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Opinion Top vegan skincare products & cruelty-free brands to add to your routine
Your skincare routine is something you use every single day — from the cleanser you start the day with to the moisturiser you reach for before bed. But have you ever stopped to wonder what’s actually in those products?
If you’re no longer comfortable putting animals on your plate, perhaps it’s also time to consider where else animals show up in the products you buy. Many conventional skincare formulas contain animal-derived ingredients like lanolin, collagen, or honey, and animal testing is still prevalent in many parts of the cosmetics industry. However, the good news is that choosing vegan skincare is now easier than ever.
Thanks to growing demand for ethical beauty, more brands are creating high-quality skincare made without animal ingredients or animal testing. From gentle cleansers to glow-boosting serums and nourishing moisturisers, today’s vegan skincare options are just as effective — and a lot more ethical — than their non-vegan counterparts.
In this guide, we’ll explain what vegan skincare really means, highlight some ingredients to watch out for, and share a handful of cruelty-free skincare brands worth exploring. If you’re looking to align your skincare routine with your values, consider this your starting point for a kinder approach to great skin!
Ready to upgrade your skincare routine? Let’s get glowing.
What exactly is vegan skincare?
Vegan skincare products are made without any animal-derived ingredients and are not tested on animals.
It’s important to note that vegan and cruelty-free don’t always mean the same thing. A product labelled cruelty-free simply means it hasn’t been tested on animals, but it could still contain ingredients from animals. Vegan skincare, on the other hand, avoids both animal testing and animal-derived ingredients altogether.
Common animal-derived ingredients include:
- Lanolin — derived from sheep’s wool and commonly found in moisturisers
- Collagen — often sourced from the connective tissues of cows, fish, and pigs
- Beeswax — found in balms, creams, and lip products
- Honey — sometimes found in cleansers and masks
- Carmine — derived from crushed insects, often added to tinted skincare products
- Keratin — made of ground up animal parts, found in some hair and brow treatments
By choosing vegan skincare, you’re dodging the rather questionable list above, and opting for products that rely on plant-based ingredients only.
Top cruelty-free brands & vegan skincare products to try
From simple everyday staples to luxurious self-care goodies, these vegan skincare products and brands show that effective skincare can also align with your values.
1. Lush (vegan-friendly range)
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Lush Cosmetics
While not every product in the Lush range is vegan, items are clearly labelled, making it easy to shop for cruelty-free options. The brand is particularly popular for fresh, handmade vegan skincare and its long-standing opposition to animal testing.
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2. Sukin
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Sukin
A well-loved Australian brand, Sukin offers affordable vegan skincare made with simple plant-based ingredients. With carbon-neutral certification and eco-conscious packaging, it’s a great entry point into ethical skincare.
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3. The Ordinary
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The Ordinary
The Ordinary has become a cult favourite in the skincare world. Known for its minimalist formulas and transparent ingredient lists, its products are vegan and cruelty-free, focusing on science-backed ingredients at accessible prices.
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4. Youth To The People
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Youth To The People
This plant-powered skincare brand combines superfood ingredients with clinically backed actives. Its entire range is vegan and cruelty-free, with formulas designed to support healthy, radiant skin.
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5. Paula’s Choice (vegan range)
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Paula's Choice
Paula’s Choice is well known for its research-driven approach to skincare. While not every product is vegan, those that are are clearly labelled and formulated with effective active ingredients for concerns like acne, sensitivity, and uneven texture.
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6. Herbivore Botanicals
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Herbivore Botanicals
Herbivore Botanicals specialises in vegan skincare powered by natural botanicals and cold-pressed plant oils. The brand is known for beautifully packaged products that blend gentle ingredients with a spa-like, aromatic experience.
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7. Woohoo Body
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Woohoo Body
Proudly Australian-made with plant-powered ingredients, Woohoo Body are all about hardworking formulas that ditch the nasties and deliver real results — from natural deodorants that actually hold up, to skin and hair care that keeps things simple and effective.
Entirely vegan and cruelty-free (plus the added bonus of eco-friendly packaging), it’s designed to keep you fresh and glowing.
Top picks:
8. Fenty Skin
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Fenty Beauty
Fenty isn’t only known for makeup: the brand’s skincare line, Fenty Skin, focuses on simple, effective routines powered by ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin C, and hydrating botanicals. The skincare range is fully vegan and cruelty-free*, with multitasking products designed to brighten and support healthy-looking skin.
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* Please note: Fenty Skin & Fenty Hair are entirely vegan, while Fenty Beauty only has some vegan products in their range.
9. Glow Recipe
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Glow Recipe
Inspired by Korean skincare, Glow Recipe creates fruit-powered formulas designed to hydrate and smooth the skin. The brand’s colourful, vegan-friendly range has become especially popular for its glow-boosting serums and masks.
Top picks:
10. Bohemian Skin
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Bohemian Skin
Bohemian Skin is an Australian-made vegan skincare brand built around pregnancy-safe, certified organic ingredients. Designed to be gentle and suitable for every stage of life, the brand’s “Science Meets Nature” philosophy makes for products blending potent botanicals with expert-backed formulations to deliver safe, effective results.
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11. Sand & Sky
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Sand and Sky
This glow-giving skincare line is bottling up the best of Aussie botanicals — think pink clay, native berries and fresh-from-the-bush ingredients. It’s all about simple, effective formulas designed to detox, brighten and hydrate, so you can spend less time in the bathroom and more time living your best life. Clean, cruelty-free and proudly Australian-owned, this is skincare that keeps things easy, breezy and seriously radiant.
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Save face (and animals) & get glowing with a vegan skincare routine…
With so many vegan skincare brands now at our fingertips, building an ethical skincare routine has never been easier.
Remember, you don’t have to switch to a fully vegan skincare routine overnight. Just keep making small, thoughtful swaps each time you run out of a product, and before you know it, you’ll have built up a totally cruelty-free collection.
If you’re curious about trying out a plant-based lifestyle, VegKit is here to help. Alongside hundreds of delicious plant-based recipes, you’ll also find practical guides, science-backed resources, and plenty of support to make your transition to a vegan lifestyle easy, breezy, and enjoyable. 
Meet Kelsie!
Kelsie is a writer, editor, and storyteller with a passion for plants, puns and making a difference. A longtime vegan, animal advocate, and dedicated plant-based foodie, she loves wordplay almost as much as she loves tofu. When she’s not writing about (or eating) delicious vegan food, you’ll find her making music with her band, Damaged Goods Club, or playing with her two loveable rescue cats, Smol Cat and Pikachu.