Best vegan moisturizers: 7 that pass, and the drugstore classic made with lanolin alcohol
Our pick is e.l.f.'s fragrance-free Holy Hydration cream at $13; The Ordinary's is $6.70. 7 vegan moisturizers pass; skip Eucerin's: lanolin alcohol.
Beauty & Personal Care
Cruelty-free and vegan are not the same thing, and the beauty aisle does quite well out of the confusion. A lipstick can be tested on nobody and still contain beeswax, carmine (crushed beetles, for that lovely red) or lanolin from sheep’s wool. I’ve been reading the backs of tubes and bottles since 2012, and my bathroom shelf has paid for it. Here I check makeup, skincare, nail polish and the rest of the cabinet. Condoms included, because casein turns up where you’d least expect a dairy protein.
Verdicts are based on ingredient lists, brand statements and certifications. Watch the logos: Leaping Bunny covers animal testing only, not what’s inside the tube. Formulas change more often than packaging does, so check the label before you buy, even on a brand you’ve trusted for years.
Start here: Vegan drugstore makeup brands · How to tell if a beauty product is vegan · Is shellac vegan? · Are condoms vegan?
Is lanolin vegan? No, and a natural-origin beeswax stick lists it fifth
No, lanolin isn't vegan: it's wax from sheep's wool. Of 7 lip balms we read, 4 list it, Burt's Bees' beeswax stick included, and 3 are vegan.
Best vegan deodorants: 6 read from the label, and the Humble stick with beeswax
Our vegan deodorant pick is Humble's baking soda-free Sensitive Skin stick. Schmidt's is Certified Vegan. Skip Humble's Original formula: it uses beeswax.
Is carmine vegan? No, and the may-contain line decides your lipstick
No, carmine isn't vegan: it comes from cochineal insects and shows up as CI 75470. Of the 7 lipsticks we read, 4 list it and 3 are sold as vegan.
How to tell if makeup is vegan: the bunny on the box answers a different question
Look for the Vegan Society sunflower or Certified Vegan, or read the list. Leaping Bunny and PETA's plain bunny cover testing only: Burt's Bees beeswax has one.
Best vegan sunscreens: 7 bottles read from the label, and the zinc one that isn’t vegan
Our pick is Coola Classic Face SPF 50. Sun Bum Original SPF 50 is vegan and Leaping Bunny certified. Badger's beeswax Sport SPF 40 is not vegan.
Is nail polish vegan? 6 brands checked, and what guanine means on a US label
Nail polish is vegan if it has no carmine, guanine or shellac. On a US label, guanine means fish scales. essie and OPI Nature Strong list everything.
Is shellac vegan? No, and a shellac-free mascara can still fail
No, shellac is not vegan: it comes from the lac insect. Maybelline Great Lash lists it; e.l.f., wet n wild and Milani sell vegan mascaras instead, from $6.49.
Vegan drugstore makeup: 7 brands, and the one that is vegan all the way through
e.l.f. is the only drugstore makeup brand here that is vegan across its whole range, with PETA and Leaping Bunny. 6 more compared, and which lines to buy.
Are condoms vegan? Casein and five brands compared
Not reliably. Casein, a milk protein, often goes into latex condoms. Glyde, HANX, Fair Squared and EXS cite Vegan Society certification; SKYN self-declares.
