Cruelty-Free Skincare Brands: 18 Best Vegan & Ethical Beauty Brands
Cruelty-free skincare has become a much more established part of the beauty industry, with everything from affordable, ingredient-led formulas to high-end treatments now available without animal testing. For consumers who want to pay closer attention to how their skincare is developed, the challenge is no longer finding a cruelty-free product, but understanding what the claim actually means and which brands offer genuinely effective formulations alongside responsible practices.
The term cruelty-free refers primarily to animal testing, rather than the ingredients used in a product. This is an important distinction because cruelty-free skincare is not necessarily vegan skincare: a product can be made without animal testing while still containing ingredients such as beeswax, honey or lanolin. Equally, terms including “natural”, “clean” and “ethical” are not, on their own, guarantees that a brand or product is cruelty-free. With different standards and certifications used across the beauty industry, checking a brand’s animal-testing policy and its approach to sourcing and formulation can provide a clearer picture.
For this guide, we have focused on cruelty-free skincare brands that combine transparent practices with well-formulated products, covering a range of skin types, concerns and budgets. The selection includes science-led brands such as Paula’s Choice and The Ordinary, skincare specialists including Pai and Dermalogica, and luxury names such as Tata Harper and Dr. Barbara Sturm. Whether you are looking for products for acne and congestion, sensitive skin, dehydration, pigmentation, ageing or simply a more considered everyday routine, there are now cruelty-free skincare options across almost every category.
Many of the brands featured here also offer vegan products, although cruelty-free and vegan should not be treated as interchangeable terms. If both are important to your purchasing decisions, it is worth checking the individual product and the brand’s current policies rather than relying on one claim alone. For more ways to build a considered skincare routine, see our guide to Best SPF Moisturisers for Daily Sun Protection and Best Products for Glowing Skin: From Jet Lag to Glow.
How We Chose These Cruelty-Free Skincare Brands
There is now a wide range of cruelty-free skincare available, so our selection looks beyond a brand’s ethical positioning alone. We considered the quality and range of its skincare formulations, ingredient transparency, animal-testing policies, availability of vegan products, reputation among consumers and skincare professionals, price point and the different skin concerns each brand caters to.
The result is a selection that covers affordable cruelty-free skincare, active-ingredient treatments, sensitive skin products, organic and botanical formulas, vegan skincare and luxury skincare. Not every brand is completely vegan, and where this is the case, we distinguish between the two rather than treating cruelty-free and vegan as the same thing.
A quick guide to the best brand for you
Skin Concern
Acne - Paula’s Choice
Sensitive Skin - Pai Skincare
Luxury Skincare - Tata Harper
Affordable Routine - The Ordinary
Glow & Brightening - Glow Recipe
Paula’s Choice
One of the most consistently reliable skincare brands on the market, Paula’s Choice remains a benchmark for ingredient-led formulas that prioritise efficacy over marketing gimmicks. The brand’s straightforward approach makes it especially appealing for acne-prone, textured, or sensitive skin.
Our favourites
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Leave-on exfoliant with salicylic acid that unclogs pores, smooths wrinkles, and brightens skin, revealing a clearer, more radiant complexion.
Paula's Choice RESIST Advanced Smoothing Treatment 10% AHA
Advanced exfoliating treatment with 10% AHA that improves skin texture, minimizes fine lines, and promotes even skin tone for a smoother, more youthful appearance.
Paula’s Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer
Rich, hydrating moisturizer designed to strengthen the skin's barrier, reduce signs of aging, and improve skin resilience with powerful antioxidants and essential lipids.
The Inkey List
For those who crave simplicity and effectiveness without breaking the bank, The Inkey List is a revelation. This brand demystifies skincare with straightforward, ingredient-focused formulations that deliver real results. Their minimalist approach is a breath of fresh air in a saturated market.
Our favourites
The Inkey List niacinamide serum
Versatile serum that balances skin tone, reduces redness, and minimizes pore appearance with 10% niacinamide, leaving your skin clearer and more even.
The Inkey List retinol eye cream
Targeted eye cream with retinol and peptides that smooths fine lines, reduces puffiness, and brightens the under-eye area for a refreshed, youthful look.
