We all want to have healthy, beautiful skin. Often, that requires using products such as moisturizers, toners, scrubs, and serums. But some companies test their products on animals. Start a search today to find cruelty-free skincare products.
If you believe that animals deserve to be treated with respect, consider switching to cruelty-free skincare brands. These brands typically have one of three logos on them: the leaping bunny, the CCF bunny, or PETA’s “Beauty Without Bunnies.”
The Basics
You may think that cruelty-free skincare brands will be too costly for you, but that definitely isn’t the case! We’ve rounded up several cruelty-free brands for every budget. So, you don’t have to break the bank to save bunnies or sacrifice the quality of your skincare products for an ethical option.
Low-End
Desert Essence
Desert Essence has a philosophy which states: “beauty is natural and nature is beautiful.” They are committed to sourcing ingredients responsibly and caring for all living beings. So, they do not test any of their ingredients on animals — in fact, they are certified by Leaping Bunny.
They also harvest palm and coconut oil in a sustainable manner. Further, the products they sell do not contain any artificial colors or fragrances. You don’t have to break the bank to afford Desert Essence, either. Their skincare products — which include moisturizers, facial scrubs, and facial washes — are all under $20 USD.
Pacifica
If you love fruity skincare products, you may want to consider trying Pacifica. They carry body butters, detox masks, cleansing tonics, cleansing face washes, and more. These all come with organic plant and fruit extracts, including aloe extract and chamomile extract. In fact, they are 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
If you look on their packaging, you’ll see PETA’s cruelty-free bunny logo. This all makes sense because Pacifica has also prided itself on selling products that are “made with love.” Most of their items are under $20 USD each.
Yes To
The founders of Yes To wanted to create a natural yet effective beauty line that is affordable and doesn’t contain harmful ingredients. They do not believe in animal testing and are a member of the Leaping Bunny program. Yes To claims to use safe and effective alternatives to animal testing.
With the exception of honey extract and beeswax, Yes To does not use animal ingredients in their products. Speaking of their products, you may be curious as to what kinds they offer. Well, Yes To sells pore scrubs, facial masks, daily moisturizers, facial toners, and other skincare items for under $15 USD.
Marcelle
Marcelle is a Canadian-owned company that sells makeup and skincare products. Their skincare line includes anti-aging products (for example, the Ideal Skin Perfector), cleansers, and hydrating scrubs. These are all hypoallergenic, paraben-free, fragrance-free, oil-free, and alcohol-free.
Additionally, they are cruelty-free and plan on remaining that way. Marcelle’s products are no more than $25 USD each, and can be found online or in drugstores.
Mid-Range
OZ Naturals
OZ Naturals was founded on the belief that we all deserve “highly effective AND safer skin products.” The company carries products formulated without parabens, GMOs, synthetic fragrances, or synthetic colors. According to their website, OZ Naturals is committed to doing what’s best for the planet. So, they are cruelty-free and use sustainable practices.
A variety of skincare products are offered by OZ Naturals. These include cleansers with vitamin C, toners, herbal moisturizers, and eye treatments. Their products are all around $20 USD each.
Dermalogica
In 1986, Dermalogica was created by Jane Wurwand, a skin therapist who believed in skin “health” instead of “beauty.” This skincare line is free of irritants and animal-derived products. Its ingredients are not tested on animals and the line is recognized by Leaping Bunny and PETA.
Beyond this, Dermalogica also does their best to protect wildlife by sourcing palm oil in a way that does not impact local habitats. If you’re interested in using this skincare brand, you’ll have to dish out around $25 to $80 USD per product.
Korres
Korres has had quite a journey to becoming the cruelty-free brand that it is today. In 2016, the company pulled out of China, which is a country that requires cosmetic brands to undergo animal testing. They are also no longer affiliated with Johnson & Johnson, which does perform animal testing.
Korres has made a statement revealing they do not test any ingredients on animals, nor do they require outside companies to do so on their behalf. They offer moisturizers, scrubs, toners, and night creams. Their products cost anywhere from $15 to $98 USD, with most being in the $30 to $40 USD range.
High-End
Kate Somerville
Kate Somerville owns a skincare clinic in Los Angeles, where she has used cutting-edge technology to treat some of Hollywood’s most famous faces. Her products contain high-quality ingredients and rich botanicals. The brand offers acne treatments, contouring eye serums, anti-wrinkle creams, and foaming cleansers. These products range from $26 to $250 USD and can be found on their website or at Sephora.
Although Kate Somerville was acquired by Unilever, which is not a cruelty-free company, the brand remains cruelty-free.
Tatcha
Tatcha is an interesting brand because it is inspired by the beauty secrets of Japanese geishas. The brand, which was founded by Victoria Tsai, believes that less is more. So, each product is simple and makes use of the three anti-aging superfoods popular amongst geishas: green tea, rice, and algae. The ingredients are not tested on animals, either.
The brand offers firming serums, moisturizers, skin mists, cleansing oils, and much more. Many of these come in travel sizes, which make things easier for the globetrotters out there. The majority of Tatcha’s products retail for $48 to $95 and can be found online and at Sephora.
Drunk Elephant
Drunk Elephant may seem like a strange name for a skincare line, but there is an explanation for it. The name comes from the myth that elephants become intoxicated by eating Marula fruit. Most of the products in the Drunk Elephant line contain Virgin Marula oil, which is rich in fatty acids and antioxidants.
They do not contain parabens or synthetic fragrances, and they do not test their ingredients on animals. Their products include day serum, eye serum, and facial oil. The prices for the products in this luxury skincare line range from $35 to $90 USD.
Sunday Riley
Sunday Riley is a luxurious skincare line with celebrity fans such as Hilary Duff and Cameron Diaz. They sell brightening serums, lactic acid treatments, brightening enzyme water creams, and more. Most of their items are in the price range of $55 to $105 USD.
Sunday Riley was created by a cosmetic chemist and product formulator in 2009. Their products contain advanced actives and purified botanicals, which explains the high price of the items. Sunday Riley is cruelty-free and they do not test their ingredients on animals at any point during the production.
Goop
In 2008, actress Gwyneth Paltrow started the lifestyle site, Goop. Eventually, an organic skincare line — called goop by Juice Beauty — was also launched. Being organic, these products contain no sulfates, parabens, petroleum, or any other harmful ingredients. Instead, they contain natural ingredients such as coconut oil, shea butter, and jojoba.
Vegans out there will be glad to know that none of the ingredients are animal-derived. The products include eye creams, day moisturizers, and cleansers. The prices are a bit high, ranging from $90 to $140 USD, but the ingredients are top-quality and the company is cruelty-free.