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Some high-end skincare brands don’t care about animals. Some of the biggest beauty brands, like Shiseido and Estée Lauder, refuse to use the vegan name and won’t even stop testing on animals. After all, products that came from animals were once thought to be the height of luxury.
As the eco-luxe trend grows and vegan skincare becomes more popular, high-end skincare is slowly changing. There are more and more high-end vegan skincare brands. A lot of new high-end brands choose not to use any animal products and are even recognized as cruelty-free.
Let’s get right to it: these are our picks for the best high-end luxury vegan skincare brands of 2023. Buy high-end vegan skincare that is worth the extra money.
The best high-end vegan skincare brands
Here are the 15 best high-end vegan skincare brands for 2023.
Eighth Day
Courtesy of Eighth Day
Eighth Day is a beautiful, high-end vegan skincare line from California. Skin doctor and reconstructive skin cancer surgeon Dr Antony Nakla started the business. His trademarked mixture changes the skin by speeding up the turnover of cells and healing.
Eighth Day makes 100% vegan skin care products with a range of peptides, amino acids, and stem cells. Their goods are pricey, but they have clinical proof and great reviews to back them up. This high-end brand doesn’t contain any strong chemicals, gluten, or scents and is also hypoallergenic.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, it’s been approved by Leaping Bunny.
- VeganYes, it’s 100% vegan.
Kypris
From Scottsdale, Arizona, comes Kypris, a high-end vegan skincare line. Kypris mostly uses organic and wild-harvested ingredients. Their Beauty Elixirs, which are rich oils, are what they’re best known for. Their 1000 Roses Elixir with vitamin C is our favourite. Kypris goods are honestly made in the USA.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, it is approved by both Leaping Bunny and PETA.
- Vegan: Oh yes, 100% vegan.
Klur
Klur is another high-end vegan skincare brand that we like. What the company says about itself: “committed to animal protection on every level.” Klur is a business started by a black woman in Los Angeles that supports healthy skin, acceptance, and simplicity.
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Vegan: Yes, 100% vegan
Aesop
The vegan brand Aesop comes from Australia. PETA approves it and makes high-end vegan skin care, body care, hair care, and fragrances. We really enjoy their Rind Concentrate Body Balm and Parsley Seed Serum. Aesop has beautiful shops all over the world, and you can buy their products online.
- No cruelty: Yes, it has been approved by Leaping Bunny and PETA, which L’Oréal owns.
- Vegan: It is 100% vegan and has a PETA seal of approval.
True Botanicals
The Californian company True Botanicals makes high-end vegan skin care products. Tru Botanicals sells plant-based skin care products that are safe for your body and don’t contain any toxins. The Chebula Active Serum and Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm are two of their best-selling products that you should try.
Additionally, True Botanicals is completely vegan, and PETA has even confirmed this. Google tells you that Everyday Sheer Coverage is not vegan, but don’t pay attention to that. The product hasn’t been made in a long time. We just recently asked the brand directly to confirm that they are vegan.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA
- Vegan: Yes, 100% vegan and certified by PETA
Le Domaine
Brad Pitt started the high-end vegan skincare line Le Domaine. This company is really changing what luxury means by turning leftover grapes from an actor’s farm in Provence into botanical extracts that are high in antioxidants. This means that 96% of Le Domaine’s skincare is natural and eco-friendly.
The most expensive vegan beauty brand that stars use is Le Domaine. Their gender-neutral approach and beautiful glass bottles with oak caps really make us love them. The Perrin family, who grew wine in France and came up with the idea, helped start the brand.
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Vegan: Yes, 100% vegan
Stella
Stella by Stella McCartney is another famous vegan skincare line that isn’t worth anything. Stella was released in August 2022 with help from LVMH, a French luxury goods company. Stella spent a lot of her time in Scotland, which is where this certified vegan luxury brand gets its ideas for its skin care products.
Stella’s high-end vegan skin care is simple, with just one vegan serum, one vegan wash, and one vegan moisturiser. The eco-friendly skincare line mostly uses natural ingredients, and you can get refills for all of its products.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by Leaping Bunny (partly owned by LVMH)
- Vegan: Yes, 100% vegan and certified by The Vegan Society
Augustinus Bader
Courtesy of Augustinus Bader
Another high-end vegan skincare brand we like is Augustinus Bader. A biomedical doctor started Augustinus Bader skincare with the same name. It uses patented technology to fight wrinkles and renew the skin by improving circulation and cell communication.
