Forget Veganuary, we’re becoming more and more conscious of the products we use – from skincare to makeup – and which ingredients they use, so we’re using vegan makeup brands all year round. We’re looking into the best vegan makeup brands, and listing them based on who’s approved them and why we think they deserve a place in your crowded beauty collection.
What is vegan makeup?
In short, vegan makeup does not include any ingredient that is derived from an animal or any animal ingredient.
Typical ingredients that aren’t vegan-friendly to look out for, but by no means exhaustive, are:
- Honey
- Beeswax
- Lanolin
- Collagen
- Albumen
- Carmine
- Cholesterol
- Gelatin
What is the difference between “Vegan” and “Cruelty-Free” makeup?
Vegan makeup does not include any ingredients that are derived from animals, whereas cruelty-free makeup is not tested on animals. These are not exclusive of one another. For example, a cruelty-free product may include animal-derived products such as honey, whereas a vegan product may have been tested on animals.
For more information, read our blog post answering what is cruelty-free?
How do I know if I’m buying vegan makeup?
Most vegan makeup brands will be certified by the following animal welfare brands, so keep an eye out for their symbols on the packaging:
We’ll make sure to keep this list updated, as and when changes happen.
Best Vegan Makeup Brands
- theBalm
- Barry M
- BLEACH London
- Cover FX
- EcoTools
- Illamasqua
- Inika
- Lime Crime
- Nailberry
- NYX Professional Makeup
- The Ordinary
Now you know how to identify vegan makeup, it’s time to countdown the best vegan makeup brands to add-to-bag right now.
theBalm
theBalm is an american cosmetics company, and aren’t currently certified by any of the above companies. However, part of their makeup range is self-certified as vegan, and some products such as mascara do not include beeswax.
Certified by: NA
Best vegan makeup products: