Moisturizer for your face is so important because it not only hydrates the skin, but it protects and treats it. Even more, applying moisturizers prior to make-up application will ensure a smooth appearance.
To assist you in finding the perfect one, we’ve rounded up the best vegan face moisturizers for you to check out!
In a Hurry? Here’s Our Quick List of Top Picks
- Ursa Major Fortifying Face Balm and Moisturizer
- LILY SADO Green Tea and Vitamin C Face Moisturizer Cream
- Era Organics Anti Aging Face Moisturizer Cream
- Blended Science Skin Care Replenishing & Moisturizing Lotion
- Awake Human Organic Face Moisturizer
- Beauty by Earth Oil Control Face Moisturizer
- Spirit Nest The Sage Witch Face Cream
Why Are Face Moisturizers So Important?
Your skin is the largest organ on your body, but arguably the skin on your face is the most important when it comes to beauty.
Being an organ, your skin requires assistance in doing its important job.
Over time, and due to various stressors, such as sun damage, moisture loss, and the aging, your skin will need some help.
Face moisturizers should be an important part of your daily beauty routine due to their many benefits; and it’s not just keeping your skin soft!
They are a great way to proactively turn back the clock on your skin!
Most products are formulated with ingredients which give your cells what they need to protect your skin, regenerate, and produce collagen.
Face moisturizers also help treat skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema and more.
When you use an all-natural, vegan product, like the ones on our list, your skin will benefit further from the inherent qualities in the vitamins, essential oils, extracts and minerals.
Finally, face moisturizers are great to use as a primer under make-up since they smooth and tone the skin and allow the make-up to appear more even.
How to Choose the Best Moisturizer for your Skin
Finding the right face moisturizer may seem daunting and even an amazing moisturizer for one person may not work for others.
An important first step is to consider your skin type since the moisturizer you use should address the issues and not add to them.
Oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin need a product without a lot of oils which could feel extra greasy and heavy. Look for a lightweight, matte lotion which absorbs well into the skin, but also absorbs oil.
Dry skin needs extra hydration due to its inability to retain moisture on its own. Products with ingredients like shea butter, and jojoba and coconut oil are your best bet.
People with sensitive skin may benefit from a fragrance-free lotion which is also free of reactive irritants like acids or certain essential oils. Note which ingredients your skin doesn’t like prior to using a product.
Finally, you may need to choose a different moisturizer depending on the weather and/or climate where you live.
For example, I live in a very dry climate at elevation in the mountains, and require a super-hydrating moisturizer and apply it all the time!
Whereas in humid climates, you may need an oil absorbing moisturizer to take away the perpetual sheen this kind of environment gives you.
Things to Look for That Differentiate These Products
Each product on our top picks list comes packed with natural, beneficial, and non-toxic ingredients.
When using products such as these you can have confidence in knowing toxins are not penetrating your pores and entering your body’s system.
Further, each product is vegan-friendly and cruelty-free meaning no animals were used for testing and the ingredients do not include any animal byproducts.
There are a few differences to note setting each moisturizer apart from the other.
For instance, one is super hydrating and can be used as a night cream and another is oil absorbing and great for acne-prone skin.
Most, if not all, contain anti-aging ingredients. However, each comes with different combinations offering their special benefits.
Some of these ingredients include licorice root, matcha green tea extra, hyaluronic acid, or CoQ10. Pay attention to each of these unique qualities and find one fitting your own unique needs.
Another difference are the scents – some are unscented and others are citrus, peppermint, or earthy.
7 Top Picks for Vegan Face Moisturizers
Whether you are looking for something to use every day for hydration or as a skin primer, night cream, anti-aging protection, oil control, skin brightening or all of the above; we have a face moisturizer for you!
Ursa Major Fortifying Face Balm and Moisturizer
Ursa Major, a natural skincare company named for the largest visible constellation in the northern sky, provides a fast-absorbing, super hydrating balm for your face.
This lightweight gel moisturizer can be used alone as a daily moisturizer or as a primer before applying sunscreen or makeup.
Ursa Major products are made for all genders and skin types, using clean, healthy ingredients. This face balm is paraben-free, fragrance-free, cruelty-free and vegan.
This moisturizer is made from natural ingredients like soothing aloe, toning birch sap, rejuvenating carrot, and hydrating kendi oil.
The formula calms and hydrates without clogging pores or encouraging oil buildup, leaving skin clearer, firmer, and smoother.
Apply ½ pump of balm to clean, dry skin and massage over entire face and neck, then wait 15-30 seconds for the balm to absorb.
What We Like
- Nice earthy scent
- Fast absorbing and lightweight
- No toxic ingredients
- Small package can last 4-6 months
What We Don’t Like
- Cannot be worn alone when SPF is needed
- May not be hydrating enough in cold or dry weather
- Pricey
LILY SADO Green Tea and Vitamin C Face Moisturizer Cream
If you’re looking for a good vitamin C moisturizer to brighten your complexion and fight signs of aging, this one is for you!
LILY SADO’s formulation includes 10% vitamin C and green tea matcha to maintain moisture and deliver protective antioxidants to fight free radicals, toxins, and sun damage coupled with assisting in collagen production and firming the skin.
The aloe vera and jojoba are soothing and moisturizing while the licorice root is a powerful anti-aging ingredient by preventing dark eye circles and age spots, and even controlling oil production.
Vitamins B5 and E improves skin’s softness and elasticity along with relieving itchiness and redness.
This moisturizer is multi-tasking – it fights aging, brightens your complexion, and combats acne and other blemishes!
If you are like me and suffer from aging skin and acne, this product may be all that you need!
It is great to use day and night and can be used as a primer prior to make-up application making it a perfect part of your morning routine.
What We Like
- All natural ingredients; non-toxic and free of petrochemicals
- Anti-aging and treats blemishes
- Pleasant scent
- Lightweight moisture; not greasy
- Great for wrinkles
What We Don’t Like
- Possible problems with the pump
- May not work for some skin types
Era Organics Anti Aging Face Moisturizer Cream
Era Organics’ face moisturizer is specially formulated for anti-aging defense and sensitive skin!
This may be your perfect product if you are looking for a treatment for fine lines, wrinkles, under eye bags and dark circles, dull complexion, and even crow’s feet.
The all-natural ingredients help to promote collagen production in your skin, and smoothing the noticeable signs of aging, leaving your skin looking more youthful and toned.
The non-toxic, vegan ingredients include vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
For example, the kiwi extract is high in vitamins C, E, K, and A; beneficial to the skin in multiple ways such as tissue repair, increased collagen, and it’s even antibacterial.
The green tea extract is an incredible antioxidant and encourages skin’s moisture retention and elasticity.
Hyaluronic acid is probably one of the most powerful anti-aging ingredients, and is actually a substance present in our bodies cushioning and lubricating our joints, eyes, and heart valves.
As such, hyaluronic acid works to increase skin regeneration and healing while bonding water to the skin’s surface.
Finally, sunflower oil is hydrating and is an effective treatment on damaged skin, and vitamin C acts as a skin brightener and anti-aging component.
Other hydrating ingredients include coconut, argan, and moringa seed oil; they also have other great properties making this an amazing moisturizer and treatment.
It’s never too early to start using an anti-aging moisturizer, and this product is a great start! Proactively prevent signs of aging or treat these signs if they have already made their presence known.
What We Like
- Effective anti-aging ingredients
- Not greasy
- Good for oily or sensitive skin
- Little to no fragrance
What We Don’t Like
- It may not work for some skin types
- Isn’t an exclusive eye cream
- Print on the bottle is hard to read
Blended Science Skin Care Replenishing & Moisturizing Lotion
No products found.Blended Science’s moisturizer is an all-natural, replenishing lotion made with vitamins, essential oils, and anti-oxidants.
It has a light citrus scent which is alcohol free and there are no toxic, harsh chemicals!
The nutrient-rich formula combines vitamin A, or retinol, known for its assistance in skin cell regeneration, and geranium rose oil as a natural hyaluronic acid and anti-aging ingredient.
Super hydration comes from the beneficial argan, apricot seed, and rose hip along with shea butter.
Rose hip oil is such a great ingredient! It is a natural source of vitamin A and its molecules penetrate the skin to deliver nutrients. It is also anti-aging due to its ability to fight age spots, wrinkles, and boost collagen and moisture.
If you are looking for a face moisturizer with extra hydration for dry skin, you will like this product!