At the moment, all but The Cream, The Body Lotion, and 200 ml of The Body Cream are vegan Augustinus Bader goods. The Body Cream will soon be changed so that it is vegan since the 100 ml size is already vegan. If you want vegan skin care, you have to try The Rich Cream, an anti-ageing cream.
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; see their vegan collection here
Tata Harper
Courtesy of Tata Harper
Tata Harper is a high-end, all-natural skincare brand based in Vermont. The brand uses different kinds of plants and flowers from the founder’s organic farm. Try their best-selling Regenerative Cleanser and Rejuvenating Peptide Serum for a high-end skincare experience.
Tata Harper isn’t completely vegan because some of their goods have honey and beeswax in them. The brand’s beauty line also has a carmine that comes from animals. Tata Harper is approved not to test on animals, and they have a lot of vegan skin care products that you should check out.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA and Cruelty-Free International (owned by Amorepacific)
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; see their vegan skincare collection here
Chantecaille
Courtesy of Chantecaille
One of our favourite names for high-end vegan perfumes and makeup is Chantecaille. The French company also makes a lot of high-end vegan skin care products. Even though Chantecaille isn’t completely vegan, it deserves to be on our list because of its high-quality products and attempts to protect the environment. Also, their vegan Rose de Mai cream is amazing.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA (owned by Beiersdorf/Nivea)
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; see their vegan collection here
African Botanics
Courtesy of African Botanics
Craig and Julia Noik, two South Africans who live in Los Angeles, started the eco-luxury skincare company African Botanics. This skincare brand honours the history and biodiversity of South Africa. The goods are also made in South Africa in a way that doesn’t harm the environment, and the company helps rural areas grow.
If so, is African Botanics a vegan company? In spite of what the company says on its website, African Botanics is NOT 100% vegan. Some of its goods contain pearl extract and beeswax. Luckily, most of their goods are safe for vegans.
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; some products include pearl extract or beeswax.
Tatcha
Courtesy of Tatcha
Tatcha is a famous high-end vegan skincare brand from San Francisco that was inspired by Japanese skincare traditions and Geisha rituals. Businesswoman Vicky Tsai started Tatcha. The name comes from the Japanese word “hinou dokon,” which means “skin-mind same root.”
Tatcha isn’t completely vegan, but they do have a good range of vegan foods. We like the Gentle Rice Polish, The Essence, and The Water Cream from Tatcha, which are vegan.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA (owned by Unilever)
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; see their vegan collection here
Perricone MD
Courtesy of Perricone MD
Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a famous author and dermatologist, created the well-known upscale cosmetics brand Perricone MD. While some Perricone MD products do contain animal parts, the company also makes a lot of high-end vegan skincare goods. Their veggie Vitamin C Photo-Brightening Moisturizer is our favourite.
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; see their vegan selection here
Dr. Barbara Sturm
Courtesy of Dr. Barbara Sturm
A lot of famous people recommend Dr. Barbara Strum’s high-end skin care products, which are all about repairing the skin’s microbiome balance through nutrition and hydration. You can only get what the brand calls the “Sturmglow ” if you use skin care products that are soothing and good for your face.
The Better B Niacinamide Serum, Glow Drops, Sun Drops SPF 50, Clarifying Serum, Clarifying Acne Spot Treatment, V Wash, Super Anti-Aging Face Cream, Anti-Aging Body Cream, and Darker Skin Tones Foam Cleanser are the only ones that aren’t vegan.
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; vegan products are marked so in Sephora
Kate Somerville
Courtesy of Kate Somerville
Kate Somerville, an esthetician, started her high-end skincare line in 2004. A-list stars went to her Hollywood clinic on Melrose, so she wanted to give everyone the same clinical treatments they could use at home. Kate Somerville isn’t a vegan name in every way, but they do have a great line of high-end skincare products that are vegan-friendly.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA (owned by Unilever)
- Vegan: Not entirely vegan; see their vegan selection here
Is Luxury Skincare Vegan?
