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65+ of the BEST Affordable Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands December 5, 2019
Although I am not a 100% Cruelty-Free beauty consumer, I’m trying to make more Cruelty-Free purchases. From a high-end perspective, I have much better luck finding Cruelty-Free products. However, I still struggle to find affordable, Cruelty-Free makeup, skincare, and haircare brands. In today’s post, I compiled a list of 65+ of the best affordable Cruelty-Free makeup brands, skincare brands, and haircare brands.
What is Cruelty-Free Beauty?
Cruelty-Free brands are beauty/personal-care brands that do not test their products on animals or work with suppliers who test ingredients on animals. Moreover, this means that these brands do not personally conduct animal testing, but it also means that they do not pay for or submit to third-party animal testing in countries that require this by law.
Additionally, some consumers do not consider brands owned by non-Cruelt-Free parent companies to be Cruelty-Free. However, I consider a brand Cruelty-Free even if they are owned by a parent company that is not 100% Cruelty-Free. Read this in-depth post on what it means to be Cruelty-Free. Please keep reading to discover some of the best affordable, Cruelty-Free makeup, skincare, and hair care brands!
Affordable Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands
- AOA Studio/Shop Miss-A
- Ardell
- BH Cosmetics
- Burt’s Bees
- Catrice
- ColourPop
- Covergirl
- The Creme Shop
- Devinah Cosmetics
RELATED: Click here for an all-indie dupe of the Melt Cosmetics Gemini Palette or check out this post on my most unique indie single eyeshadows.
- EcoTools
- elf
- Essence
- Eyeko
- Flower Beauty
- Hard Candy
- Honest Beauty
- J. Cat Beauty
- Joah Beauty
- Juvia’s Place
RELATED: Check out my review of the Juvia’s Place Nubian Eyeshadow Palette. Next, read my review of the Juvia’s Place Warrior Eyeshadow Palette.
- KISS
- Kaleidos Makeup
- Karity
- Kiko Milano
- Kimchic Beauty
- Kokie
- L.A. Girl
- Lottie London
- Luxie Beauty
- Makeup Academy
- Milani Cosmetics
RELATED: Read my review of the Milani Soft & Sultry Eyeshadow Palette. Alternatively, check out this review on the Milani eyeshadow primer.
- Makeup Geek
- Makeup Revolution
- Moira Cosmetics
- Morphe
- NYX
- ORLY
- Pacifica
- Pixi by Petra
- Pop Beauty
- Profusion
- Real Techniques
- Sally Hansen
- Sigma Beauty
- Soap & Glory
- Sol Body
- Winky Lux
RELATED: Don’t recognize some of the names on this list? First, check out my indie beauty roundup – volume I, volume II, and volume III. Second, check out this post on my dopest European indie makeup brands or this updated post on my favorite American indie makeup brands.
Affordable Cruelty-Free Skincare Brands
- Acure
- Alba Botanica
- Andalou Naturals
- Bliss
- Burt’s Bees
- Derma-E
- Dr. Bronner
- Fourth Ray Beauty
- Go-To Skincare
- Good Molecules
- Hempz
- Honest Beauty
- I Dew Care
- The Inkey List
- Mario Badescu
- Nip + Fab
- The Ordinary
- Pacifica
- Pixi by Petra
- Raw Sugar
- Simple
- Soap & Glory
- Sun Bum
- Thayer’s
- Tom’s of Maine
- VERSED
- Yes To
RELATED: Check out my review of the indie, Vegan & Cruelty-Free Skincare brand, Bare and Free Beauty. Also, check out this review on IT Cosmetics most hyped up skincare goodies.
Affordable Cruelty-Free Haircare Brands
- Acure
- Alba Botanica
- Arctic Fox
- Eva NYC
- HASK
- Live Clean
- Love Beauty and Planet
- Maui Moisture
- Mixed Chicks
- Not Your Mother’s
- Noughty Haircare
- Pureology
- sheaMoisture
- VERB
Also, check out this review on natural-inspired Loma Haircare and see if this brand worked for my ultra sensitive scalp.
Final Thoughts on Affordable Cruelty-Free Makeup, Skincare, and Haircare Options
I was pleasantly surprised by the growing volume of affordable or drugstore Cruelty-Free cosmetics brands on the market. In fact, in the US, there are way more Cruelty-Free options than non-Cruelty-Free options in the color cosmetic category. That being said, I struggled to find Cruelty-Free Skincare and Haircare. Many drugstores/beauty retailers largely sell established, mainstream brands that are not Cruelty-Free.
