9 Awesome Vegan Beauty Products to Have on Your Radar

When it comes to the vegan lifestyle, it doesn’t have to stop at the food you consume. Without getting too deep into the disturbing realities of animal testing and byproduct usage in the beauty industry, we’ll just say this: the situation is not all lipgloss and sparkles for the animals involved. For people who believe in animal rights enough to stop eating animal byproducts altogether, it only makes sense to extend that same care into your beauty routine. We talked with Philly beauty experts to find out their go-to vegan beauty products — ones that are cruelty-free and really work. 

But first, Lanette Aloi, a Philly-based freelance makeup artist and cruelty-free beauty enthusiast tells us one easy rule to follow when shopping for vegan beauty products: Just check the back label for the PETA cruelty-free bunny or the leaping bunny, a sign for the international cruelty-free program. Here are a few of Lanette’s favorite vegan beauty products:

[1] Pacifica Stellar Gaze Length and Strength Mineral Mascara ($14)
“This mascara makes your lashes super fluffy because the wand is pretty big. It’s comparable to Diorshow, which may be the statement of the century. It doesn’t flake; it’s cheaper than Dior, and you can get it at Target, Whole Foods and Ulta, which is amazing.”

[2] Morphe Vegan Brushes
“These brushes make me want to throw away all of my MAC brushes. The round deluxe buffer in E44 is amazing for foundation . It’s one of those brushes where you can put the product directly on the brush. It gives really light coverage foundation, and it’s so soft.”

[3] Cover FX Custom Cover Drops ($44)
“This foundation comes with a dropper, and it’s made to be mixed in with products. Mix a few drops into oil if you’re dry, or your moisturizer for a light tint, or use by itself for full coverage. I absolutely love using this on my clients.”

For vegan beauty products in the skincare realm, we turned to Ashley Richardson of Green City Beauty, a skincare goddess who likes her products pure and powerful. Green City Beauty is best known for their amazing sugaring, but they also offer facials and body treatments with a holistic focus — and they recently upgraded to a brand new space on 11th and Pine. A few of Ashley’s favorite vegan beauty products for the skin and body include:

[4] FitGlow Redness Rescue Cream ($69)
“This has become my go-to daily serum. The Redness Rescue Cream, with a green mineral tint, immediately (yes, immediately) begins to reduce redness while improving intercellular oxygen and moisture. The brand’s calm collection wills serve as the all-stars in a new facial we’ll be introducing at the end of the month for sensitive skin.”

[5] OY-L Body Scrub ($30)
‘This Listea Basil himalayan salt scrub is addicting, literally. I can’t start my day without a whiff of it in my shower. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever smelled and leaves your skin feeling like silk. We use this in our Illuminating Body Scrub, and it’s easily become a client favorite.”

[6] Annmarie Gianni Anti-Aging Serum ($54.95)
“This is on my list of go-tos when my skin needs a little hydration. An aloe vera base, hyaluronic acid, and herbal extracts firm and tighten while protecting the skin from environmental factors. A big plus: Tamanu oil has a healing and repairing effect on dry winter skin. I personally love the frankincense oil too, which is one of the best essential oils when it comes to the skin.”

[7] Jojoba oil ($12.50)
“No frills, no fancy, this is just a plain seed oil but most biologically similar to the sebum our bodies produce naturally. I use it as an eye-makeup remover, a moisturizer first thing in the morning if my face is dry, a redness-reducer when I get out of the shower, and after eyebrow or lip sugaring to heal and soothe sensitive facial skin. Because of its bio-similar properties, this one actually does have a repairing effect on the moisture barrier.”

And finally, we checked in with Moko Organic Beauty, a salon and spa in Old City. Monique Mason offered a few of her favorite vegan beauty products that they carry through the Intelligent Nutrients line, started by the founder of Aveda.

[8] Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo ($48)
“This shampoo has a great minty, natural scent that invigorates the scalp.”

[9] Plant Retinol Science Time Traveler Serum ($90)
“For skincare, I recommend this natural retinol that’s amazing for rejuvenating the skin. I like to use it sparingly around my eyes and on my lips in winter.”

And there you have it! Nine outstanding vegan beauty products to cleanse, hydrate and replenish your body from head to toe.

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