Vegan beauty is currently experiencing its most impressive era to date. Gone are the days of uninspiring packaging and inconsistent formulas. Today's plant-based products not only match but frequently surpass their conventional counterparts in quality and performance.
What Truly Defines Vegan Beauty?
Karen Spinner, head of sales and marketing at the Vegan Society's Vegan Trademark, clarifies the definition. A vegan product must contain no animal ingredients or animal-derived products and must also be cruelty-free, meaning no animal testing was involved. She emphasises a crucial distinction: a cruelty-free label does not automatically mean a product is vegan.
Many common beauty ingredients are derived from animals. Spinner highlights several that often surprise consumers. Squalene, frequently found in deodorants and moisturisers, is an extract from shark liver. The perfume industry sometimes uses ambergris, which originates from the intestinal fat of sperm whales.
Furthermore, trendy vanilla perfumes on platforms like TikTok may contain castoreum, a secretion from beaver castor sacs. For colour, many lipsticks and blushes use cochineal, a pigment made from crushed insects.
The Best Vegan Skincare Staples
With beauty trends like 'glass skin' relying on a healthy complexion, effective skincare is paramount. Fortunately, some of the market's leading formulas are entirely vegan.
Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser, £30: While famed for luxurious self-care, Aesop is also vegan, Leaping Bunny-approved and a certified B Corp. This gel cleanser, designed for urban life, removes makeup and pollution without compromising the skin's barrier. Enriched with antioxidant botanicals, it leaves skin balanced, not tight.
Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream, £48: This science-led brand, certified vegan by the Vegan Society, is a dermatologist favourite. Its bestselling daily moisturiser is non-comedogenic, suiting both dry and oily skin types. It combines prebiotic peptides, ceramides and lipids for deep hydration without greasiness.
Vegan Makeup That Performs
Base makeup was once a challenge for vegan brands, but formulas have dramatically improved. Spinner notes that Vegan Society research from 2021 found 40% of UK women who always buy vegan beauty are not vegan themselves, signalling a surge in conscious consumerism.
Ultrasun Face Fluid Tinted SPF50+, £28: A vegan hybrid offering broad-spectrum sun protection with sheer, skin-evening coverage. It's lightweight, non-greasy and ideal for minimal, protected everyday wear.
Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick, £34: This creamy, vegan stick provides buildable coverage that mimics real skin. It effortlessly blends to even out redness and blemishes for a natural finish.
High-Impact Vegan Eye Makeup & Body Care
Vegan eye products now deliver on pigment and longevity without compromise.
Vieve Icon Mascara, £26: Certified by PETA, this mascara from influencer Jamie Genevieve's brand builds volume and definition without flaking or stiffness, perfect from day to night.
E.l.f. Cosmetics No Budge Shadow Stick, £7: This double-certified (PETA and Leaping Bunny) brand offers a practical, crease-resistant cream shadow that applies colour in one swipe.
For the body, Grove England Anemone Body Wash, £45 is a UK-made luxury option with neroli and cedarwood, though checking ingredients is advised as third-party certification isn't prominently displayed. Aromatica Embrace Body Lotion, £27 is a popular K-beauty hero with shea butter that absorbs quickly without residue.
Why Vegan Beauty is Booming
The demand for vegan beauty is driven by ethical concerns, health awareness regarding processed animal products on skin, and environmental considerations. Spinner reveals that over 52% of the Vegan Society's market is in cosmetics and beauty, surpassing food.
Starting with simple swaps, like exchanging a beeswax lip balm for one with candelilla wax, has never been easier or more rewarding. Trying vegan beauty in January 2026 is not a compromise; for many, it's a genuine upgrade in quality and conscience.
