You always want to put your best face forward, but only if that’s the best for animals and the environment, too.
Luckily for us, more and more vegan and cruelty-free beauty brands are popping up all the time — so many so that we were able to create a shoppable A-to-Z guide (excluding Q and X … we tried.)
A bit of an explainer before we sing the beauty ABC’s, it’s important to know the difference between vegan and cruelty-free. Vegan is a bit easier, as that means that none of the ingredients use any animal (or insect!) byproducts such as beeswax, lanolin or glycerin to name a few common ones.
Cruelty-free pertains to if the brand engages in practices that PETA wouldn’t like, such as animal testing, the full product or just the ingredients. An adorable bunny logo may be used on products that are fully cruelty-free, to signify that no cottontails were harmed in the making of your concealer.
From The A Method to Zuzu Luxe and with gems in between such as Pacifica and Milk Makeup, shop the alphabet below for makeup you will make you feel as good as you look.
The A Method
Dermatologist approved and PETA has no complaints either.
The A Method is both 100% vegan and cruelty-free, making this a safe bet for your skin and the little bunnies out there, too. Created by Tina Alster, M.D. there is a skincare product out there for everyone, including an at-home facial peel kit while spas are still closed and even products with 24 karat gold infused in the serums and masks.
They also recently released a Protection Powder perfect for summer days, as it is reef safe and contains SPF to protect you from the strong rays of the sun.
“The A Method mineral sunscreen powders are formulated with only four ingredients to deliver skin nurturing coverage to those whose skin does not tolerate parabens, fragrance, talc, preservatives, oil, dimethicone and harsh chemicals,” said Dr. Alster in a statement to The Post. “This line is perfect for those suffering from rosacea, acne, hyperpigmentation, distended capillaries, as well as those seeking sun protection post-procedure – like laser, chemical peels and microneedling.”
bareMinerals
When it comes to clean beauty, bareMinerals is no newbie.
“We started the clean beauty revolution when we launched our best-selling mineral foundation in 1995, and since then we’ve continued to create clean, cruelty-free makeup and skincare products that never compromise on performance,” reads the site. “Our good-for-skin formulas are free of harsh chemicals and unnecessary additives, and full of botanical extracts and natural minerals that help improve skin’s appearance.”
The skincare and makeup brand carries a wide variety of products, all of which are cruelty-free and made with natural ingredients. However, if you are looking for vegan as well, not all of the items or brushes are, as some use ingredients with animal byproducts and hair from a goat or pony. If you are vegan and still want to give them a try, make sure to shop their vegan products and read the product description to verify.
Cover FX
Cover FX has amazing coverage and is amazing for the animals, too.
The makeup and skincare brand was clean before it was cool, and is 100% vegan and cruelty-free as well, never testing on animals or using any of their byproducts.
A global leader in vegan and cruelty-free beauty, Cover FX creates award-winning, high performance formulas made with clean, safe ingredients. Our products are recommended for all skin types and offered in a global palette for every skin tone,” reads the website.
They are known for their bestselling concealers and foundations that give a flawless complexion without damaging your skin. Check out their Power Play foundation and the matching concealer, and then top it off with a monochromatic lip and smokey eye for the full effect.
Derma E
Not only is Derma E both vegan and cruelty-free, they are also proudly gluten-free, soy-free and non GMO.
This super clean beauty brand has got you and your face and hair covered for all of its many needs, with a wide range of products, available at Ulta Beauty. For those who need some skin TLC for acne, check out the Acne Deep Pore Wash and the accompanying Acne Control Treatment Serum. To keep wrinkles at bay while avoiding chemicals and plastic surgery, turn to their red anti-wrinkle items like the Anti-Wrinkle Renewal Cream and matching eye treatment.