The Inkey List alpha arbutin
Concentrated serum with alpha arbutin that brightens skin and fades dark spots by inhibiting melanin production, promoting a more even and luminous complexion.
Youth To The People
Youth To The People merges superfood ingredients with cutting-edge science to create products that are as healthy as they are effective. Their vegan formulations are packed with antioxidants and nutrients, making your skin look and feel its best while staying kind to the planet.
Our favourites
Triple Peptide and Cactus Oasis Serum
Hydrating serum featuring peptides and cactus extract that deeply nourishes and firms the skin, reducing fine lines and enhancing overall elasticity.
Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream
Lightweight, nutrient-rich cream packed with superfoods that provides intense hydration and revitalizes skin, leaving it soft, balanced, and glowing.
Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial
Invigorating exfoliating treatment with yerba mate and natural acids that renews skin texture, boosts radiance, and revitalizes tired skin for a refreshed appearance.
Dermalogica
Dermalogica is a cult favourite among skincare professionals and enthusiasts alike. Their commitment to education and innovation ensures that each product is formulated to deliver professional-grade results. Plus, their cruelty-free status means you can feel good about every purchase.
Our favourites
Dermalogica Age Smart Super Rich Repair
Deeply nourishing moisturizer with peptides and antioxidants that combats severe dryness, reduces signs of aging, and restores skin’s resilience and radiance.
Dermalogica Smart Response Serum
High-performance serum that adapts to your skin’s needs, using advanced technology to address and correct multiple signs of aging, including fine lines, dullness, and uneven texture.
Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum
Advanced retinol serum that accelerates cell turnover, smooths fine lines, and improves skin texture, delivering a more youthful and even complexion.
Ole Henriksen
Ole Henriksen's vibrant, joyful approach to skincare is reflected in their effective, botanically-based products. Known for their luxurious textures and delightful fragrances, these products deliver serious results while making your skincare routine a pleasurable experience.
Our favourites
Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer
Rich, peptide-packed moisturizer that strengthens and firms the skin while providing deep hydration, leaving your complexion more resilient and plump.
Ole Henriksen Truth Juice Daily Cleanser
Refreshing, vitamin C-infused cleanser that gently removes impurities and brightens the skin, promoting a radiant, even-toned complexion with every use.
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum
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Pai Skincare
Specialising in solutions for sensitive skin, Pai Skincare combines organic ingredients with cutting-edge science. Their cruelty-free and vegan products are crafted to soothe and nourish even the most reactive skin types, making them a must-have for anyone with delicate skin.
Pai’s SPF innovation is covered in Best SPF Moisturisers for Daily Sun Protection.
Pai is a key brand in our Best Anti-Aging Skincare Products for Smooth, Youthful Skin guide.
Its glow-enhancing formulations also appear in Best Products for Glowing Skin: From Jet Lag to Glow.
Our favourites
Pai Skincare Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil
Potent rosehip oil that regenerates skin, improves texture, and reduces the appearance of scars and fine lines, leaving the complexion smooth and radiant.
Pai Skincare Love and Haight Hydrating Day Cream
Rich day cream with avocado and jojoba oils that deeply hydrates and nourishes the skin, providing long-lasting moisture and a healthy glow.
Pai The Anthemis Moisturizer
Calming moisturizer formulated with chamomile and rosehip, designed to soothe sensitive skin, reduce redness, and provide gentle hydration for a balanced, comfortable complexion.
The Ordinary
The Ordinary has revolutionized skincare with its no-frills approach and affordable pricing. By focusing on potent, active ingredients, they make effective skincare accessible to everyone. Their commitment to cruelty-free practices only enhances their appeal.
Our favourites
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Hydrating serum combining hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to replenish moisture, plump the skin, and enhance its suppleness for a smoother, healthier-looking complexion.
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Powerful exfoliating solution with alpha and beta hydroxy acids that targets dullness, uneven texture, and blemishes, revealing brighter, clearer, and more radiant skin.
