Your Guide to Vegan Skin Care

With an increased focus on clean eating and clean skin care in recent years, the popularity of vegan skin can has also skyrocketed. Whether you are looking into vegan skin care for animal welfare reasons or as a way to introduce more plant-derived ingredients into your skin care regimen, you now have many different vegan skin care brands and products to choose from.

However, it is important to note that there are currently no federal regulations describing what can or cannot be included in a product in order for it to be labeled as “vegan.” Here’s what you need to know when choosing vegan skin care products to ensure you are getting a high-quality product that is actually vegan.

Vegan skin care refers to skin care products that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. This means no beeswax, lanolin, collagen, gelatin, or any other substance that comes from animals.

Instead, vegan products rely on plant-based ingredients, minerals, and synthetic alternatives to provide similar benefits without the use of animal-derived ingredients. For example, instead of using collagen from animal sources, vegan products might use plant-based collagen boosters like soy protein, or hyaluronic acid derived from plant fermentation processes.

There are now many vegan skin care brands that use high-quality ingredients. Some of my favorite brands include Zerafite, Derma Made, and Pavise.

As mentioned earlier, determining if a product is truly vegan can be challenging, as there are no official regulations around vegan skin care products. To confuse things even further, there are also no regulations around using labels like “organic” or “natural” on skin care products – and those terms do not necessarily mean that a product is vegan.

While there are some labels you can look for, such as the Vegan Society or PETA’s “Cruelty-Free and Vegan” logo, the best way to tell if a product is vegan or not is to read its ingredient list. 

Vegan skin care products use a wide variety of plant-based and synthetic ingredients, below are just a few common ingredients that you might find in vegan skin care products:

• Aloe vera. A natural plant extract known for its soothing and hydrating properties, aloe is commonly used in vegan moisturizers and gels.

• Hyaluronic acid. Often derived from microbial fermentation in vegan products, hyaluronic acid helps to retain moisture in the skin. There are rooster derived forms of HA, but they are not used very often .

• Plant oils and butters. Oils like jojoba, argan, and coconut, along with shea butter, are often included in vegan skin care for their hydrating and skin-protecting abilities. However, make sure the oils and butters in your vegan skin care products are right for your skin type. Oily and acne-prone skin types should generally avoid pore-clogging ingredients like coconut oil.

• Vitamins and antioxidants. Ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and green tea extract are commonly used in vegan skin care to help reduce signs of skin damage and aging caused by environmental stressors like UV light and pollution.

• Fruit enzymes. Pineapple and papaya enzymes are commonly used in vegan exfoliants to gently remove dead skin cells and promote a brighter complexion.

It is not always easy to spot ingredients that may not be vegan. Some tricky animal-derived ingredients to avoid if you are looking for 100% vegan skin care include:

• Tallow. Tallow has become a trending “natural” skin care ingredient lately, but it is not vegan. It is derived from animal fat and is included in some moisturizers, balms, and soaps. Look for plant-based alternatives like vegetable glycerin instead.
• Carmine. A red pigment made from crushed cochineal beetles, carmine is often found in lipsticks and blushes. Vegan alternatives include synthetic dyes or plant-based colorants like beetroot powder.
• Collagen. Traditionally sourced from animal bones and connective tissues, collagen is a common ingredient in anti-aging products. Some vegan skin care products use plant-based collagen boosters like vitamin C or algae extracts instead.
• Lanolin. Extracted from sheep’s wool, lanolin is often used in moisturizers and lip balms. Vegan alternatives include plant oils like olive oil or shea butter.

Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A that can be naturally sourced from both plant and animal sources. However, most skin care products use synthetic forms of retinol, as naturally-derived retinols are not as stable and therefore do not work as well in skin care formulations as man-made retinols. Thus, most retinol found in skin care products is vegan.

You might also see an ingredient called bakuchiol – a plant-based alternative to retinol – in vegan skin care products. Bakuchiol is shown to mimic the effects of retinol, offering similar anti-aging benefits without the potential irritation (3).

Vegan skin care products that use high-quality, properly formulated ingredients can come along with a number of great benefits for both your skin and the environment:

• Rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Most vegan skin care products contain lots of vitamins and antioxidant ingredients to help the skin look and feel younger and healthier.
  
• Typically gentle on the skin. Many vegan skin care products avoid harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances, and allergens, often making them great choices for sensitive skin.
• Environmentally-friendly. Vegan skin care products often come from sustainable sources and use eco-friendly packaging, reducing your environmental footprint.
• No animal testing. Vegan products ensure that no animals are harmed or exploited in the production process.

Just a few potential drawbacks to consider when choosing vegan skin care include:

• Higher costs. Vegan products can sometimes be more expensive than their non-vegan counterparts due to the use of higher-cost plant-based ingredients.

• Limited availability. Although vegan skin care is growing in popularity, it may still be challenging to find vegan alternatives to certain products, especially at your local drugstore.

• Effectiveness of alternatives. Not all plant-based substitutes work as effectively as animal-derived ingredients.

• Not all plant-based ingredients are right for every skin type. Just because a product is vegan does not necessarily mean it will be right for your skin. You should still choose vegan products that are a match for your skin type.

Whether or not vegan skin care is worth it depends on your personal preferences. If you choose to use a vegan skin care regimen, there are more and more high-quality products available that do not contain animal-derived ingredients that can be great for your skin. You may just have to be more careful about reading product labels to be sure that the products you are using are truly vegan.

However, it’s important to remember that vegan doesn't automatically mean better for your skin. Choose products that align with your Baumann Skin Type® and address your specific skin concerns. If you're ever unsure whether a product is vegan or suitable for your skin, consult with a dermatologist or take the skin type quiz to get personalized recommendations.

1. Baumann L. Antiaging Ingredients in Ch. 37 of Baumann's Cosmetic Dermatology Ed 3. (McGraw Hill 2022)
2. Baumann, L. Ch. Cosmeceuticals and cosmetic Ingredients (McGraw Hill 2015)
3. Dhaliwal S, Rybak I, Ellis SR, Notay M, Trivedi M, Burney W, Vaughn AR, Nguyen M, Reiter P, Bosanac S, Yan H, Foolad N, Sivamani RK. Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing. Br J Dermatol. 2019 Feb;180(2):289-296.
4. Dupont, E., Gomez, J., & Bilodeau, D. (2013). Antioxidant properties of plant-based ingredients in vegan skin care products: A comparative study. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 12(3), 195-201.