The brand also carries hair care items and a few makeup essentials as well, with nothing costing more than $40 in the whole collection.
e.l.f. Cosmetics
This elf is real, and it’s not a myth that they are both super affordable and vegan.
e.l.f. Cosmetics is changing the game and the price point when it comes to who has access to clean, vegan and cruelty-free makeup and skincare. All of their products are 100% vegan and of course cruelty-free, too, marked with the bunny stamp of approval. They also continue to give back with their e.l.f. Cares program, partnering and donation to organizations like Black Lives Matter, the It Gets Better Project and Angel City Pits pit bull organization.
When it comes to bestseller, products like their $8 Poreless Putty Primer and $14 Camo CC Cream have blown up on TikTok, while super creative collabs like one with Jen Atkin and past team ups with Chipotle sell out in seconds.
Farmacy Beauty
If you don’t want a whole pharmacy worth of additives and chemicals in your skincare routine, try a new kind of Farmacy.
“Yes, we’re “clean,” but it’s time to be conscious, too — of what we put in and leave out of our formulas and of our responsibility to better the future for our planet and the people on it,” reads the about page on the site. “We believe you reap what you sow, so we’re planting the seeds of change with skincare, sustainability, and food security for all.”
While all of their products are 100% cruelty-free, not all are totally vegan and so for those who want to still check them out while avoiding all animal byproducts, be sure to shop their vegan selection on the site, including bestsellers like their Daily Greens moisturizer and Green Clean makeup remover.
Glossier
Glossier is all about fresh faces and even fresher ingredients.
“We’re committed to being cruelty free: this means we do not test on animals at any stage of product development, and we will only work with vendors who uphold the same standards,” explains the FAQ page of the site. We are proud to share that our products are certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny, the only internationally recognized certification organization for cruelty-free companies.”
While the Leaping Bunny does not mean vegan, there are some fully vegan products on Glossier’s shelves, including their famous Body Hero body wash and Milky Jelly Cleanser to name a few. To find more, simply enter “vegan” in the search bar or look for the vegan plant logo under the “Good to Know” section of each product on the site.
Haus Laboratories by Lady Gaga
We know Lady Gaga can rock the house down, but she also built her Haus on the foundation of clean beauty and vegan ingredients.
In addition to the vegan and cruelty-free promise, Haus will also donate $1 from every sale to Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, to raise mental health awareness.
Haus Laboratories is shoppable on its own Amazon page, making it even easier to get her collection in your hands and on your face. The newest release is the highly anticipated and highly pigmented Precision Eye Pencil, now sold in 13 shades to match every look you could possibly want to serve. Be sure to also shop the birthday set to celebrate the pop icon, which includes a Black Liquid Eyeliner, Matte Lip Crayon, and Four Shade Eye Makeup Shadow Palette all for $42 total.
Illamasqua
Illamasqua makes it easy to do your makeup routine completely vegan, with an easy-to-shop page right on their home screen with all of their offerings.
“Illamasqua is proud to offer over 150 vegan makeup products, and we’re recognized as 100% cruelty free by PETA,” reads the page. It then goes on to list their wide range of items, from primers and foundations to setting sprays and stunning eyeshadow pallets.
All of the products are also cruelty-free, but if vegan is what you’re after then look no further. Right now, their bestselling Skin Base Foundation is 25% off at only $27.75 and available in over 20 shades to match your complexion. Also on sale is the Matte Veil Primer for underneath and the Experimental Artistry Pallet to top off your lids in dramatic colors, each 25% off as well.
Jolie Vegan Nail Polish
Make sure your little piggies are painted without harming any animals, with a vegan nail polish from Jolie.
The brand is available on Amazon and comes in a wide variety of colors, from springtime pinks and reds to fun blues and purples. Each bottle is only $8.99, and for that price you are also getting peace of mind that your nails won’t absorb any toxins and are PETA certified.
“Jolie Vegan is a cruelty-free and vegan nail polish company based in Chicago, Illinois. Our goal is to unite people through our nail polishes and connect with individuals,” reads the Amazon page. “As a start up nail polish brand, we hope that we can uplift everyone through our nail polish collections and empowering nail polish color names.”
