Veganuary may be just once a year, but your beauty routine can go vegan all year round. Although I actively introduce more and more natural and organic products into my bathroom cabinet, an unintended side effect has been the increasing amount of vegan beauty I’ve been using. You’ll find many beauty brands that go through the effort of formulating natural or organic products will also take the opportunity to make them vegan. The easiest and surest way to spot a vegan formula is to look out for vegan certification logos from the likes of The Vegan Society or The Vegetarian Society (they certify both vegan and vegetarian products). Here are 12 of my latest beauty empties, all 100% vegan.  

Balance Me Collagen Boost Moisturiser

This one’s a bit of a dark horse. I was not expecting it to feel like I was applying a weightless cloud of cashmere on my skin. So gentle and soft yet hydrating and cocooning, this cream was perfect for when my skin barrier was compromised and sensitised from external aggressors like allergies or using the wrong skincare, or even too many products at once. On days when my skin felt a little fragile, this is what I reached out for.

More vegan skincare please: Balance Me have a decent selection of vegan skincare products which they highlight in a dedicated section on their site.

Caudalie Vinosource Hydra Moisturising Mask

I usually struggle to finish masks because unsurprisingly I don’t use them as regularly as skincare routine staples such as cleansers and moisturisers… and I probably have too many. But this one was the mask I reached for the most when my skin felt dehydrated for many reasons:

1. It’s easy to use: just apply a thick layer over clean skin
2. It doesn’t make a mess on sheets if you choose to leave it on overnight
3. It can also be used in the morning as a 10-minute treatment for instant glow
4. The result was consistent, my skin always looked hydrated and balanced afterwards

More vegan skincare please: most of Caudalie’s products are vegan, with only a handful of exceptions due to the use of honey or beeswax.

Evolve Organic Beauty 360 Eye and Lip Contour

The cream to gel texture felt like the ideal consistency to tackle fine lines and puffiness and sinks straight into skin without leaving any tackiness. Plus it smells of coconut cake mmmmh. Try not to eat it though.

More vegan skincare please: every single Evolve product is 100% vegan friendly – happy shopping!

Evolve Organic Beauty Timeless Renewal Hand Cream

With hands being so exposed to the elements and getting washed more often than any other part of the body, I get through hand creams quite quickly. This one set up residence on my bedside table to incentivise me to apply it every evening before bed.

Evolve Organic Beauty Super Berry Bath & Shower Oil and Body Oil

This month was dominated by Evolve empties. This oil-based waterless bodycare duo is ideal for dry skin, as the shower oil nourishes while cleansing (unlike some surfactant-based shower gels which can strip skin of its natural oils), and followed with the lightweight body oil, both leave skin feeling perfectly nourished thanks to a blend of sunflower, rosehip, antioxidant raspberry and stretch mark-tackling pomegranate oils. Warning: don’t expect lots of foamy frothiness with a shower oil. It transforms into a thin milky lather under water which may sound underwhelming but delivers a really rich nourishing experience and leaves skin soft enough to skip the need for a body lotion altogether if you’re short on time.

Klorane Ultra Gentle Oat Conditioner

A classic French pharmacy haircare brand, this conditioner works to strengthen and protect weak thin hair with a lightweight and super gentle formula enriched in oat milk and glycerin. As far as conditioning goes, this is as gentle as it gets, providing nourished, soft hair and zero irritation.

More vegan haircare please: All Klorane products are vegan with the exception of products from the Flax range and KERATINcaps dietary supplements.

Neal’s Yard Remedies Rosehip Oil

Rosehip oil is my favourite skincare must-have for its multi-purpose benefits including anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing and scar-fading. I apply this certified organic oil neat on clean skin for a radiance boost, usually as part of my bedtime routine so it can work on skin overnight. This rosehip oil has been re-packaged with a pipette for easier dispensing.

More vegan skincare please: Neal’s Yard Remedies highlight their vegan products in a dedicated section on their site, all of these products are certified vegan.

Tabitha James Kraan Clean Shampoo and Conditioner

This remains my favourite certified organic haircare brand because as well as leaving my hair feeling clean, refreshed, soft and full, it also doesn’t irritate my scalp. I use a dollop of shampoo for the initial cleanse where I achieve a low foam, removing all the hair oil I’ve combed through my hair the night before, then follow up with a second cleanse (using less product) for a full-on foamy experience. The conditioner minimises frizz and keeps hair feeling super soft.

More vegan skincare please: all products from the brand are vegan – go for it!

The Body Shop Almond Milk Body Butter

Who doesn’t love a Body Shop body butter? My favourite used to be the cocoa butter for its sweet biscuity scent, but the almond milk one has grown on me for its more subtle scent. For dry skin it doesn’t get much better than their body butters for instant relief. 

More vegan skincare please: in 2024 The Body Shop became the first global beauty brand to be certified 100% vegan. The move was mainly motivated by a predicted growth in vegan cosmetics sales, as well as 1 in 10 18-24 year olds saying that ’vegan’ is an important factor in their health and beauty purchase decisions (source: YouGov GB Profiles dataset).

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