Anyone who has tried to eat vegan in a restaurant knows how underwhelming the options can be. We can’t count the number of menus that contain one afterthought of an option, adorned with a lone little “V.”(Hey, restaurants of America: Just because you slice a cauliflower into a thick slab does not make it a “steak.” What’s more, vegans aren’t really looking for a steak-like replacement. OK. Rant over.) But for a long time, the world of beauty offered the much of the same: Sure, you could find the occasional lotion or lip balm that was made without animal ingredients, but for the most part, it was slim pickings out there.
That was then. Now, fancy skin-care lines and Target staples alike offer plenty to choose from for vegans (and those who just want to treat skin sans animal byproducts). Included are brands you’d never think were on board and indie lines so beautifully packaged, they scream “luxury,” not “granola.”
While it may seem like vegan beauty has never been more popular, holistic esthetician Tammy Fender notes that plant-based remedies have always been a staple: “If you think about it, throughout history the plant kingdom has provided some of our most potent medicines, from penicillin to aspirin, which was first isolated from the bark of the willow tree,” she says. Though Fender admits that the demand for vegan beauty products does seem to be at an all-time high. And Google has the data to back it up: Since 2000, searches for vegan skin care have grown by 83% year over year in the U.S., according to research by the all-knowing search giant. Jessica Wu, MD, dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face can understand why. “More of my patients are looking for vegan skin care because they've made a conscious choice to avoid animal products in all aspects of their lives, including their diet, clothing, and now beauty products,” she says. “For many, it's no longer enough for products to be cruelty-free.”
Whether you're committed to a lifestyle that keeps animal byproducts out of your body and off of your skin, or just want in on some of the most inventive formulas that beauty has to offer, you’ll find plenty of options that are major upgrades from the few choices found in the crusty health food stores of yore. Some use their vegan status to make a statement on the packaging; others might completely surprise you. And all will help you go into beauty beast mode — without any animal influence. Find some our favorites, ahead.
This Brooklyn-born body wash gets its floral-meets-minty scent from essential oils and other organic ingredients. We love that it suds like crazy and delivers a vital AM affirmation, printed in supersized block lettering.
Plant Apothecary Get Happy Body Wash, $18, available at Target.
More than 600 people have gushed about this body lotion on Lush’s website — and it’s easy to see why. The company’s number one best-seller is ultra rich, but absorbs well, and smells of heavenly lavender.
Lush Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion, $30, available at Lush.
With starfish creams and snail mucus moisturizers as breakout beauty trends, K-beauty isn’t exactly known for being animal friendly. But this powder cleanser, from a brand-new K-beauty brand, is flipping the script. This vegan cleansing powder doesn’t skimp on performance: It contains an enzyme from papaya extract, which removes dead skin cells.
Skinesque Enzyme Washing Powder, $25, available at Skinesque.
Overscheduled with dry skin? Rejoice: This gentle scrub cleanses and exfoliates, but thanks to hydrating ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, sugar and olive oil, it moisturizes, too — making one-step skincare a total thing.
S.W. Basics Organic Cream Scrub, $17, available at S.W. Basics.
This moisturizer (which faintly smells like coconut and Jolly Ranchers) checks a lot of boxes on our must-pass list: It’s vegan, not tested on animals, made in the USA, gives 1% of sales to environmental charities, is housed in recycled packaging, is free of fragrance, sulfates, and paraben and synthetics, and absorbs quickly. The formula uses organic aloe vera leaf juice as a first ingredient (instead of ho-hum H20) and — wait for it — costs less than the price of a movie ticket.
Promise Organic Nourishing Coconut Milk Facial Lotion With Hibiscus, $15, available at CVS.
We hate the idea of having to choose between anti-aging and anti-acne skin care. (Hello, those of us with starter wrinkles get zits, too!) This water-free serum tackles both issues with a blend of botanical oils, including amaranth, camellia, and prickly pear.
Root Science Youth Facial Serum, $120, available at Anthropologie.
The problem with many cleansers made for oily or acne-plagued skin? They can make your face feel tight and dry after use. This liquid-gel formula uses cucumber, aloe leaf, and rosemary leaf juices as a base (and in lieu of water), along with plant-based cleansers (like alfalfa and spearmint) to leave skin feeling clean, but never stripped.
Tammy Fender Purifying Cleansing Gel, $50, available at Tammy Fender.
Lots of night creams are so rich, they leave skin feeling sticky or greasy once your face hits the pillow. This one packs serious skin nourishers (like omegas,vitamins A, C, and E, and carotenoids), but feels light and absorbs quickly.
Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream, $48, available at Ursa Major.
There’s a reason why this indie beauty oil has such a cult following (even among those who tend to dislike face oils): It applies and absorbs into skin more like a dry oil, so it never makes skin look greasy. What’s more, the blend smells just like heaven, presuming heaven is made of fragrant rose petals.
Shiva Rose Rose Face Oil, $105, available at Shiva Rose
This lip balm looks and feels like it should cost three times more than it does, thanks to weighted, fancy packaging. But glamour aside, the cruelty-free formula has everything we want in a go-to balm (healing, soothing properties; SPF; tint options) and nothing we don’t, like petroleum-derived ingredients.
Jane Iredale LipDrink Lip Balm, $15, available at Nordstrom.
This sunscreen is like no other we’ve tried before. The liquid formula may look opaque when out of the tube, but it goes on clear and sinks in quickly. Even better, it does a bang-up job of serving as a makeup primer, all while delivering SPF 45 — something that helps justify its very hefty price tag.
Chantecaille Ultra SUn Protection Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 45 Primer, $90, available at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Made with chlorella, spinach, kale, sugar cane, and apple cider, this peel is gentle enough for sensitive skin.
Acure Organics Brightening Vegetable Peel, $23, available at Birchbox.
People who freak out for Rahua’s shampoo and conditioner will love this luxe body lotion. It’s packed with omegas, oils sourced from the rainforest, and the brand’s signature scent, which was inspired by Amazonian shamans.
Rahua Body Lotion, $48, available at Barney’s New York.
This moisturizer is a godsend for those with ultra-dry skin, thanks to two powerhouse skin hydrators inside — olive-derived squalane oil and hyaluronic acid.
Indie Lee Squalane Facial Cream, $70, available at Bluemercury.
We love using coconut oil for everything from removing makeup to giving frizzy hair moisture and shine. But we hate coconut oil’s tendency to go from solid to liquid overnight — on more than one occasion during bleary-eyed mornings, we’ve uncapped the jar and sent its suddenly liquid contents flying. This 100% coconut oil, infused with soothing rose, does not solidify, no matter what the weather.
Organic to Green Liquid Coco Oil, $12, available at Ulta Beauty.
The big deal about this face oil (other than its essential oil and organic ingredient-rich formula)? It can be worn under makeup or used as an overnight face treatment. Well, that, and it’s said to be used by none other than Kate Middleton.
Beuti Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir, $65, available at SkinStore.
When researching this story, we were shocked to learn that Oribe hair care products are all vegan. This mask goes on with such luminescence, it makes complexions look gold-dipped (and is a heck of an Instagram magnet).
Oribe Gold Envy Luminous Face Mask, $95, available at Neiman Marcus.
This best-selling face oil is the ultimate gift for the glamorous vegan in your life. Beautifully scented and packaged in a vanity-worthy amber bottle, the nutrient-packed blend is like an instant vacation when applied and makes skin look like it just got back from the most restful trip ever once it’s absorbed.
True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil, $110, available at True Botanicals.
Who says cosmeceutical-grade skin-care products can’t be vegan? This treatment uses microalgae and vitamin C to lighten dark spots caused by sun damage, acne scars, aging, and pregnancy.
HydroPeptide LumaPro-C Skin Brightening Pigment Corrector, $148, available at HydroPeptide.
Ignore the “cream” aspect of this multitasker's name: The cuticle fixer, hand moisturizer, lip nourisher, and brow tamer is actually a liquid — and it does a terrific job of hydrating just about everything on your body.
MineralFusion Limitless Beauty Cream, $20, available at MineralFusion.
We’re not ashamed to admit that we had to bust out a dictionary to identify the contents of this jar once it landed on our desk. Turns out the brand name, LXMI (pronounced: luxe-me) is derived from the Hindu goddess of beauty, Lakshmi. The cold-pressed balm inside (which morphs into an oil once rubbed on the skin) is made from Nilotica Reserve (pronounced: ni-lot-ee-kah), a rare type of shea butter harvested in Uganda. And the unique number printed on the inside flap of the box? That allows you to track info like the product’s origins and the wages paid the women who harvest the superfood.
LXMI Pure Nilotica Melt, $48, available at LMXI.
This dropper serum may list horse chestnut as a hero ingredient, but rest assured: It's a potent plant that takes down puffiness around the eyes like a pro.
Bottega Organica Redefine Eye Contour Serum, $115, available at Bottega Organica.
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