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
Pure, organic rosehip seed oil that nourishes and regenerates the skin, improving texture and tone while reducing the appearance of scars and fine lines for a smoother, more even complexion.
e.l.f. Cosmetics
ELF Cosmetics proves that high-quality, cruelty-free skincare can be affordable. With a wide range of products that deliver impressive results, ELF has become a go-to brand for beauty enthusiasts who want to make ethical choices without sacrificing performance.
Our favourites
e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser
Gentle yet effective cleanser that removes makeup, dirt, and impurities while maintaining the skin’s moisture balance, leaving your complexion refreshed and hydrated.
e.l.f. SKIN Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF 30
Lightweight, broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen that protects against harmful UV rays while imparting a subtle glow, ensuring your skin stays radiant and shielded from sun damage.
e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Face Cream
Deeply nourishing face cream enriched with hyaluronic acid and peptides, designed to hydrate, plump, and firm the skin, providing long-lasting moisture and a healthy, youthful appearance.
Superfacialist
Superfacialist combines the best of nature and science to create products that are both effective and gentle. Their cruelty-free line offers targeted solutions for various skin concerns, all while ensuring a luxurious experience.
Our favourites
Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Brighten Micro Polish Wash
Invigorating facial scrub infused with vitamin C and fine exfoliating particles that brightens the complexion, refines skin texture, and leaves the skin feeling smooth and revitalized.
Superfacialist Rosehip Hydrate Facial Oil
Nourishing facial oil enriched with rosehip and essential oils that deeply hydrates and restores the skin, enhancing its natural glow and improving elasticity.
Superfacialist Rosehip Hydrate Creamy Cleanser
Creamy cleanser formulated with rosehip oil that gently removes impurities and makeup while hydrating and soothing the skin, leaving it soft, clean, and comfortable.
Dr. Barbara Sturm
Known for her science-driven approach, Dr. Barbara Sturm offers high-performance skincare that delivers transformative results. Her cruelty-free products are loved by celebrities and skincare aficionados alike, making them a staple in any serious skincare routine.
Our favourites
Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum
Highly concentrated serum that provides intense hydration with long- and short-chain hyaluronic molecules, leaving the skin plump, smooth, and radiant.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream
Luxurious moisturizer that nourishes and hydrates the skin, promoting a youthful, supple complexion while protecting against environmental stressors.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops
Illuminating serum that revitalizes dull skin, providing an instant natural glow and even complexion while delivering anti-aging benefits and hydration.
Kora Organics
Founded by supermodel Miranda Kerr, Kora Organics focuses on certified organic ingredients that nourish and revitalize the skin. Their cruelty-free products are designed to enhance your natural beauty while promoting overall wellness.
Our favourites
Noni Night AHA Resurfacing Serum
Powerful overnight serum that combines AHAs with organic noni extract to exfoliate, smooth, and renew the skin, revealing a brighter and more refined complexion by morning.
Noni Radiant Eye Oil
Rejuvenating eye oil infused with organic noni, tomato fruit, and marine bamboo extracts that hydrates, brightens, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and dark circles around the delicate eye area.
Turmeric Glow Moisturizer
Rich moisturizer formulated with turmeric extract and microalgae to deeply nourish, even out skin tone, and impart a natural, radiant glow while addressing signs of aging.
Fenty
Rihanna’s Fenty Skin line is all about inclusive, effective skincare. With a focus on clean, vegan formulations, Fenty Skin delivers products that work for all skin types and tones, proving that luxury and ethics can go hand in hand.
Fenty Skin also appears in Best SPF Moisturisers for Daily Sun Protection.
Our favourites
Fenty Skin Melt Awf Jelly Oil Makeup Melting Cleanser
Luxurious jelly-oil cleanser that effortlessly dissolves makeup, sunscreen, and impurities, transforming into a milky lather that leaves skin clean, soft, and nourished.
Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor - Mineral SPF 30 Moisturizer with Niacinamide
Multitasking moisturizer with mineral SPF 30 that hydrates, brightens, and protects the skin. Infused with niacinamide, it helps even skin tone and reduces the appearance of pores.
Fenty Skin Blemish Defeat’r BHA Spot-Targeting Gel
Targeted gel treatment with BHA that quickly addresses blemishes and breakouts. It soothes inflammation, unclogs pores, and helps to clear skin without drying it out.
