Top 10 Vegan Skincare Products You Need to Try in 2025

Ready to refresh your beauty shelf with the best of vegan skincare? Here’s the battle-tested edit of 2025’s must-try, cruelty-free products—ethical, lush, and totally effective.

Why Vegan Skincare Continues to Rise

Vegan skincare isn’t just another beauty buzzword—it’s a movement. More consumers are seeking cruelty-free products, plant-based ingredients, and eco-friendly packaging, and brands are responding in creative ways. This wave of clean beauty blends ethical choices with scientific innovation, so looking out for your skin and the planet is easier than ever. Think beyond “not tested on animals”—today’s vegan skin care formulas are equal parts conscious and cutting-edge, driven by cult ingredients like bakuchiol, squalane, and niacinamide.

How We Chose The Top 10

This trend-focused list includes both cult favorites and indie discoveries, selected for their potent formulas, inclusive sensibilities, and sustainable practices. Every product here is 100% vegan (no animal byproducts whatsoever), cruelty-free, dermatologist-loved, and beloved for their performance.

1. Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser

This California-based brand is practically synonymous with sustainable, plant-powered skincare. Their Superfood Cleanser is an energetic hit for anyone, combining cold-pressed kale, spinach, and green tea. It foams gently, balances skin oil without stripping, and resets your glow—think of it as a green juice for your face.

Why it’s trending:

Eco packaging
No sulfates or harsh detergents
Great for all skin types, especially combo/oily
Vegan and cruelty-free certification

2. Herbivore Botanicals Bakuchiol Serum

Plant retinol? Yes, please. Herbivore’s Bakuchiol Serum gives the anti-aging and smoothing benefits of retinol—minus the irritation. Bakuchiol, a vegan alternative to retinol, pairs with tremella mushroom and peptides for plumper, clearer, happy skin. Non-toxic and glass-packaged for minimal waste.

Key features:

Helps reduce fine lines
Soothes sensitive skin
Zero synthetics, only plant actives
Gorgeous, minimalist aesthetic

3. The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

Beloved for its simplicity and low-waste philosophy, The Ordinary delivers big results with basic formulas. Their Squalane Cleanser dissolves makeup and impurities with ease, leaving a dewy, soft finish—never tight or dry. Suitable for sensitive skin and a favorite on TikTok beauty routines for its gentle touch.

Vegan skincare bonus:

Non-comedogenic
Budget-friendly
Fragrance and soap free
Recyclable tube

4. BYBI Beauty Night Nutrition Protein Cream

If dull, tired skin is your nemesis, this super-rich night cream will be your new favorite bedtime partner. Using upcycled ingredients like clementine water and plant proteins, Night Nutrition plunges moisture deep into the skin barrier, helping recovery as you sleep.

Highlights:

Upcycled, sustainable ingredients
Powerful antioxidants (chia, broccoli)
Works for all skin tones and types
Vegan, cruelty-free, and eco-designed

5. Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream

This luxurious moisturizer has racked up endless five-star reviews thanks to its transformative, non-greasy texture. Squalane (sugarcane-derived) is paired with omega fatty acids, ceramides, and plant sterols—building serious moisture for parched or depleted skin.

Extra points for:

Allergy tested
Safe for eczema and sensitive faces
Refillable packaging available
Embraces barrier repair trend

6. Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask

A cult beauty secret and now a verified must-have for 2025, Jet Lag Mask is a versatile vegan favorite. Use it as a brightening face mask, overnight treatment, or rich daily moisturizer—the blend of niacinamide, chestnut extract, and vitamin E instantly revives dullness.

On-trend for:

Fragrance-free formula
Multi-tasking product
“Glass skin” finish loved by beauty influencers
Travel-friendly tube

7. Versed Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35

2025’s breakout SPF star is fully vegan, mineral-based, and lightweight enough for daily use. It leaves no white cast (on any skin tone), thanks to non-nano zinc oxide and antioxidant-rich moringa seed. Skin defense plus a silky finish.

Sunscreen perks:

Pollution shield
Nourishing marigold extract
Clean, reef-safe formula
Chic, sustainable packaging

8. Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil

Rosehip oil is a classic in natural skincare, but Pai’s supercharged formula takes it up a notch—this oil is cold-pressed from both the fruit and seed, maximizing antioxidant content. Scars, dry patches, and redness vanish with regular use. It’s deeply regenerative without clogging pores.

Why it wins:

Certified organic and vegan
Restores radiance
Iconic for acne-prone and sensitive skin
Works as a spot treatment or full-face oil

Photo by Apothecary 87 on Unsplash

9. Facetheory Reusable Bamboo Cotton Pads

Vegan skincare goes hand-in-hand with sustainable accessories. These reusable, machine-washable bamboo rounds from Facetheory transform your cleanse-and-tone ritual. Soft enough for sensitive skin, and a beautiful way to say goodbye to single-use cotton.