Kopari Beauty
You’ll go nuts for this brand when you find out the main ingredients.
“At Kopari, we coconut like we give a damn,” reads the about page. “Every product starts with 100% pure, organic coconut oil sustainably sourced from small family farms in the Philippines. Our products are made with the purest intentions because we’re unnaturally obsessed with all things au naturel.”
Not only are they made with coconut, but all of the Kopari products are cruelty-free and vegan, as well as being free of sulfates, parabens and phythalates. Start with your body, using their Super Suds soap bars and products. Then make sure to treat your face to some coconut goodness, too, with a full range of skin and lip care products. Lastly, they also carry personal care items such as natural deodorant in a variety of fresh scents that never contains harsh ingredients or aluminum.
Lime Crime
Looking this good without any crimes against animals or your skin? Yes, please.
“Lime Crime loves our furry friends! We offer cruelty free cosmetics, which means we do NOT test on animals and we certify that all of our makeup products are 100% vegan,” reads the about page. “We’re proud to be certified by both PETA and The Leaping Bunny Program.”
The makeup line loves animals just as much as they love bright colors and gorgeous makeup looks. They also love a great sale, as right now the site is up to 75% off, with 50% off all eyeshadow pallets. They are also known for their vegan hair color, Unicorn Hair, which is also on sale now if you can believe it.
Milk Makeup
While there may be dairy in the name, Milk Makeup is committed to being 100% vegan and cruelty-free, no matter what.
“Live your look. Good ingredients, epic payoff,” reads the site’s footer. “Cruelty-Free. Paraben-Free. 100% Vegan.It’s clean, cool beauty. No: Sulfates, Formaldehyde, Mineral Oil, Talc + more.”
For a longer list, or really blacklist of ingredients they will never use, head over to the page that explains it all and also highlights their accomplishments, like being listed on Sephora as a clean brand.
Sephora is also where you can shop the collection, which includes bestsellers like the Blur Liquid Matte Foundation and the Lip + Cheek stick that comes in both a mini and full-sized bottle.
Nuria Beauty
Nuria Beauty is a skincare company that doesn’t stop at just being vegan and cruelty-free, but goes a step further to help protect the planet, as well.
They are also carbon neutral, offsetting their emissions from production and using only only renewable energy for their manufacturing and all packaging is recyclable. Combine that will all natural, vegan and sustainably sourced ingredients, and you have a super green company to get all your skincare from.
Speaking of which, if you’re new to the brand you should check out their Defend Gentle Exfoliator and matching cleanser as a great start on your skincare journey. You can also shop by problem area, such as anti-aging, dryness or sensitive skin to name a few.
Natura
No, you aren’t missing something, we did add another “N” brand to the list, and not just to make up for “Q.”
Natura needed to make this list, as it is committed to being vegan, cruelty-free, fair-trade and 100% carbon neutral. Their unique ingredients from the rainforest are all listed in full transparency, as well as how they are harvested and treated before they are packaged up and applied to our skin.
“Beauty care should not harm you or animals,” reads the Our Commitments page. “More than vegetarian, Natura is 100% vegan. We have gone beyond and banned all ingredients from animal origin in our formulas.”
One of their most popular products is their lotion, and right now they are running an eco-friendly buy-one-get-one-free deal. When you purchase a Castanha, Ucuuba, Andiorba or Acai lotion, get a refill for free, which not only helps you out but also helps the planet, reducing plastic use.
One/Size by Patrick Starrr
One/Size was designed to be a perfect match for all faces and now for all walks of life, as the brand is fully vegan and cruelty-free.
Created by beauty guru and influencer Patrick Starrr, they aim to be totally inclusive as well as vegan, with a huge array of shades to match any complexion and full coverage that works with all types of skin as well, from hyperpigmented and dry to freckled and oily.
