Living a vegan lifestyle is wonderful for the planet and the animals on it. It’s crucial to understand the difference between vegan and cruelty-free to ensure you have a foundation that matches your ethics. You need to know what to look for in a foundation to ensure you’re in love with it instead of frustrated. This comprehensive guide will help you find the best vegan foundation for your skin.
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Please note that brands may change formulas over time. Always double-check the website or product packaging for the most up-to-date information regarding products.
What Is Vegan Foundation?
Vegan foundation means that products from animals or byproducts are not in the foundation. For example, you won’t find honey in vegan skincare products because bees produce honey. However, that doesn’t mean that a foundation is sustainable or cruelty-free.
Cruelty-Free Foundation
Cruelty-free products are products that don’t involve harming or testing on animals. A product may be cruelty-free but have animal ingredients. For example, if honey is ethically sourced, and the bees are not harmed, a cruelty-free brand can include honey in their products.
Sustainable
Many brands are making great strides in sustainable products. More companies are ensuring packaging is made from recycled glass or can easily be recycled. They’re considering whether they’re using resources in a sustainable manner. However, just because a company is vegan doesn’t mean it’s eco-friendly.
Consider Your Values
Always take the time to consider your values when shopping for a new foundation. Does cruelty-free status matter to you? What about sustainable packaging? You can easily find brands that are vegan, cruelty-free, and ethical. You might have to spend more time looking for them, though.
Finding The Best Vegan Foundation
The best vegan foundation is subject. One person’s dream foundation is another person’s nightmare. It’s best to consider what you want in a foundation to find the best one that works for your needs.
Coverage
There are various types of coverage available. Each one is great for different reasons and skin types.
- Full Coverage: Full coverage foundation provides a flawless base. It can easily cover major imperfections, like acne and hyperpigmentation.
- Medium Coverage: Medium coverage is great if you don’t want a full, flawless base to cover major imperfections but still need plenty of coverage. It can help cover slight imperfections.
- Sheer Coverage: Sheer coverage can lightly even out your skin and usually has a more natural finish. It doesn’t usually provide coverage for imperfections liek acne.
Many foundations have what is called buildable coverage. That means you can apply one layer on top of another to create more coverage. Buildable coverage foundations typically go up one level of coverage.
For example, sheer coverage can be built up to medium coverage. Most medium coverage foundation can be built up to full coverage. Some sheer coverage foundations can be built up to full coverage, but this typically requires multiple layers of foundation.
Skin Type
Always consider your skin type before determining what the best vegan foundation for you is. People who have oily skin should look fo rmattifying foundations or ones with ingredients that can help control oil production throughout the day. Those with dry skin should opt for foundations that offer hydrating ingredients.
Mature skin calls for specific foundations. Mature skin tends to be drier and more delicate than other skin. Thick formulas may settle into fine lines and wrinkles, making them more prominent. Tinted moisturizer and foundation specially formulated for mature skin works well.
Skin Concerns
Modern products have innovative formula to help you address everything from hyperpigmentation to acne. Anyone with specific skin concerns should consider products with additional skincare ingredients to help address their concerns.
Best Vegan Foundation
Remember, the best vegan foundation is always subjective. However, these are some of the best ones on the market. We’ve included a little of everything, including something for every budget and skin type, to help you discover your new favorite foundation.
E.l.f. Soft Glam Foundation
Searching for the perfect lightweight foundation that can give you a satin finish without breaking the bank? E.l.f. Cosmetics has got your back. This foundation is available in over 30 inclusive shades, is vegan, and cruelty-free. The squeeze tube allows for easy application, and it makes it easy to mix with other products for a customized foundation.
The satin finish is the perfect balance between radiant and luminous to help you create the balance you want for doll or cloud makeup. It provides a soft-focus finish to help blur sharp contours creating a soft glam look that’s not going out of style anytime soon. The formula is also non-comedogenic!
Why You’ll Love It
- Blendable
- Buildable
- Satin finish
- Won’t clog pores
Milani Conceal + Perfect Cream To Powder Foundation
Milani is not a 100% vegan brand, but they offer a vegan section on their website to make it easy to find vegan products. They also feature the vegan logo on the site with vegan products to simplify shopping.
It’s cream to powder foundation remains a best seller. It glides on smoothly like a cream foundation, but dries to a powder finish. It offers buildable, full-coverage to hide imperfections. The soft-matte finish is perfect for the cloud skin look. It’s also cruelty-free and made in the USA.
Why You’ll Love It
- Blends easily
- Soft-focus finish
- Cream to powder formula
- Inclusive shade range
Fungdation (Mushroom Foundation)
Fungdation is the latest in a line of products from a brand called Axiology. Axiology has a small product line that focuses on begin vegan, cruelty-free, and plastic-free. Products are handmade in the United States, including their innovative Fungdation.
This foundation is available in shades for every skin tone and undertone. The website lets you easily filter shades according to your undertone, making it easier to find your perfect match. Reishi and snow mushrooms are used in the formula to give your skin a powerful dose of nutrients and amazing glow. It provides light to medium coverage.
Why You’ll Love It
- Lightweight
- Breathable
- Nourishing
- Eco-friendly
True Skin Hydrating Foundation
True Skin Hydrating Foundation by Catrice Cosmetics is lightweight and breathable. There’s an inclusive shade range, including shades for those with dark and light skin tones. The foundation blends easily into the skin to provide medium coverage with a natural finish. It’s buildable, so you can get more coverage in areas you need it.
Hyaluronic acid helps the skin retain moisture, leaving it soft and supple. Meanwhile, watermelon seed oil restores your skin’s elasticity for a youthful appearance.
Why You’ll Love It
- Wide range of shades available
- Hydrating
- Long-lasting
- Buildable coverage
Bare Minerals Loose Powder Foundation
Bare Minerals consistently wins one annual beauty award after another thanks to their impressive formulas. The brand doesn’t claim it’s 100% vegan, but they do have a lot of vegan products. Products are clearly labeled in the product description regarding their vegan status, making it easy to find something to suit your lifestyle and ethics.
This loose powder foundation looks like a powder, and works like a powder, but it glides across your skin and blends in like a thin cream foundation. It offers amazing buildable coverage. Enjoy sheer coverage or build it up to full coverage.
The lightweight formula doesn’t settle into fine lines, making it wonderful for mature skin. It helps visibly smooth the skin, reducing the appearance of pores. Over time, this mineral foundation promotes clear, healthier skin.
Why You’ll Love It
- Lightweight
- Minimizes pores
- Doesn’t clog pores
- Large shade range
Ultra CC Cream SPF 30
Pacifica has carefully formulated a foundation that has everything you need. It’s vegan and cruelty free. The SPF 30 protects your skin and is reef-safe. It naturally helps even out your skin tone while providing smooth coverage. Botanical extracts soothe and hydrate your skin. The lightweight coverage lets your natural skin show through while blurring imperfections for a soft-focus finish.
Why You’ll Love It
- 100% glass bottle
- Lightweight and breathable
- Doesn’t cake or crease
- Skincare/makeup hybrid
Best Vegan Foundation
Vegan products used to be hard to find, but many brands are rising to consumer demand to create products that are vegan, and go above and beyond to exceed your expectations. You can easily find vegan products in every formula, price range, and with additional benefits, such as skincare benefits and SPF. Check out the rest of the site to learn more!
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