In line with our mission to be your go-to for the best beauty-related info, we’ve gathered and reviewed 5 of the best cruelty free moisturizer products. These moisturizers were carefully picked because they can help you effectively moisturize your skin, yet don’t cause any harm to animals. We believe these products are the best on the market that you should consider adding to your beauty arsenal.
Every year, millions of animals in the U.S. are sacrificed in the name of beauty.
Companies that routinely do animal testing are responsible for the abuse and demise of helpless creatures, and few know about what goes on behind the closed doors of laboratories where this inhumane practice is done.
However, there are thousands of skin care and cosmetic brands that are saying no to animal testing, and apart from saving the lives of animals, there are also other reasons why it’s a very good idea to switch to cruelty-free products.
Finding a certified cruelty-free beauty product may be quite difficult, as some companies may claim to be part of the cruelty-free revolution when they are most certainly not.
If you’re thinking about joining this movement, you can start by choosing a cruelty-free product that you use on a daily basis—moisturizer.
On that note, here are the top five best cruelty-free moisturizers.
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Quick Overview: The Top 5 Best Cruelty-Free Moisturizers
For this roundup of the best cruelty-free moisturizers, we have selected a variety of products that may suit particular skin types.
More importantly, the companies that produced these products are certified by Cruelty-Free International Organization’s Leaping Bunny Certification Program, which is one of the most trusted cruelty-free certifications for non-animal tested products.
OUR TOP #1 PICK - Our number one pick for the best cruelty-free moisturizer comes from a natural beauty line made from fruits and vegetables. Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer works hard to balance oily and acne-prone skin with 99% natural ingredients.
OUR TOP #2 PICK - Next on our list is Kiss My Face Olive & Aloe Fragrance Free 2 in 1 Deep Moisturizing Lotion. This moisturizer is specially made for sensitive skin, and it can be used to hydrate your face and body.
OUR TOP #3 PICK - Acure Day Cream is our third pick on this roundup because it hydrates and restores normal to dry skin to make it soft and smooth. Apart from being cruelty-free, this moisturizer is also made of vegan ingredients and is sulfate- and paraben-free.
OUR TOP #4 PICK - Getting the fourth spot on our list is Alba Botanica Hawaiian Moisture Cream With Smoothing Jasmine and Vitamin E. This moisturizer gives dry and stressed skin the tender loving care that it needs without the heavy or greasy feel.
OUR TOP #5 PICK - Finally, Beauty Without Cruelty Vitamin C with Coq10 Renewal Moisturizer contains antioxidants, vitamins, and natural oils to moisturize, renew, and rejuvenate the skin to make it look younger and healthier.
What Does “Cruelty-Free” Mean?
By definition, a cruelty-free company means a company that does not test its products on animals.
If you think that natural and vegan cosmetics and skin care automatically mean that they’re cruelty-free, they’re not.
Natural products mean that they are made with natural ingredients and may not contain any synthetic or artificial ingredients, but this doesn’t automatically mean that these products weren’t tested on animals.
The same goes for vegan products. Vegan cosmetics do not contain animal-derived ingredients, yet these products could still be tested on animals.
How To Know if a Product is Truly Cruelty-Free
Because the terms “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals” are not regulated, it’s easy for brands just to use these words on their packaging and marketing paraphernalia even though this is not the case.
So how will you know if a product is truly cruelty-free?
When shopping in drugstores or department stores, check to see if the products carry a cruelty-free logo. It can be the Leaping Bunny logo from Cruelty-Free International, PETA’s distinctive pink-eared cruelty-free bunny logo, and Choose Cruelty-Free’s rabbit logo.
You could also check the back of the product to see if the brand’s claim to be cruelty-free is authentic.
They may say that their “finished product is not tested on animals,” but it could mean that somewhere within the process of making the product, it was tested at one time or more on our furry friends.
What Goes On During Animal Testing?
To understand why it is important to support cruelty-free products, it is crucial to know what goes on behind closed laboratory doors to the animals that undergo this inhumane process.
Animals used in lab tests for developing cosmetics and skin care products are often rabbits, mice, rats, and guinea pigs. These animals are shaved before harsh chemicals are rubbed on their skin, and to test for sensitivities, the chemicals are also injected into their skin.
They are also forced to breathe in toxic fumes, and poisonous chemicals are poured into their eyes. The animals are also force fed a test substance using a tube to check for acute oral toxicity or carcinogenicity.
As a result of all these, the animals’ skins may show signs of redness, ulcers, inflammation, itchiness, lesions, scaling, and other signs of damage.
Their eyes show signs of redness or blindness. They may also experience diarrhea, convulsions, bleeding from the mouth, seizures, paralysis, and death.
Why Should You Use Cruelty-Free Products?
The top reason why you should support cruelty-free products is that you’ll be saving the lives of innocent animals if you do so. But there are other reasons why you should make the switch to products that are never tested on animals.
One of the reasons is animal testing is completely unnecessary. There are lots of new technology available to test if a product is safe to use by humans.
For instance, scientists have developed advanced product tests which involve artificial human “skin” and “eyes” that mimic the body’s natural properties.