What We Like
- Great for dry skin, dermatitis, and eczema
- Nice scent
- Small batch manufacturing
- Natural ingredients
What We Don’t Like
- High price for a small amount
Awake Human Organic Face Moisturizer
After 44 prototypes and over a year of testing, Awake Human gives you this unscented, organic facial moisturizer.
About 92% of the formula consists of aloe vera, certified organic jojoba, sweet almond, safflower oils and green tea extract.
There are other essential, all-natural ingredients such as honeysuckle flower extract and organic shea butter.
This product is great for sensitive and oily, acne-prone skin since it is non-comedogenic, or in other words, it doesn’t clog pores and make your problem areas worse!
Each ingredient is carefully scrutinized, and as a result, this moisturizer received an excellent EWG rating.
I like the unique matte feel this lotion provides, and it is pH adjusted to 5.5 which matches your skin’s acidity.
If you desire a scent, Awake Human makes a lightly scented version combining ylang ylang and anise which fades soon after application – no lingering scent.
A little goes a long way – you only need a half pump for your face or a full pump for face and neck.
What We Like
- Great for sensitive and oily skin
- Matte
- Made in small batches weekly
- Organic, non-toxic, all-natural ingredients
What We Don’t Like
- May not absorb well or may be too matte for some people
- Not suitable for people with tree nut allergies (almond)
Beauty by Earth Oil Control Face Moisturizer
Infused with over 20 anti-aging and moisturizing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, Beauty by Earth’s face moisturizer effectively controls oil and shine while reducing visible signs of aging.
This is a great product for people who have combination and oily skin, but are also seeking to create, or maintain, a youthful complexion.
It is lightweight, and contains powerful age-defying MSM and CoQ10. MSM, short for methylsulfonylmethane, is known for its ability to treat rosacea, reverse signs of aging, and even lighten skin.
CoQ10 is a strong antioxidant which fights free radicals and oxidative skin cell damage and thereby slowing the skin’s aging process.
Coconut oil feeds your skin nutrients and is also naturally anti-microbial, and the hyaluronic acid promotes collagen production.
I love the combined power of this moisturizer – anti-aging and can be used as a treatment for acne!
Use day or night on clean skin and under make-up or sunscreen.
What We Like
- Great for oily, combination and acne-prone skin
- Powerful anti-aging ingredients
- Peppermint scent
What We Don’t Like
- Short shelf life (8 months)
- May aggravate very sensitive skin
- People with dry skin may need more moisture than this product provides
- Not suitable for use around eyes due to the peppermint oil
Spirit Nest The Sage Witch Face Cream
Spirit Nest the Sage Witch Face Cream is a luscious blend of herbal and floral essences to bring out the best in your skin. There is a huge skin care industry focused on creating synthetic anti-aging ingredients and selling them as the next best snake oil.
The truth is, mother nature has all the best ingredients you’ll ever need to nourish and protect your skin, no matter the shape it’s in.
This face cream is a glowing example of such. It combines Green Tea Extract, Aloe Vera, vitamin E, olive, and cucumber oils in a smooth cream to lavish your face in.
This cream not only moisturizes, it also revitalizes dull skin, helping to tone and tighten where needed.
When used daily, once in the morning, and again at night, this cream will fight to prevent and repair early signs of aging.
It’s great for all skin types and tones, and even helps battle itchy skin, acne, and eczema. All without feeling heavy or greasy.
The light, minty scent isn’t overpowering and makes this skin cream great for everyone.
What We Like
- Herbal formula
- Lightweight and non-greasy
- Great for all skin types
- Long lasting moisture
What We Don’t Like
- Can take some time to absorb
Top Choice for the Best Vegan Face Moisturizer
All of the 6 face moisturizers on our list are amazing! They are ultra-moisturizing, anti-aging, and even treat acne, but our top choice does it all!
LILY SADO Green Tea and Vitamin C Face Moisturizer Cream brightens your complexion with 10% vitamin C, fights signs of aging and treats blemishes.
The aloe vera and jojoba soothe your skin while the vitamins B5 and E protect the skin and improve its elasticity.
I love how LILY SADO uniquely incorporates ingredients like green tea matcha and licorice root.
Licorice root is naturally anti-aging and can treat under eye circles making this such a special moisturizer.
Green tea matcha is beneficial inside and out as a powerful antioxidant, and it also helps your skin maintain moisture!
For all of its great benefits and uses, we vote this vegan face moisturizer as our top choice!