The only thing I love more than skincare? Cruelty-free skincare. There are so many amazing luxury brands out there who don’t test their products on animals. You really don’t have to compromise! I’m going to take you through the top five cruelty-free skincare brands that will leave your skin glowing. 

First Aid Beauty 

Whatever your skincare concern, First Aid beauty has a solution for you. You might have seen me recommend their Ultra Repair cream in my article on how to incorporate retinol into your skincare routine. It’s so thick and nourishing that it really helps skin to handle the retinol “purge”. It’s truly one of the best moisturizers for dry skin out there and it can even help with eczema. If you have oily skin, you can’t go wrong with their Coconut Beauty Cream. 

What I love about this brand is that as well as being cruelty-free, it also focuses heavily on “clean” beauty. All First Aid Beauty products are free from fragrance, denatured alcohol and parabens (among many other potentially harmful ingredients.) It’s safe for even the most sensitive skin. 

Youth To The People 

Again, I’ve recommended Youth To The People’s Moisture Cream many times, including in this article on how to prevent mask acne. It contains a superhero squad of ingredients, including vitamins C and E, green tea extract and sunflower seed oil. I’m also a little bit (okay, a lot) in love with their Superberry Hydrate and Glow Oil. It’s perfect for days when I want a glowy, no-makeup look. 

Youth To The People are one of the most sustainable cosmetics companies around. The brand is 100% vegan and manufactures its high-quality products in California. It uses glass packaging to reduce plastic waste and excludes the EU’s 1,3000 blacklisted cosmetic ingredients. 

Sunday Riley 

Clean, cruelty-free, science-backed skincare: what more could you want? Sunday Riley delivers innovative, high-performance and delightfully luxurious products. Its best-sellers include the CEO Vitamin C Serum and A+ High Dose Retinoid. 

As well as being cruelty-free, most of Sunday Riley’s products are vegan, with the exception of those that use honey or beeswax. The brand also focuses on ethical human labor, which is often forgotten in the quest for cruelty-free skincare. They have a strict code of conduct in place with their suppliers to ensure that workers are paid and treated fairly at every level.

Josie Maran 

I recommended Josie Maran’s retinol serum in my top skincare products article and the rest of the brand is every bit as good. Josie Maran herself is a former model and actress who seeks to challenge the notion that high-performance cosmetics can’t be healthy. She focuses on natural, organic and sustainable ingredients. Moreover, fans of CBD and hemp oil will love her Skin Dope range of products. They offer uncommonly high concentrations of the good stuff to totally transform your skin. 

Tatcha 

Premium Japanese beauty brand Tatcha has been killing the game recently. However, not many people seem to realise that it’s cruelty-free with a heavy focus on clean beauty ingredients. Tatcha adheres to Japanese safety standards, which are among the strictest in the world. Now that you know that, you can enjoy their legendary products, such as the amazing Rice Wash cleanser, totally guilt-free. 

What are your favorite cruelty-free skincare brands? Let me know in the comments below, and make sure to check out my article on the best cruelty-free makeup brands, too.