Moreover, there are thousands of cruelty-free brands to choose from, so you’re not limiting yourself by selecting products that are cruelty-free.
These products are also ultimately better for you because they often do not contain harsh chemicals that may be harmful to the body.
Product Reviews: Our Top 5 Best Cruelty-Free Moisturizers
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This product made it to the top spot on our list of the best cruelty-free moisturizers because it balances oily skin, fights acne, and hydrates skin without a trace of oiliness.
Yes To Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer contains tomato fruit extract, which is rich in lycopene.
Lycopene improves the blotchiness to make skin look clear and even-toned. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to help protect the skin from impurities that may lead to clogged pores and breakouts.
Moreover, it has a lightening effect on the skin and prevents the breakdown of collagen, resulting in fewer lines and wrinkles.
This moisturizer also contains watermelon extract, which is laced with Vitamin C, lycopene, and amino acids which may help to improve stressed and aging skin.
Meanwhile, red tea extract fights off skin infections and maintains skin’s elasticity for a more youthful look.
We initially thought that this moisturizer would smell like tomatoes, but we were surprised to find out that it has a vanilla scent. It also made our skin feel hydrated without the greasy feel.
While it didn’t do much to improve our acne, it seemed to prevent new breakouts from popping up on our faces.
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The second product on our list of the best cruelty-free moisturizers contains no parabens, phthalates, artificial flavors or fragrances, and it contains vegan-friendly ingredients.
This moisturizer contains olive fruit oil extract, a natural moisturizer that is mild enough to use even on sensitive skin.
It also works well on dry skin as it acts as a humectant to draw water from the air and into the skin. Meanwhile, Aloe Vera soothes skin and improves inflammation and irritation.
This product also contains ginger root extract, which prevents free radical damage and protects the skin from aging. This ingredient may also give skin a more even-toned appearance and improve elasticity, resulting in a more supple and radiant complexion.
We love that we can use this moisturizer on our faces and our bodies. It has a rich, almost oily feel to it, so this may not work well for those with oily skin.
It did relieve our dry skin, and our faces and limbs felt moisturized for hours.
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The next product on this roundup not only carries the Leaping Bunny and the Choose Cruelty-Free logos, but part of every sale of this moisturizer goes to Unite for HER, an organization that provides breast cancer support.
Acure Day Cream is infused with Gotu Kola, a plant that grows in the wetlands of Japan, India, China, South Africa, and the South Pacific which may help to tighten and firm the skin.
This moisturizer also contains Chlorella, which is green algae rich in protein, Vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and iron which may increase the skin’s firmness.
It may also help improve certain skin problems such as rosacea, psoriasis, and redness.
Meanwhile, cocoa butter heals dry, sensitive skin by penetrating into the skin for deep hydration.
This cream goes on light without a hint of stickiness. It moisturized our dry skin and worked well even under makeup.
The only thing that really bothered us about this moisturizer is its scent. It has an odd smell that may not be pleasing to everyone.
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Getting the fourth spot on our list is a rich and creamy moisturizer that contains natural oils and plant extracts to deeply nourish the skin.
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Moisture Cream in Soothing Jasmine and Vitamin contains jojoba, sweet almond, and kukui nut oils to condition and make the skin healthier than ever.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Flower extract has antibacterial and antiseptic properties which can relieve irritated skin. It may even help to fade acne scars and dark marks on the skin.
This fragrant flower extract may also hydrate dry skin and is often used as a natural treatment for eczema and dermatitis.
Vitamin E strengthens the skin from within and helps it to regain its elasticity. It also prevents the premature signs of aging, such as fine lines.
The cream has a floral scent and feels light on the skin, despite its thick consistency. It gave our faces a slightly dewy look, but it can turn greasy on oily skin.
While it hydrated our dry and flaky skin, it may also cause breakouts on very oily skin.
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The last product on our list may be suited for aging skin as its ingredients work together to keep skin moisturized, revitalized, and firm.
This product contains CoQ10, which is also known as ubiquinone or coenzyme Q.
It is an enzyme that is naturally produced by the body that neutralizes free radicals and keeps skin cells healthy.
As we grow older, the amount of CoQ10 that our body releases decrease, and the cells’ ability to withstand everyday stresses declines.
The CoQ10 in this moisturizer may help to make your skin firmer, and it may also protect from free radical that contribute to skin aging.
Meanwhile, Vitamin C helps to make the skin more resilient, while aloe vera juice and sunflower oil deeply moisturize the skin.
We used this cream twice a day for more than a week to see if it would make our fine lines look any different.
Though it made our skin supple, our fine lines were still there, and it may take a few more weeks before we see any obvious changes.
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The Bottom Line
For its ability to provide moisture without a hint of oiliness, our number one pick for the best cruelty-free moisturizer is Yes To Tomatoes Balancing Moisturizer.
We love that it contains ingredients that may keep oil at bay and prevent new breakouts. It may also work for mature or aging skin as the lycopene in this moisturizer may prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
This moisturizer, along with the other products on this list, may give you soft and moisturized skin that looks healthy and radiant.
Moreover, you can rest easy, knowing that these moisturizers are never tested on animals.
Remember to check and do your research to make sure that your skin care products and other cosmetics are truly cruelty-free.