Notable for:

Reduces landfill waste
Ultra-soft natural fibers
Comes with laundry bag
Pairs perfectly with vegan micellar waters and toners

10. Evolve Organic Beauty Hyaluronic Serum 200

Hydration, but make it innovative: this serum packs high-weight and low-weight hyaluronic acid (for both surface and deep-layer hydration). It’s 99% natural, vegan, and layered with organic pomegranate extract for antioxidant defense—a dewy glow that lasts all day.

Serum standouts:

Lightweight gel texture
Fine line-plumping
Transparent supply chain
Glass bottle with minimal outer packaging

How to Build a Modern Vegan Skincare Routine

Vegan beauty isn’t just about the absence of animal-derived ingredients. Today’s best vegan skincare lines focus on ethical sourcing, eco-responsibility, and results-driven formulas. Ready to build your own clean beauty ritual? Start with these tips:

Cleanser: Choose a gentle, sulfate-free formula like Youth To The People’s Superfood Cleanser or The Ordinary’s Squalane Cleanser.
Serum/Oil: Target specific needs with highly concentrated options like Bakuchiol Serums or Rosehip Oil.
Moisturizer: Layer an omega-rich cream to lock in moisture.
SPF: Always end your morning routine with a mineral sunscreen like Versed Guards Up.
Weekly treatment: Indulge with a multi-purpose mask or overnight treatment for extra radiance.

Don’t forget to swap out disposable accessories for reusable options—your skin and the environment will thank you.

The Vegan Skincare Ingredient Trends to Watch in 2025

As ingredient innovation accelerates, keep your eyes on these trending clean beauty heroes:

Bakuchiol: A plant-based retinol alternative, it’s everywhere, loved for softening fine lines without irritation.
Squalane: Sourced from sugarcane, this hydrator is non-comedogenic and suitable for all skin types.
Niacinamide: Beyond brightening, it helps soothe inflammation and minimizes pores—a go-to for combination and sensitive skins.
Omega Fatty Acids: Supporting the skin barrier, these plant-derived fats are key to resilient, glowing complexions.
Moringa Seed: Offers antioxidant protection and pollution defense in a world where skin is exposed to more environmental stressors than ever.

What Makes Vegan Skincare Stand Out

Aside from compassionate, animal-free formulas, vegan skincare usually means fewer synthetic ingredients, more transparently sourced naturals, and lower environmental impact through thoughtful packaging. Leading brands aren’t just cruelty-free—they’re often committed to climate-positive manufacturing, refillable packaging, and fair-trade ingredient sourcing.

Many vegan formulas also skip common skin aggressors—think parabens, phthalates, SLS, and synthetic fragrance—making them an easy recommendation for sensitive and allergy-prone complexions.

Are Vegan Skincare Products Effective?

Absolutely—and, in many cases, preferable for sensitive, acne-prone, or reactive skin. Plant actives can deliver targeted results with a lower risk of irritation. Brands like Herbivore and Biossance are blending traditional botanicals with biotech-backed formulations, ensuring that vegan options compete with (or outshine) their conventional counterparts.

Dermatologists also increasingly recommend vegan alternatives, especially for those looking to avoid lanolin, beeswax, or carmine, common in traditional skincare.

Sustainability: More Than a Trend

Switching to vegan skincare is also one of the simplest ways to reduce your beauty-generated carbon footprint. Many top brands now use sugarcane-based plastics, recycled glass, compostable boxes, and waterless formulas, going beyond ingredient lists to consider the entire lifecycle of their products.

Look for labels like “climate positive,” “carbon neutral,” or “zero waste” to go even deeper with your clean beauty commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is vegan skincare better for sensitive skin?

A majority of vegan skincare products are free from animal-derived ingredients and tend to avoid heavy synthetic fragrances or dyes—common irritants for sensitive skin. However, always check specific components to ensure compatibility.

Are vegan and cruelty-free the same?

Nope. Vegan means no animal products or byproducts in the formula. Cruelty-free means the product (and its ingredients) have not been tested on animals. The best brands do both—always check packaging.

Are these products suitable for all skin types?

The Top 10 list features crowd-pleasers, but always patch-test new formulas if you have extremely sensitive or reactive skin.

What’s the difference between “natural” and “vegan”?

Natural means ingredients are derived from nature (not always vegan—think beeswax, lanolin, etc.). Vegan means zero animal byproducts, regardless of whether ingredients are natural, organic, or synthetic.

Final Thoughts

2025’s vegan skincare scene is full of bold color, innovative botanicals, and thoughtful formulas designed to make your skin (and your conscience) gleam. These 10 picks represent a future-forward approach: rooted in nature, powered by science, and committed to doing better for both skin health and the planet.

This year, go vibrant, go ethical—glow from the inside out with vegan skincare that’s changing the face of beauty.

External Links

14 Best Vegan Skincare Brands You Need to Try Right Now 10 Best Vegan Skincare Brands You Need To Try 15 Best Vegan & Cruelty-Free Skincare Products 2025 - VeganAvenue.com Vegan Skincare Products 2024 - 17 of the Best Brands to Try 10 Best Vegan Skincare Brands - Earth Hero