The newest release is the Turn Up The Base Powder Foundation, which serves up a full coverage look in a powder compact. Make sure to use the Shade Finder first, to be positive that your powder will look perfect on your unique skin tone, undertones and all. The whole collection is sold at Sephora, including the new release and old favorites, and ranges from just $8 to $42.
Olive & June
Yes, we did a duplicate letter again (unless you can find a beauty brand with an “X”) but keep with us for this one that serves as an “O” and a “J” and your next go-to nail polish brand, too.
Olive & June always have the trendiest colors on the market, but did you know they are also a vegan brand? Not just that and being cruelty-free, but they also avoid other toxic ingredients as a promise to their customers and their fingers and toes.
“At Olive & June we are all about creating the cleanest formulation possible without compromising on performance. That’s why we formulate to be “7-free” which means we are free of the seven harmful chemicals commonly found in nail polishes including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide or xylene,” explains the FAQ page.
If you’re just getting into the polish game, check out their fully-loaded Mani System, with everything you need for the perfect manicure every time including remover, clippers, files, top coat and of course a polish of your choice. If you just need a polish fix and some new colors for the spring, head over to their polish page and shop by color, look, level or simply browse them all.
Pacifica
Compassion is at the heart of Pacifica’s brand, for you and the planet we live on.
That’s why they are always 100% vegan, cruelty-free and non-toxic, no matter what. They are also on a mission to be better to the Earth, using better packaging and implementing a recycling program for their tubes and bottles.
“We take your used product and sort them so your plastics make it to the right place. In partnership with Preserve, we turn all #5 plastics into razors and toothbrushes that you can buy right here on our site,” explains the page.
Go ahead and buy one of the recycled toothbrushes or razors, and then go check out the rest of their products, including suncare items perfect for the spring and summer, as well as makeup and haircare for all year round.
Rahua
For Rahua, beauty is power and so is looking out for the planet and all it’s creatures.
Sold at Sephora and marked with the “Clean at Sephora” stamp of approval, the hair care company is also Symbiotic® Certified, meaning it is committed to actively protecting the rainforest and sustainably farming for their ingredients found there. In addition to being vegan and cruelty-free, they list all their unique ingredients on the site, for full transparence as well as a little lesson on what you’re putting on your hair and skin.
After reading, head over to Sephora and fill your cart with a Voluminous Shampoo for extra height and bounce or a Color Full one to protect colored hair, and then add some conditioner and other necessities before checking out.
Sand & Sky
Thanks to Sand & Sky you don’t need to travel down under to reap the benefits of Australian beauty.
The Aussie company is fully transparent when it comes to their goals and sustainability, aiming to be 100% vegan by the end of 2021.
“We also respect the beliefs of our vegan customers and avoid using ingredients of animal origin in our products,” explains the site. “The only exception is our Flash Perfection Exfoliator, which contains calcium carbonate (Pearl Powder) to give the skin that luminescent glow. We’re currently reformulating this product so will be 100% vegan by the end of 2021.”
Other than that one product, everything else they carry is vegan. In addition, their packaging is also almost 100% recyclable, with a target of using less than 5% virgin plastics by 2022.
Their bestseller is the Pink Clay Mask, and can be found as a part of many value sets worth your money, like the Detox and Glow Kit. Now on sale, the kit includes the Pink Clay Mask as well as a Flash Perfection Exfoliating Treatment, Australian Emu Apple Dreamy Glow Drops, an Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask and a pink and purple applicator brush.
Truly Beauty
Truly Beauty is all about staying true to you, the animals and the environment.
Sold at Ulta Beauty, the Truly collection includes a wide variety of face masks, booty scrubs, CBD products and more, all with a few things in common. The first is that they are all 100% vegan, never using animal byproducts in their formulas. Next, they are all clean and cruelty-free, good for you and the bunnies.
“We believed that by formulating with a clean and vegan base and combining with the most powerful, high performing skincare ingredients, Truly products would yield equal or better results than high end or natural products,” explains the About Us page on their site. “The results are one of the most unique, “check all-boxes” line of personal care products available.”
