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Best Cruelty-Free and Vegan Beauty Brands

Best Cruelty-free and Vegan Beauty Brands

Switching up your routine to be vegan and cruelty-free is easy when you know how. Whatever you need - makeup or skincare - we’ve rounded up the best cruelty-free beauty brands for a routine that reflects your ethical stance. We’re talking high-performance beauty that's doing its bit for Mother Nature.

What does vegan and cruelty-free beauty actually mean?

Brands well-established and new to the beauty sphere have been seriously addressing their eco-conscious stance in recent years, but what does it mean to be a cruelty-free and vegan beauty brand? Cruelty-free accreditation assures you that there has been no form of animal testing at any point in the creation of a brand's products - not during production, not the final product or by any third party. For peace of mind, our list contains only brands that have been certified cruelty-free. A common misconception is that cruelty-free means vegan and vice-versa, when this is not always the case. The best vegan beauty brands mean there are no animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients in a product, like Honey, Beeswax, and Collagen.

By Sephora UK Editorial Team

Writers and experts

Updated: 12 January 2024

Milk Makeup

Hydro Grip Primer

Milk Makeup

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer 45ml

£35.00

Conscious commitment: A TikTok favourite, Milk Makeup is a clean beauty sensation. Born out of Milk Studios, a creative hub in downtown New York, they have a simple philosophy: to deliver products that are made from natural ingredients that are 100% vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free – always. We love their refillable packaging, too.

Hero product: Trust us when we say this is THE best primer for keeping your makeup in place. It’s a sticky gel texture (but in a really good way) as it grips and locks in your makeup. If you have dry skin, then this primer will work wonders as it’s specially formulated with a cocktail of hydrating ingredients and antioxidants. If you’re on the hunt for a new primer, this is a must-try.

Tried and tested: “I got recommended this by a makeup artist as I have oily skin and needed a good primer for my makeup to grab on for it to last all day! The first time I used this, I could not believe the difference by the end of the day and it even made my makeup apply more smoothly. Could not recommend it enough!” - Katie, Customer Review
Biossance

Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

BIOSSANCE

BIOSSANCE Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil Pink 30ml

£57.00

Conscious commitment: Bringing you luxurious skincare alongside natural, sustainable formulas and science-backed ingredients, Biossance has transformed the clean beauty space. Using hero ingredients like plant-derived Vegan Squalane, this superior go-to skincare brand is ethical and effective.

Hero product: For glowing skin in a bottle, you can’t beat Biossance’s Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil. Thanks to moisturising plant-derived Squalane, Vitamin C and Rose extract, this radiance-boosting formula brightens skin while targeting dark spots and pigmentation for a more even skin tone. Thirsty skin will lap up these ingredients, which impart a dewier and glowier complexion.

Tried and tested: “Biossance’s face oil has a formula that helps you maintain your skin’s elasticity and boost its radiance with each use.” - Elle