Some luxurious skin care products are not vegan. It’s easy to make luxury skin care products vegan, but most of the top brands still use a lot of chemicals that come from animals, like collagen, pearl powder, silk proteins, beeswax, and lanolin. Animal tests are often done on high-end skin care products.
La Mer, Shiseido, Dior, SK-II, Lancôme, Clarins, Caudalie, Guerlain, Estée Lauder, Dior, Chanel, Elemis, La Prairie, Elizabeth Arden, SkinCeuticals, and Biologique Recherche are all high-end skincare names that are NOT vegan because they still test on animals when the law requires them to.
It’s not easy to find high-end skincare, but some brands are 100% vegan and don’t test on animals. Also, well-known high-end skincare brands like Tata Harper and Kate Somerville have a lot of vegan options.
How to Choose High-End Vegan Skincare?
Set the bar high when looking for high-end vegan skin care. You should expect the company to give you as much value as it can. You should and can expect more when you pay more.
Here are some things we like to ask high-end vegan skincare brands:
Is the company certified?
High-end brands should be able to pay to have their products officially approved. Having Leaping Bunny or PETA vouch for the cruelty-free or vegan claims is important to show that you care about doing things that are good for animals.
Where are their products made?
We like luxury brands that choose to make their goods in the country where they’re sold or at least in highly controlled factories abroad. The cost of production is high, and luxury skincare made in the country is a better way to justify its high price.
Other promises to the environment or society
We think luxury brands should always offer something extra, whether it’s eco-friendly packaging or helping good causes.
How We Rate Luxurious Vegan Skincare Brands
We review high-end vegan skincare brands by using the products and comparing our results to reviews found online. Also, we put vegan skincare names at the top of the list.
When we review high-end brands that aren’t completely vegan but don’t test on animals, we expect them to have a lot of vegan products, especially in their main line.
For instance, the Italian high-end brand Futuna Skin has a lot of vegan-friendly items, but all of their main moisturisers contain beeswax, so they didn’t make our list.
At Vegan Avenue, none of our reviews have been influenced by the brand or store.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Luxurious Vegan Skincare
Is luxurious skincare vegan?
A lot of high-end skin care isn’t vegan, but vegan high-end skincare is becoming more and more common.
What about luxurious skin care isn’t vegan?
Collagen, beeswax, lanolin, and pearl and silk powders are some of the most popular luxury skincare ingredients that come from animals.
Which luxurious skin care lines are vegan?
Eighth Day, Klur, Kypris, Stella, Le Domaine, True Botanicals, and Aesop are all high-end skincare brands that are 100% vegan.
Where can I find luxurious vegan skincare?
Online stores like Sephora, Nordstrom, Amazon, and Credo Beauty have the best range of high-end vegan skin care products.
What about La Mer?
La Mer isn’t vegan. La Mer tries its products on animals and uses many ingredients that come from animals, like lanolin.
Furtuna Skin is vegan, right?
No. It’s not vegan to use Furtuna Skin. The veggie information on their website is out of date. Their Daily Renewal Cream, Nightly Renewal Cream, Replenishing Balm, and Micellar Cleansing Essence are not vegan-friendly, but they do have a lot of other vegan-friendly products.
What about Charlotte Tilbury skincare?
Most of Charlotte Tilbury’s skincare items are not vegan because they contain ingredients like collagen that come from animals. Unisex Healthy Glow Tinted Moisturizer, Goddess Skin Clay Mask, and Glow Toner are some of Charlotte Tilbury’s vegan skin care products. Here is a list of all of Charlotte Tilbury’s vegan items.
Is African Botanics a veggie store?
No, African Botanics is not completely vegan because they use things like beeswax and pearl extract that come from animals.
Is Hourglass a veggie movie?
- Hourglass is plant-based only.
FINAL WORD
Finally, luxury vegan skincare is the right combination of being ethical and taking care of yourself. It lets people enjoy luxurious skincare rituals without feeling guilty. Luxury vegan skin care products are carefully made with a commitment to cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, and long-lasting methods, as we’ve seen in this talk. These items show that more and more people want beauty products that are good for you.
