As a company, Desert Essence is committed to working in ways that benefit our world while offering replenishing, effective products with good-for-you ingredients. One way we do that is by embracing vegan skin care. All of our products are vegetarian, and many are vegan. 

So what exactly is vegan skin care? By definition, vegan skin care is skin care that is not made from an animal or any animal byproduct. When you shop Desert Essence skin care, you can tell if a product is vegan if it features a vegan icon on its packaging. Additionally, you can check the “Ingredients” tab in each of our product descriptions — there will be an icon underneath “Certifiably Different.”

Now that you know what vegan skin care is and how to find it, what are some of the benefits of shopping vegan skin care at Desert Essence? We’ve got the answers ahead. 

Cruelty-Free

Not all Desert Essence products are vegan, as a few have small amounts of ingredients such as beeswax in their formulas. However, no animals are ever harmed in the making of our products. In fact, Desert Essence is certified cruelty-free through the Leaping Bunny Program. The making of vegan Desert Essence skincare products involves zero animal cruelty and animal byproducts.  

Rich With Good-For-You Ingredients  

Vegan beauty products can deliver radiant results with good-for-you components, especially when products take a cue from Mother Nature. At Desert Essence, our vegan, plant-based skin care harnesses the powers of botanical ingredients to moisturize your skin and give it a nourishing boost. In a product like Desert Essence Thoroughly Cleansing Face Wash, tea tree oil and olive oil-based Castile soap cleanse, while lavender, chamomile and calendula essential oils nourish with antioxidants and vitamins. With a facial oil like Desert Essence Balancing Face Oil, a blend of replenishing plant and pure essential oils help restore moisture. In this particular pick, organic jojoba oil calms oily areas without clogging pores, and organic pomegranate oil helps defend against environmental stressors with its antioxidant properties. 

To learn more about our different plant-based ingredients, check out our glossary of ingredients

Gentle on Sensitive Skin

Whether your skin type is oil-prone, dry or combination, you can reap benefits from a plant-powered formula. We’re proud to say that we skip artificial dyes and ingredients to take full advantage of pure essential oils and actual plant colors as we develop formulas that nourish all types of skin, including skin that tends to be more sensitive. For example, those with oil-prone, irritated skin can use a facial cleanser such as Desert Essence Cannabis Sativa & White Ginger Facial Cleansing Pads to help calm, clarify and cleanse skin without a stripping effect. Desert Essence Kinder to Skin Australian Tea Tree Oil is another plant-powered pick that helps soothe blemishes and other minor skin irritations with gently diluted tea tree oil. Those with scent sensitivities can also pick out hydrating, soothing fragrance-free options such as Desert Essence Fragrance-Free Body Wash and Desert Essence Fragrance-Free Hand and Body Lotion

Kind Option for the Planet

If you’re searching for vegan beauty that is kind to the planet, we’re proud to be one of your options with our strong commitment to caring for the world. For example, Desert Essence is a certified B-Corp Corporation that meets high standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. So what are some certifications you should look for in our products? 

Desert Essence chooses USDA-certified organic ingredients whenever possible and carries several certified organic products. We're also devoted to cultivating our non-certified organic ingredients sustainably. With 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil, for example, we aim to use solar energy, state-of-the-art irrigation and minimal pesticides. We also use 100% RSPO-Certified Sustainably Harvested Palm Oil in our soap bars; this ensures that our suppliers follow ethical standards to protect workers, wildlife and the environment. 


To learn all about the certifications to look for when choosing a Desert Essence vegan skincare product, stop by our Certifications page.