Without a good cleanser, it’s hard to have truly great skin, and it can be hard to find one that aligns with both your skin and your values. That’s why, in this article, we’re reviewing the 6 best vegan cleansers. Regardless of what type of skin you have, there is a great vegan cleanser out there for you!
What Makes for a Good Vegan Cleanser?
A good vegan cleanser will remove makeup and everyday impurities without stripping or drying out your skin. Your skin should feel clean and refreshed immediately after cleansing, not tight or dry. It is also important to look for a vegan cleanser that is free from potentially harmful ingredients, such as parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, artificial fragrances, etc.
What Makes a Cleanser Vegan?
While it’s wonderful that cosmetics and skincare companies are offering vegan, cruelty free and clean beauty products, all the terms being thrown around these days can be confusing. At Fleur & Bee, it’s vital to us that all our products are 100% vegan–but what does that mean?
Well, to be 100% vegan, you must meet the following three criteria:
- You must use no ingredients that come from animals.
- You must use no animal byproducts.
- You must use no animal derived products (for example, honey).
How does that differ from cruelty free products? Cruelty free simply means that a product hasn’t been tested on animals, but it can still contain animal ingredients, byproducts, or animal-derived products. All the cleansers in our list below are completely vegan.
With that said, let’s get to it! Here are six of our favorite vegan cleansers.
1. Best Overall Vegan Cleanser
Fleur & Bee: So Clean! Facial Cleanser
It literally doesn’t matter how great or not great your skin is, what tone it is, or what type– there is no such thing as maintaining a great skin routine without a really great cleanser. We created our So Clean! facial cleanser to give all skin types a refreshing deep clean without any nasty ingredients. It cleanses the skin without drying it out, removes dirt, impurities, and even light makeup to make sure your skin looks and feels its best. So Clean! has a light, silky texture that lathers lightly, with a subtle scent of pink grapefruit. Vegan and cruelty free, our coconut oil-based cleanser is made with 13 nourishing actives to keep your skin hydrated and balanced. Among them are: glycerin to hydrate the skin, aloe vera to calm, and rosemary to purify.
And if you weren’t already aware of it, we donate 1% of all sales to Days for Girls, a global non-profit organization that provides menstrual care and education to girls in need.
2. Best Vegan Cleanser for Oily Skin
Aesop: Amazing Face Cleanser
Finding the right cleanser for oily skin can be a challenge, as balancing your skin’s natural oils is incredibly important for the health of your skin. Over-stripping your skin of its oils can trigger your skin to over-produce more oil, leaving you feeling shinier than before. Aesop’s Amazing Face Cleanser uses Mandarin rind to cleanse the skin without disturbing the balance of oils in your skin. A clear, lightweight gel that creates a mild foam, it’s a great choice for anyone with oily skin or very large pores. And all you need is just half a teaspoon to do the trick.
Like Fleur & Bee, this Leaping Bunny Certified company is committed to helping improve the world and has started a foundation to promote literacy.
3. Best Vegan Cleanser for Dry Skin
Peach Not Plastic: Facial Cleanser Hydrating Face Soap with Hyaluronic Acid
Like those with oily skin, people with dry skin can be equally reticent about cleansers, but for a very different reason. While the idea of excess oil isn’t a problem, the issue of using something that will dry skin out is. That’s why we love this hydrating face soap from Peach Not Plastic. It works to hydrate the skin with hyaluronic acid and rosehip seed oil. With a slight scent of grapefruit, it comes in bar form so as to eliminate the need for a plastic container. Made without harsh sulfates, it uses silky coconut-derived natural surfactants to avoid irritating the skin and leave skin feeling soft.
4. Best Vegan Cleanser for Combination Skin
Biossance: Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil
Even those with combination skin sometimes have trouble striking just the right note with a cleanser– it is incredibly important to strike the right balance for both the dry areas of your face and the oily spots. That’s why this cleansing oil from Biossance is perfect for those with combination skin. Made with a renewable, sugarcane-derived version of squalane, it helps moisturize the parts of your skin that need it while cleansing any impurities. Don’t shy from using a cleansing oil if you have oily areas– squalane mimics the skin’s natural sebum (your oil), resulting in perfectly balanced skin. This cleansing oil also contains antioxidants to protect your skin from environmental stressors that can harm it.
We also love that this clean beauty brand has supported organizations like Oceana, Direct Relief, and Black Lives Matter among others.
5. Best Vegan Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
Pacifica Beauty: Vegan Ceramide Barrier Repair Extra Gentle Face Wash
We are guessing you might not know that marshmallow root extract is a highly soothing ingredient for skin, which is just one of the many reasons it’s been included in this face wash for sensitive skin. It’s also known for lessening the appearance of temporary redness. Because it contains antioxidant properties, marshmallow root extract can help protect the skin against environmental stressors. This gentle face wash also contains vegan ceramide to hydrate the skin and restore the skin’s protective barrier, plus calendula to help soothe sensitive skin.
And of course, we love that Pacifica partners with the ACLU and the Gentle Barn to promote animal rights.
6. Best Vegan Cleanser for Mature Skin
Youth To The People: Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm
As you may already know, as we get older, our skin can become thinner and for many, much more delicate as well. Not only that, it becomes more dry and less able to tolerate harsh ingredients. That’s why, as we age, a cleansing balm may become more preferable, as it helps to restore moisture to the skin, leaving it fresh and dewy. This cleansing balm’s whipped texture starts as a balm and becomes an oil once massaged into the skin. When massaged into the skin with wet hands, it then transforms into a milky cleanser that dissolves makeup, impurities, and even sunscreen! Made with jojoba to add moisture and moringa oil to soften and condition skin, it’s perfect for skin that needs to be treated with a gentle touch. They’ve also included hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated and plump. If you’re into double cleansing, it makes a great first cleansing step!
We hope this gives you some great options the next time you’re shopping for a vegan cleanser. As we mentioned, a good cleanser is the basis for a great skin care routine, so choose wisely!
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