15 Best Vegan Makeup Products For Summer Skin, According To Our Beauty Writer
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Summer is a vibrant season, full of sunshine, outdoor adventure, and energy. But as the elements heat up, so does the chance of skin damage from direct sun rays and drying pool chemicals. You should care for your skin year-round, but tending to tired summer skin is equally important.
As a beauty writer, you can trust I’ve tried a fair amount of skincare products. These 15 are my go-to products to hydrate, protect, and revive my sensitive skin. I’m a big advocate for sustainable products, so this list is made of 100% vegan makeup products. Many of the vegan beauty products are also in sustainable skincare packaging to further reduce waste and single-use plastics. Read on to shop my tried and true clean beauty products!
Price Reference (average price):
$ | Under $25
$$ | Between $25-$50
$$$ | More than $50
Image: Credo
Undaria Algae Body Oil
Osea
Price: $$$
The Undaria Algae Body Oil from Osea Malibu is luxurious. It’s a lightweight body oil that smells like citrus and sunshine (if sunshine had a scent). I like to apply the oil post-shower while my skin is still damp for optimal absorption. The oil has ingredients like Undaria Seaweed, White Lupin Flower, and a blend of botanical and essential oils—all to moisturize your body and improve your skin’s elasticity. A few drops go a long way, which is always a bonus.
Image: My Wild Origins
Herbal Body Butter
My Wild Origins
Price: $
In all seriousness, this body butter is my holy grail. I use it for everything—cuticle care, rough elbows, dry hands, helping my eyebrows grow, as a lip balm. You name it, and this body butter can get it done. The consistency is just right so it doesn’t feel greasy when you apply or after it soaks into your skin. It’s made with calendula-infused coconut oil and thick shea butter, giving it just the slightest floral scent. If you only buy one thing, make sure it’s this!
Image: Target
Unscented Mineral Face Lotion
Native
Price: $
Even tired skin needs sun protection, and this new-ish release from the sustainable skincare brand Native is my most recent obsession. The sun lotion is unscented, which I love because I have sensitive skin and already wear other scented products. The SPF-30 sunscreen gets its power from naturally derived non-nano zinc oxide, which is healthier for your body and the planet! The sunscreen rubs in easily and doesn’t have any white after effects. If you fall in love with it as I have, Native also has a body sunscreen that’s also unscented.
Image: Credo
Hyaluronic Sea Serum
Osea
Price: $$$
Osea Malibu’s vegan makeup products are so good I’m including two in my top favorites. The brand’s Hyaluronic Sea Serum gets five stars from me. It’s lightweight, unscented, and has revived my skin after a few months of use. The serum contains Japanese Miru Seaweed and two levels of Hyaluronic acid that absorb into your skin and leave it looking brighter, plumper, and more balanced in minutes. This serum is a staple in my morning routine, and I promise you it’s worth the splurge.
Image: Sephora
Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream
Biossance
Price: $$$
Biossance is a vegan and cruelty-free makeup brand that specializes in hydrating and moisturizing products. The brand’s eye cream is smooth and soft, which makes it easy and calming to apply to the sensitive skin under and around your eyes. I find that the bright summer sun leaves my eyes tired from squinting since I’m a blue-eyed gal. This clinically tested eye cream helps reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, while also hydrating and absorbing quickly both day and night.
Image: Bathing Culture
Mind and Body Wash
Bathing Culture
Price: $$
Bathing Culture’s signature body wash is made with coconut oil, aloe vera, and sustainably harvested essential oils. The body wash is a bestseller at many online marketplaces and refilleries, and due to its refillable nature, it’s as cost effective as it is sudsy. The body wash is perfect for cleaning sunscreen, sand, and dirt from skin after a long day.
Image: Sephora
SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray
Tower 28 Beauty
Price: $$
I typically skip toner in my skincare routine, but in the summer I like to add a facial mist to boost hydration and cool me off. This unscented facial spray has a balanced PH to keep your skin happy. You can add it to your skincare ritual or use it to reset after a workout or beach day.
Image: Conscious Seed
Psyche Oil
Conscious Seed
Price: $$
Due to my sensitive skin, I get itchy and dry patches after spending time in sand or grass. To relieve my skin and add hydration, I turn to this Psyche Oil as a massage oil and a bathtub saving grace. The oil is handcrafted using natural ingredients like sunflower oil, mugwort, rose, and squalane—all of which are soothing and hydrating. I love applying this oil to especially tired skin or even adding a tablespoon to my bath to let it soak in even longer.
Image: Dermstore
Lip Shield SPF 30
Supergoop!
Price: $
Does anyone else get sunburnt lips? After one sunburn, I promised myself to always wear a SPF lip balm. This summer my go-to has been the SPF 30 Lip Shield from Supergoop! because it’s easy to have with me at all times and has a beachy coconut scent. The lip balm is light and smooth, and it doesn’t taste like sunscreen. I recommend buying a set of three so you can always have one handy.
Image: Credo
Rosehip BioRegenerate Universal Face Oil
Pai
Price: $$
I impulse bought this Rosehip face oil at a local beauty store (shoutout to Fine Feather) and it has transformed my nighttime skincare routine. I love applying this oil post-moisturizer to soak into my skin all night. Sometimes I’ll apply it before gua sha as well. It smells like a French garden and has Omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9 to rejuvenate skin. However, the oil has a pink/orange hue that is obvious on lighter skin tones (so you may want to use only at night).
Image: Ulta Beauty
Resting Beach Face SPF30 Sunscreen Serum
Everyday Humans
Price: $
Even if you’re sick of reading about it, sunscreen is so important to your skin that I’m including another option. I recently discovered Everyday Human’s Resting Beach Face product, a vegan sunscreen serum, that’s lighter than most sun lotions. I use it when I’m reapplying mid-day because it doesn’t mess up makeup and feels soothing. It also has hyaluronic acid!
Image: Ulta Beauty
Texture Smoothing Cream
Cocokind
Price: $
I’m all about moisturizers, even when the temperatures are hot and humid. This lightweight cream from Cocokind is a great base for other vegan makeup products. It absorbs quickly and doesn't feel thick or cakey. I’ve been through six jars of this clean beauty product over the years and convinced my boyfriend and friends to use it, too.
Image: Anne’s Apothecary
Lip Treatment Set
Anne’s Apothecary
Price: $$
Lip masks and treatments are optional, but I love the feel of hydrated and protected lips. This lip set from Anne’s Apothecary is great for those with sensitive skin and is 100% natural and gluten-free. You apply the mask-like lip balm and let it hydrate over time, maybe at night or between meals. It’s that easy!
Image: Amazon
MyMatcha Moisture Stick
Cocokind
Price: $
An affordable, long-lasting multi-stick is an essential in my routine and in my fanny pack. I carry the MyMatcha Moisture Stick from Cocokind everywhere. I use the formula as a lip balm and hydration stick for dry skin. I’ve used the matcha formula everywhere from my cheeks and elbows to my knees.
Image: Amazon
Sunday Spray
Kinfeld
Price: $
Like a facial mist, a body spray can provide a necessary reset after time in the sun. The Kinfeld Sunday Spray does just that with a mixture of invigorating and cooling ingredients like eucalyptus, aloe vera, cucumber, prickly pear, and spearmint. Use this spray to cool off in the car or refresh between events. You could also use this as a light perfume if you wanted.
Vegan makeup products and sustainable skincare is good for both you and the planet, and these vegan essentials help protect and refresh my skin throughout even the most chaotic of Midwest summers. From sunscreen to nighttime face oils, clean beauty products won’t let you down!
