Updated Favourite Cruelty-Free And Vegan Skincare Products

I have always been a big follower of skincare trends and have tried my hardest to keep a consistent skincare routine throughout my late teens and early adult life. It’s never been perfect and my skin always finds a way to start hating the products it once loved. Although this hasn’t been so great for my bank account, it does mean that I have over ten years of experience in trying different skincare brands so you don't have to.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve wanted to make more ethical and responsible decisions - one that I have stuck with for the quite a while is to ensure that all of the beauty products I buy for myself are cruelty free and not tested on animals. I am not vegan or vegetarian but I just don’t like the idea of using non-essential products like lipstick or moisturiser that have caused some kind of suffering to an animal. So whenever I am looking at purchasing from an unfamiliar brand I make sure they are cruelty-free by heading over to the Cruelty-Free Kitty and looking them up on there.

For a bit of background I am lucky enough to be blessed with relatively clear combination skin with no issues other than the occasional spot or redness here and there. All the products I have chosen to feature in this post are ones I have been trying on and off for the past year and a half so I am confident that they’ve all been given a good trial.

Credit: Liz Earle

Cleansers

I usually alternate between a few different cleansers depending on what my skin has been going through that day. Majority of the skincare products I use in my cleansing process are from the Boots Botanics brightening line. If I have been wearing makeup I always make sure to use their gentle eye makeup remover before going on to cleanse with either their cleansing cream or foam wash. Lately I have been favouring the foam wash just because it is quicker to apply and wash off than the cream. Alternatively if I have a bit more time I like to go in with my holy grail Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser - which is not only the best smelling cleanser I have ever used, it’s also the most effective especially if it has been a heavy makeup day. Whenever I have been wearing makeup, I always make sure to double cleanse and quickly swipe a cotton bud around my eyes to make sure I get every tiny spec of makeup off my face. There is nothing worst than panda eyes created by dredges of leftover mascara. Lastly, if I have had a day indoors not doing much I opt for a lighter cleanser and just use the Boots cleansing stick from their glow range. This is a very quick and gentle way to cleanse your skin if it’s not been through alot during the day. It also leaves your skin looking dewy which I love.

Credit: Boots

Toners

Toners are often something that I tend to neglect. I don’t always do it every time I carry out my skincare routine. I know this is a bit naughty but it is definitely something I am trying to get better at. At the moment I only have one toner in my collection that, you guessed it, happens to the Boots Botanics toner from the brightening range. This particular toner does a really good job of keeping my skin texture smooth and soft. I usually apply straight after I’ve double cleansed in the evening or washed my face in the morning. When I was younger I used to religious use the Liz Earle toner, however as I’ve gotten older I find that my skin doesn’t absorb it as well as it used to so retired it and replaced it with the Botanics one.

Credit: Boots

Serums

Serums never used to be a part of my skincare routine, but now that I’m over 25 I couldn’t live without them. Honestly if I could only keep one product from my skincare collection it would be one of my serums. I am not a dermatologist so I cannot really explain the scientific effects of serum but I can tell you that my skin has never looked better. My favourite serum at the moment is the Boots Ingredients retinol serum. Not only does it keep my skin looking lifted and plump - it’s also very cost effective at only £7 per bottle. In the mornings I am also partial to the Boots Botanics brightening serum, it leaves your skin really glowy and dewy - a perfect base to lock in a moisturiser and apply makeup to.

Moisturisers

Moisturisers are something my skin always changes it’s mind about. For quite a while I thought I had found the perfect day and night cream combination with the Boots Botanics brightening range, nonetheless my skin started to reject it. It kept holding too much moisture and looked greasy, particularly after using the day cream. So I decided to try out the Boots Ingredients hyaluronic acid moisturiser. After using this for a few days my skin started to revert back to it’s usual non-greasy self. What I really like abut the Boots Ingredients range is that they don’t really have a scent - they are just full of powerful high quality ingredients without any artificial chemical smells.