OSEA Malibu
Inspired by the ocean, OSEA Malibu creates luxurious, vegan skincare using marine-based ingredients. Their cruelty-free products are crafted to rejuvenate and restore the skin, making you feel like you’ve just stepped out of a spa.
Our favourites
OSEA Ocean Eyes Age Defying Serum
Anti-aging eye serum enriched with seaweed, peptides, and hyaluronic acid that targets fine lines and wrinkles, firms the delicate eye area, and reduces puffiness for a youthful, refreshed look.
OSEA Collagen Dream Night Cream
Rich, overnight cream formulated with vegan collagen and sea minerals to deeply nourish and hydrate the skin, promoting firmness and reducing the appearance of fine lines while you sleep.
OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream
Lightweight moisturizer that shields the skin from environmental stressors and pollution while providing hydration and balance, leaving the skin smooth and protected throughout the day.
Glow Recipe
Glow Recipe brings the fun back into skincare with fruit-powered formulations that deliver radiant results. Their cruelty-free products are as delightful to use as they are effective, making them a favorite among beauty enthusiasts.
Our favourites
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops
Versatile serum that combines watermelon extract and niacinamide to hydrate, brighten, and give skin a natural, dewy glow, perfect for use as a primer or highlighter.
Glow Recipe Cloudberry Bright Essence Toner
Essence-toner hybrid infused with cloudberry and vitamin C to hydrate, brighten, and even out skin tone, leaving the complexion radiant and refreshed.
Glow Recipe Avocado Fine Line Eye Cream with Retinol
Nourishing eye cream with avocado and retinol that targets fine lines, firms the delicate eye area, and provides deep hydration for a youthful, revitalized look.
Murad
Founded by a dermatologist, Murad offers high-performance skincare solutions that address a wide range of concerns. Their commitment to cruelty-free practices ensures that their clinical results are achieved ethically.
Our favourites
Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum
Potent serum that combines vitamin C and glycolic acid to brighten skin, even out tone, and enhance radiance, while also reducing the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
Murad Daily Clarifying Peel
Gentle yet effective peel with a blend of salicylic, glycolic, and lactic acids that exfoliates, clears pores, and smooths skin texture, promoting a clearer, more refined complexion.
Murad Essential-C Firming Radiance Day Cream
Luxurious day cream infused with vitamin C and powerful antioxidants that firms, hydrates, and brightens the skin, providing a radiant, youthful glow and protection against environmental damage.
Sibu Beauty
Sibu Beauty harnesses the power of sea buckthorn, a superfruit known for its healing properties. Their cruelty-free products are designed to nourish and repair the skin, offering a natural solution for a healthy, radiant complexion.
Our favourites
Sibu Beauty Nourishing Face Cream
Hydrating face cream enriched with sea buckthorn and essential fatty acids that deeply moisturizes, revitalizes, and supports skin repair for a soft, smooth, and balanced complexion.
Sibu Beauty Polishing Facial Cleanser
Gentle yet effective cleanser with sea buckthorn and natural exfoliants that removes impurities and dead skin cells, revealing a brighter and more polished complexion.
Sibu Beauty Purifying Clay Mask
Clarifying clay mask formulated with sea buckthorn and kaolin clay that detoxifies and purifies the skin, drawing out impurities and excess oil while soothing and refining the skin’s texture.
Tata Harper
Tata Harper sets the bar for luxury, natural skincare. Handcrafted on their Vermont farm, Tata Harper’s cruelty-free products are made with the highest quality ingredients and offer a truly indulgent experience.
Our favourites
Tata Harper Water Lock Moisturizer
Deeply hydrating moisturizer that infuses the skin with moisture using natural botanical extracts, leaving it plump, smooth, and refreshed while enhancing its natural glow.
Tata Harper Elixir Vitae
Luxurious, anti-aging serum packed with potent natural ingredients that targets deep wrinkles and fine lines, boosting skin’s firmness and elasticity for a more youthful and radiant appearance.
Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser
Revitalizing exfoliating cleanser with natural fruit enzymes and micro-polishing beads that gently removes dead skin cells, unclogs pores, and leaves the skin bright, smooth, and invigorated.