Because everyone’s skin is different, there isn’t a single solution for treating acne. This list of best cruelty-free and vegan face wash for acne will hopefully make the process less frustrating.
All of the products in this list are both cruelty-free (not tested on animals) and vegan-friendly (free from animal products and by-products). In addition, these vegan face cleansers are some of the most recommended and highly rated vegan acne treatments available.
Acne has many causes, including bacteria (specifically the bacterium C. acnes), clogged pores, excessive oil production, and hormonal activity. Therefore, there are different types of treatments that focus on each of these causes.
Because it takes a while for acne treatments to work, you should wait at least three months before determining if a treatment is working for you or not. If you are not seeing results after three months, you should try a different type of face wash or treatment, because the cause of your acne might be different than what you think. You can also see a dermatologist if you aren’t seeing results from over the counter acne face washes.
Cruelty-Free and Vegan Face Wash For Acne
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
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The Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser works best for acne caused by clogged pores. This cleanser uses both physical exfoliants and chemical exfoliants (including salicylic acid) to help shed dead skin cells faster. You can use this vegan face wash whether you have normal, oily, combination, or dry skin, and it should be used 2-3 times a week.
Murad is certified cruelty-free, and many of their products are vegan-friendly. All products that say “formulated without animal-derived ingredients” on their site are vegan, including this face wash.
TULA Skincare Keep it Clear Acne Foam Cleanser
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If you’re looking for a vegan foam face wash for acne, TULA skincare has a vegan option for you! TULA’s Keep it Clear Acne Foam Cleanser is formulated with 2% salicylic acid to unclog pores, and it calms inflammation and redness with probiotics. This cleanser can be used on oily, combination, mature, dry, and acne-prone skin, and if you have sensitive skin, it is fragrance-free!
All TULA Skincare products are PETA certified cruelty free, and they have an entire list of vegan products on their FAQ page. You can check out this page for the most up-to-date list of TULA vegan skincare products.
Paula’s Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser
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- Best For: mild acne, sensitive skin
- Buy Online: Amazon | PaulasChoice.com
Paula’s Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser does not contain any active ingredients or fragrance, so it tends to be less irritating than other vegan face washes for acne-prone skin. It’s a perfect choice for those who are sensitive to chemical exfoliants and the drying effects of benzol peroxide. It will help dissolve makeup and other impurities without drying out your skin.
Paula’s Choice is part of the Leaping Bunny Program, meaning there is no animal testing done for any of their products or by any of their ingredient suppliers. Not all of their products are vegan, but all non-vegan products are listed here. So if a Paula’s Choice product is not on this list, it’s vegan-friendly!
Humane Acne Wash
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- Best For: inflammatory acne, oil-control
- Buy Online: Amazon | TheHumaneCompany.com
If plugged pores aren’t causing your acne, you might want to try a vegan acne face wash with benzoyl peroxide as an ingredient. Salicylic acid is great for unclogging pores, but benzol peroxide will actually penetrate the pores and kill acne-causing bacteria. You can even use a benzoyl peroxide face wash in combination with a salicylic acid face wash if your acne has multiple causes. Although the more products you use, the more likely you are to experience irritation.
Humane Acne Wash is one of the only well-known benzol peroxide face wash brands that is both vegan-friendly and cruelty-free! Humane as a brand is vegan and cruelty-free across the board, according to their faq page!
Clearogen Acne Foaming Cleanser
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- Best For: clogged pores, sensitive skin, redness, blackheads, whiteheads, hormonal acne
- Buy Online: Amazon | Clearogen.com
Clearogen Acne Foaming Cleanser is a gentle 2% salicylic acid face cleanser that helps unclog pores and remove makeup and oil while soothing the skin with botanical extracts. It’s safe to use on oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, normal skin, sensitive skin, mature skin, and acne-prone skin. When used with other Clearogen products in an acne treatment set, you can treat hormonal acne, as Clearogen is the only skincare brand that addresses DHT, the hormone which is the root cause of acne.
According to their FAQ page, all Clearogen products are completely vegan and cruelty-free. You can shop for this foaming face cleanser or a set of products for a vegan acne treatment kit (and never have to worry about the ingredients or how the products were tested!).
The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser
Quick Look:
- Best For: clogged pores and oil-control
- Buy Online: Sephora | TheInkeyList.com
The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser contains both the BHA exfoliant salicylic acid to unclog pores and a zinc compound to reduce excess oil. It also contains Allantoin, which helps soothe irritated skin. This face cleanser is especially good at helping to get rid of blackheads, which are pores clogged with dead skin cells and oil.
All The Inkey List products are cruelty-free (except in countries where animal testing is mandatory). While the brand is not certified vegan, they highlight on their product pages which products do not contain animal-derived ingredients. To see if a particular product is vegan, click on the “ASKINKEY” dropdown on any product page.
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