However, many newer brands are taking a bigger stand against animal testing. Meanwhile, many established, affordable brands still test on animals due to legal requirements mandated in some territories where they sell products. Overall, I expect that more and more brands will become Cruelty-Free as consumer preferences continue to shift away from products that are tested on animals.
Finally, my goal is to try to purchase Cruelty-Free brands as much as possible. Currently, the vast majority of products in my collection are Cruelty-Free.
Let’s connect on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin’ | Influenster
Looking for additional dope, affordable Cruelty Free makeup, skincare, and haircare beauty finds? First, check out my Super Shock Shadow Double Rainbow Kit Review. Next, read check out my ultimate Super Shock swatch post.
PS: “Affordable” is a subjective term. As such, I recognize that what I deem affordable may still be a significant cost to others. Also, some drugstore brands on this list are rather pricey. However, compared to prestige and luxury brands, the aforementioned brands are far more price-friendly. Moreover, many of these brands run frequent sales and promotions.
Have you tried any of the best affordable Cruelty-Free makeup brands featured in my roundup? Also, are there any affordable Cruelty-Free makeup, skincare, or haircare brands missing from my list? Please let me know in the comments below.
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sarahsarsby says
December 5, 2019 at 7:56 amThis was a really interesting post and I’ve tried a lot of the brands on this list that I didn’t realise are cruelty-free! It just goes to show that there are plenty of affordable CF brands to choose from.
I didn’t realise Pixi was cruelty-free and that makes me super happy as I love the brand. Also ColourPop is doing so well in the beauty industry!
The Newbury Girl says
December 22, 2019 at 9:44 amI def hope that all brands are CF one day for sure! I think it will happen eventually.
jennifertarheelreader says
December 5, 2019 at 8:53 amI really appreciate this list, LP, and I imagine it will be a go-to for me. My haircare has been mostly cruelty free for over ten years now because I buy from a small batch company called Cocoa Pink. I switched to them at first because of that but also because they had SLS free shampoos pretty early on.
The Newbury Girl says
December 8, 2019 at 11:47 pmoooo i’m literally going to check out that brand now!! Hair was the toughest category for me to find “affordable” options!
jennifertarheelreader says
December 9, 2019 at 8:04 amI usually buy when they have sales! I just realized I missed the Black Friday sale- it was up to 30% off and that’s usually when I stock up for the year. I bought so much last year, IK probably have enough for this year too!
PoojaG says
December 5, 2019 at 11:50 amThanks for sharing this list! Being CF is something that is very important to me personally and it really helped when I first started looking for CF products and found lists like this one.
PoojaG says
December 5, 2019 at 11:51 amOh and vegamour is really great for hair products!
The Newbury Girl says
December 8, 2019 at 11:48 pmooo I’ve never heard of this brand, so I will 100% be checking them out!
PoojaG says
December 9, 2019 at 11:33 pmYou should they’re fantastic!
Jackie | The Vibrant Dreamer says
December 6, 2019 at 11:19 amI love this so much! In the past it’s been difficult for me to be truly CF because of the price point so I’m really glad there are more affordable brands stepping it up!
The Newbury Girl says
December 8, 2019 at 11:49 pmThere are def many more affordable CF brands popping up online and at the drugstore which is amazing!!
Castles and Hurricanes says
December 6, 2019 at 11:49 amGreat post, I love cruelty-free lists! I normally stick to certain brands, and then lists like these make me realize I can branch out a litte. I’m also glad to see more affordable options, because buying high-end all the time gets expensive.
The Newbury Girl says
December 8, 2019 at 11:50 pmI was happy to see how long this list was, too! There are def way more affordable options available than there were even just 5 years ago!
Simone | Beautymone says
December 6, 2019 at 12:36 pmI’m happy to see more and more affordable brands on the cruelty-free list! 🙂
The Newbury Girl says
December 8, 2019 at 11:50 pmme too!! It is important to have options that are accessible to more people!
Alex | california pollution says
December 7, 2019 at 6:40 pmThis is such a great list, LP. Thank you for doing the hard work!
The Newbury Girl says
December 8, 2019 at 11:50 pmhopefully I’ll be able to add more brands to this list, as I discover more affordable CF options!!
Teen Beauty Central says
December 9, 2019 at 1:23 amYes! I’m not entirely cruelty free but I’m working towards it
The Newbury Girl says
December 22, 2019 at 9:45 amI’m not either – but the majority of what I own is CF. The brands that aren’t CF that I buy from don’t test on animals in the states or in most markets, but they comply to animal testing regulations in China.
Teen Beauty Central says
December 22, 2019 at 10:32 amOh, that’s kinda complicated