica's logo: 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free. The brand offers makeup, skin-care, and hair-care products at an affordable price point. The Vegan Collagen Overnight Recovery Cream [7] (£25) is made with plant-derived collagen and designed to deeply nourish your skin while you sleep.
Best Vegan Skin-Care Brands: r.e.m beauty
Ariana Grande [8] might be known best for her chart-topping music career but the singer has entered the beauty world, launching her own brand r.e.m beauty [9] back in 2021. Full of out-of-this world makeup and skin-care products, r.e.m beauty is completely cruelty-free and paraben-free. Add the Full Night's Sleep Cooling Blurring Undereye Balm [10] (£18) into your morning routine to help soothe and blur imperfections. The hint of caffeine helps reduce puffiness and the appearance of dark circles to keep you looking bright and glowing throughout the day.
Best Vegan Skin-Care Brands: Pai
Pai is recognised by COSMOS (Soil Association), Cruelty Free International, and The Vegan Society, so if you're looking for an affordable vegan skin-care brand, this one's for you. The Vegan Collagen 0.9% Restoring Booster [11] (£19) is the first certified natural collagen booster on the market, derived from corn and soy proteins.
Best Vegan Skin-Care Brands: Skin Proud
Not only is Skin Proud PETA approved and cruelty free, it's also 100 percent vegan. The brand is all about encouraging people to make a small change in their skin-care routines that will benefit your skin and the planet at the same time. Skin Proud's Frozen Over Gel-to-Ice Hydrator [12] (£17) is the perfect product to kickstart your vegan skin-care journey.
Best Vegan Makeup Brands: Róen
Róen's mission is to make luxurious, high-quality makeup products without compromising on ingredients. All of the products are made with clean, nontoxic ingredients and are vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free. The 11:11 Eye Shadow Palette [13] (£41) is a richly pigmented, metallic shimmery eyeshadow palette that will help make your eyes pop.
Best Vegan Makeup Brands: E.l.f. Cosmetics
E.l.f. Cosmetics is 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free. It's even recognised by PETA as a member of its Beauty Without Bunnies program. If you're looking for affordable vegan cosmetics products, this is the brand for you. The Poreless Putty Primer [14] (£9) is a TikTok-famous primer that helps makeup go on flawlessly.
Best Vegan Makeup Brands: Cover FX
CoverFX is 100 percent vegan, cruelty-free, and PETA-approved. The brand is a one-stop shop for all things makeup and even makes brushes and other beauty tools. The Power Play Foundation [15] (£38) is a weightless, full coverage foundation that provides environmental protection and controls shine for a smooth, matte finish.
Best Vegan Makeup Brands: The Lip Bar
You can spot The Lip Bar's products on the shelves of your local Target. Rest assured, the brand's products are all vegan and cruelty-free. Once you try The Lip Bar Vegan Matte Liquid Lipstick [16] (£38), you'll be hooked on its long-lasting colour payoff.
Best Vegan Makeup Brands: Bite Beauty
Bite Beauty and all of its cosmetic products are all clean, cruelty-free, and vegan. The brand is known for its lip products, but its new Upswing Full Volume Mascara [17] (£26) deserves a spot in your makeup stash, too.
Best Vegan Skin-Care Brands: Youth to the People
Youth to the People is vegan and cruelty-free, proving you don't need animals to make effective skin care. For glowing skin, add the 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum [18] (£59) to your morning regimen.
Best Vegan Skin-Care Brands: Summer Fridays
Summer Fridays was founded in 2017 right out the gate as a vegan, cruelty-free, and clean skin-care brand. In just the short time since it launched, the brand's collection of face and body products have made their way onto many editor-approved lists. The Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream [19] (£41) is a lightweight gel formula packed with three types of hyaluronic acid.
Best Vegan Hair Brands: Aveda
On Jan. 1, Aveda announced that its portfolio of 500-plus products will be 100 percent vegan moving forward, as well as cruelty-free. The brand has a variety of hair products to fit every need, but the Be Curly Curl Enhancer [20] (£20) is perfect for combating frizz and adding shine to curly and wavy hair.
Best Vegan Hair Brands: Function of Beauty
Function of Beauty makes custom-made hair, body, and skin-care products that are formulated just for you. While you can pick and choose what goes into your products, all of the ingredients are vegan and cruelty-free. The Function of Beauty Wavy Hair Shampoo [21] (£12) will keep wavy hair strong and animal-lovers happy.
Best Vegan Hair Brands: Fable & Mane
Fable & Mane's HoliRoots Hair Oil [22] is made with vegan ingredients and is cruelty-free. It leaves hair feeling soft and refreshed, thanks to its blend of ashwagandha, dashmool, and castor oil.