Check out TikTok’s favorite body scrubs for your buns and breasts, and then relax with their other concoctions for your whole body from scrubs to serums.
Ulta Beauty
This one is sort of pushing it on the “U” brand, but to be fair, Ulta carries a whole lot of great vegan brands you should know about.
When looking at the Ulta Beauty site, head over to the vegan section to be the first to know about new brands and discover old ones, added to the site all the time. As another explainer, Ulta notes the difference between cruelty-free and vegan, letting you know transparently before you shop.
“Vegan and cruelty-free are not the same. Vegan describes ingredients; cruelty-free describes testing. That means vegan products could be tested on animals, and cruelty-free could contain animal-derived ingredients,” reads the page.
Now that you know, shop by brand or by bestseller to see all that Ulta Beauty has to offer.
Vegamour
Is Vegamour vegan? It’s almost in the name, after all.
To answer that question, yes. Not only is Vegamour 100% vegan, but they pride themselves on being sustainable and fair trade as well, taking care to use only the best ingredients on your lashes, brows and hair.
“We happen to make all our products with sustainably sourced natural ingredients, mindfulness toward social impact and ethical responsibility. Our purpose is to enrich the lives of everyone we come into contact with…from our organic farmers, Fair Trade partners and owner-employees to our valued customers. We’re part of a global community, and we want everyone to benefit and GROW,” reads the about page on their site.
Their bestselling products are the ones in the GRO formula collection, aiming to strengthen and lengthen your hair. They also have a super popular vegaLASH Volumizing Serum, made to apply twice daily for more lush lashes. Add the brow kit to your cart, too for fuller looking brows to match the rest of your newly thick and luscious locks.
Winky Lux
No secrets here, only clean ingredients and beautiful products.
“Our products are cruelty free, thoughtfully sourced and free of nasties,” reads the homepage. “Winky Lux has a mission to bring beauty lovers together with happier healthier products that delight every sense.”
Those “nasties” include anything like parabans, sulfates and phthalates, as well as anything tested on animals, as the brand is 100% cruelty-free. For the vegans, while not everything is accessible for you, under every section be it skincare, lips, face or eyes, there is a dropdown menu for you. Click the vegan button under any of the above and check out their offerings.
If it were up to us, we’d look at the vegan skincare starter kit first to get you all set up, and then add the Coffee Scented Bronzer on top, finishing it off with some nice defined brows and a vegan false lash.
Yuni Beauty
You should put into (and onto) your body what you want to get out of it, and Yuni Beauty thinks that should be all natural, all the time.
Sold at Ulta Beauty, the clean body care company uses all natural ingredients, found transparently on their site. All of their products are vegan as well, making this brand safe for animal lovers and eco-friendly shoppers alike.
To check them out, head to Ulta’s site to see what they have in stock. We suggest their Yunicorn Daily Mask and Cleanser set for the best skincare routine morning or night, and for those in a rush, the Flash Bath No-Rinse Body Cleanser is super easy to toss in a gym bag or beach bag for on-the-go cleansing sans a shower.
Zuzu Luxe
You didn’t think we’d find a Z, but you’ll be glad we did.
Sold at Macy’s, Zuzu Luxe is an all vegan and cruelty-free makeup brand that sells everything from super pigmented eyeliner to bright lipsticks and shimmering highlighter for a full face of clean beauty every time.
With the exception of their makeup brushes, which do use animal byproducts but are still 100% cruelty-free, the rest of the collection is open to all, vegans and otherwise. Plus, the prices make this even more accessible, as the collection ranges from just $10 to $32.
For those who want a nice smooth base to work with, the Oil-Free Liquid Foundation will do the trick, sold in 10 different shades. Then top it off with a highlighter or a bronzer and swipe a pop of color on your lips for the full Zuzu Luxe look.