14 Clean Beauty Brands We Know You'll Love as Much as We Do

Given that the label ‘clean beauty’ can be interpreted in many different ways, it can be hard to know where to start when you simply want to shop more ethically for your beauty products. From organic ingredients and natural products to sustainable packaging, there’s a wide range of points to consider when assessing just how ‘clean’ a product may be. But perhaps one of the easiest places to start is with cruelty-free beauty.

The cruelty-free and anti-animal testing movements have been going strong for over 30 years, so there are, fortunately, plenty of brands adhering to their standards—which mean not only not testing products on animals, but also not using ingredients from suppliers that test on animals, and not allowing third parties to test their products on animals either.

It’s not always easy to establish if a brand ticks all of those boxes, but thankfully, there are a number of different resources you can turn to when you want to make sure that the beauty brands you’re investing in are officially cruelty-free and committed against animal testing. From PETA to the Leaping Bunny Program and, of course, our very own comprehensive guide to cruelty-free beauty brands…

Scroll down to meet 11 beauty brands that are proudly cruelty-free.

The best cruelty-free beauty brands:

1. Pai Skincare

London-based skincare brand Pai was born out of its founder’s personal need for effective products that wouldn’t irritate her hyper-sensitive, acne-prone skin. Starting off with the (now cult) Rosehip Oil (see below), the brand has expanded its offering, which ranges from cleansers and serums to masks and moisturisers—all of which are both organic and cruelty free.

2. Susanne Kaufmann

Austrian brand Susanne Kaufmann is known for its luxurious skincare and body care staples, with Meghan Markle amongst its high-profile fans. The brand—which recently collaborated with Byredo—prides itself on ‘absolute transparency’ in everything from ingredient sourcing through to its manufacturing processes.

3. Pacifica

Abiding by strict ‘compassion standards’, California brand Pacifica is so committed to producing cruelty-free vegan and formulas that it has over 1800 ingredients on its banned list. While well-known for its ethically-based fragrances, the brand has since expanded into makeup, skincare, and haircare—and has stayed true to its roots without needing to compromise on the efficacy of its science-backed formulas.

4. Antipodes

Antipodes was founded in 2006 with sustainability front of mind. Since then, the brand has become well known for the use of native New Zealand ingredients in its formulations, all of which also adhere to cruelty-free and organic certifications.

5. The Body Shop

Founded in 1976, The Body Shop was the first international beauty brand to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics, which was the birth of its (now global) Forever Against Animal Testing campaign. The brand’s cruelty-free principles remain at its heart to this day—and arguably pioneered the way for the rise of the cruelty-free and sustainable beauty movements that followed.

6. Milk Makeup

There’s a reason why Milk Makeup is always at the forefront of beauty trends. The brand’s easy-to-use, innovative products are perfect for those who love wearing creative and expressive makeup. Not only that, the brand prides itself on being 100% vegan and cruelty free.

7. Aesop

With chic packaging and bold fragrances, it’s no surprise that Aesop has gone from strength to strength since first emerging on the Melbourne beauty scene in 1987. The brand is committed to sourcing and producing only through ethical and sustainable methods which means that all of its products are Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny approved and included on PETA's cruelty-free list.

8. Summer Fridays

Co-founded by beauty influencers Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland, Summer Fridays champions a vegan and cruelty-free approach to skincare and makeup. Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley have all raved about the brand, which is also a firm favourite amongst theBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing team.

9. Drunk Elephant

Being cruelty-free has been central to Drunk Elephant’s ethos ever since the brand was first founded in 2012 with the launch of its Pekee Cleansing Bar. Now proudly Leaping Bunny certified, the brand’s range encompasses everything from moisturisers to eye creams.

10. Fenty Beauty

Since founding her namesake beauty brand in 2017, Rihanna has ensured that her products and their ingredients are never tested on animals. If you’re looking to kit your makeup bag out with cruelty-free products, look no further. From foundations and concealers to lipsticks and eyeshadow, Fenty Beauty has everything you need.

10. Lush

Ever since it was founded, Lush’s MO has been its pioneering anti-animal testing policy, which mean that Lush will not buy any ingredients from any supplier that tests any materials on animals. In addition, the brand attempts to keep packaging as minimal as possible throughout its product range.

11. Glossier

Best known for its Boy Brow brow gel and Balm Dotcom lip treatment, Glossier also happens to Leaping Bunny certified. That’s right, you’ll be pleased to read that the brand behind some of your favourite makeup and skincare staples is committed to being cruelty free at all stages of ingredient and product development.