Spread the Soft Glow: Vegan Products for the ‘Butter Skin’ Trend

Move over, glass skin—there’s a new glow in town. It’s called “butter skin,” and no, it doesn’t involve smearing your face with cruel dairy. Butter skin is all about deep hydration and protecting the skin barrier to achieve a soft, smooth, and plump complexion. It’s fresh and youthful—but not overly dewy or wet. Inspired by the layering principles of Korean skincare, the butter skin routine combines gentle cleansers, tightening toners, nourishing serums, hydrating moisturizers, and SPF. The result? Skin that’s soft like vegan butter.

Butter Me Up! Here’s How to Get Butter Skin With All Vegan Products

1. Gently Cleanse

A two-step gentle cleanse is key to achieving a fresh face: You want to remove dirt and makeup while keeping your skin’s natural moisture intact. Start with a lightweight cleansing solution, such as Max Green Alchemy’s Elemeni Cleansing Milk, which is designed to calm and clean the skin. Or, opt for a cleansing oil like Dermalogica’s Precleanse Cleansing Oil, which easily melts away layers of even the longest-lasting makeup, sunscreen, and daily grime.

Follow up with a calming face wash that purifies without stripping. Youth to the People’s Superfood Cleanser, formulated with superfood antioxidants, or Alchimie Forever’s Purifying Gel Cleanser will leave your skin fresh and balanced.

2. Tone It Up

Think of toner as priming your skin’s canvas. It helps tighten pores, restore your skin’s natural pH balance, and prep your face so that treatments and moisturizers can absorb more effectively. Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant smooths your skin’s texture and brightens your complexion, all while being sensitive skin-friendly. Biossance’s Squalane + 2% BHA Pore Minimizing Toner is formulated with white willowbark extract that exfoliates dead skin cells, and sugarcane-derived squalane that adds lightweight hydration to the skin. The Lowen’s Get Toned! Vegan Aloe Vera Toner is a gentle, 8-ingredient facial toner with lavender and organic aloe vera for a simple, natural, and soothing skincare boost.

3. Slather With Serums

This is your skin’s power hour. It’s time to tackle specific skin concerns, from dryness to dullness to aging, with concentrated, nutrient-packed serums.

Start with a vitamin C serum to brighten, deliver anti-aging antioxidants, even out skin tone, and refine texture, like the Dr. Botanicals Vitamin C 3% & Polyglutamic Acid Complex 1% & Brightening Facial Serum. If dry skin is your downfall, quench your skin and help it retain moisture with a hyaluronic acid treatment—like The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Serum.

Finally, layer on a peptide serum to help repair damage, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and leave your skin looking perfectly plump —Acure’s AI Peptide Serum is a standout choice.

4. Lock It In

Follow up your skin-saving treatments by sealing them in with a moisturizer. Choose a formula packed with ceramides, which are natural fats that support your skin’s barrier, locking in moisture and keeping irritants out. Pacifica’s Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream, Skinfix’s Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream, and Bliss’s Mighty Biome Pre/Post Biotics + Barrier Aid™ Moisturizer are all great options.

For your nighttime routine, choose Odacité’s Restorative Night Cream. It deeply nourishes and rejuvenates your skin with vitamin C and Ashwagandha while you sleep, leaving it soft, radiant, and refreshed by morning.

5. Secure the SPF

Skin care is never complete without sun protection. For daytime, finish your routine with a mineral sunscreen that’s tinted to avoid any white cast—like Juice Beauty’s SPF 30 Matte Oil-Free Moisturizer or the Mychelle Sun Shield Liquid SPF 30, both of which are creamy, non-greasy, and absorb effortlessly into the skin.

Kind Skin Care Is Butter for You (and Animals!)

Keep in mind—you don’t need every product on this list to have healthy, glowing skin. Everyone’s skin is different, so tailor your routine to your unique needs, and consider checking in with a dermatologist to make sure your skin care is serving you.

Trends may come and go, but one thing never changes: True beauty comes from compassion. Mice snuggle with their families, rats are curious and intelligent, and bees “dance” to communicate with one another. Every time you choose vegan (no animal-derived ingredients like carmine or beeswax) and cruelty-free (not tested on animals) products, you’re protecting animals who feel, explore, and bond, just like humans do. Explore PETA’s Ultimate Cruelty-Free List to find brands that let you care for your skin—and animals.