When the days get warmer and longer, heavier creams can trap sweat and oil under your skin, clogging pores, leaving you with greasy congested skin. In the summer, we need lighter hydration that absorbs quickly, and works well with your sun cream.
We've rounded 7 certified cruelty-free and vegan moisturisers to cater for all skin types, al under £40.
1. Evolve Beauty True Balance Gel Cream
Best for: oily, acne-prone skin)
If your skin is oily or acne prone, it's important to use a lightweight moisturiser that is a liquid or gel. It's important that it is a comedogenic formula (doesn't clog pores and cause acne).
True Balance Gel Cream is a gel to cream formula. It leaves oily and acne prone skin clear, hydrated and healthy.
The moringa peptides rebalance natural oil production while Noni plant stem cells is anti inflammatory. Hyaluronic acid helps to ensure skin is hydrated and doesn't dry out.
Evolve handcraft everything in small batches at their Hertfordshire eco-studio, which runs on 100% renewable energy. They're B Corp certified, vegan, cruelty-free and COSMOS Natural certified.
Price:£26 (50ml)
2. Pai Pioneer Moisturiser (for oily, blemish-prone skin that's also sensitive)
Best for: oily, blemish-prone skin that's also sensitive
A fast-absorbing moisturiser for blemish-prone, oily skin. It works to hydrate the dry bits, control the shiny bits and rebalance the rest. Customers love it because it's hydrating and non-greasy, helping to minimise blemishes, blackheads and excess oil. Makeup artists love it because it leaves a beautiful matte finish, the perfect canvas.
There's a difference between glowing skin and shiny skin. And this moisturiser is the difference. A unique formula that respects sensitivity, while giving combination skin exactly what it needs.
The secret is Thistle Oil, one of nature's richest sources of linoleic acid, the specific fatty acid that oily and blemish-prone skin tends to lack. Replenishing it helps rebalance your skin's oil production and reduce the appearance of pores. The result is a matte finish that makeup goes on top of like a dream.
The matte finish controls shine throughout the day without drying your skin out. It's formulated with geranium and thistle to hydrate, mattify and balance.
This product has been clinically tested on sensitive skin, as has the entire range of Pai Skincare Their products are also certified organic, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Price: £39 (50ml)
3. Flawless Double Balancing Cream
Best for: oily and combination skin
Combination skin — oily forehead, dry cheeks, spots and flaky patches at the same time — is one of the hardest skin types to moisturise well. You need something that hydrates where it's needed and mattifies where it's not, without picking sides.
The Flawless Double Balancing Cream does exactly that. Argan oil soothes and softens. Hyaluronic acid hydrates gently. And seaweed extract helps control shine and refine pores.
The formula is lightweight, absorbs quickly, and layers well under makeup. At £6.90 for the 30ml size, it's the most affordable moisturiser on this list by a clear margin.
Flawless is a small vegan beauty brand handcrafting everything in small batches in Wales. They're 100% vegan, cruelty-free, PETA approved and palm oil free. Their products are formulated to professional salon standards — effective, no-fuss skincare at prices that won't make you wince.
Price: £6.90 (30ml), £10.95 (60ml)
Check out the Flawless balancing cream in store.
4. Beauty Kitchen Abyssinian Oil Hydra Boost Day Cream
Best for: normal-to-dry skin
For most people, you should have swap your usual moisturiser for a lighter summer formula even if your skin tends to dryness.
The star ingredient is abyssinian oil — a plant oil that hydrates and nourishes without clogging pores. It's paired with Abysoft™ to help lock in moisture and support the skin barrier, and shea butter for that soft, comfortable feeling without any greasiness.
Another key ingredient is bakuchiol- the vegan alternative to retinol: for helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines. It's been clinically proven to help reduce uneven texture and boost radiance, but without the irritation or the increased sun sensitivity that traditional retinol can cause, which makes it a great ingredient in summer moisturisers.
This is another certified, vegan, cruelty-free British product. Beauty Kitchen also run a returnable packaging programme called Reposit — send your empties back and get money off your next order. It's a genuinely circular model, not just "recyclable."
Price: £18 (60ml)
5. Green People Scent Free Light Moisturiser (for sensitive, reactive skin)
This moisturiser is completely fragrance-free, featherlight, fast-absorbing and clinically proven for sensitive skin. It won't clog pores and it won't aggravate conditions like eczema, rosacea or psoriasis.
Prebiotic Inulin balances the skin’s microbiome and helps to hydrate skin White willow bark acts as a natural alternative to salicylic acid, gently refining pores without irritation. Pineapple extract helps remove dead skin cells. And chamomile calms everything down.
Green People is certified vegan cruelty-free and organic. They also commit to donate 10% of profits to charity.
Price: £28 (50ml)
6. UpCircle Face Moisturiser
Best for: all younger skin types
A lightweight, fast-absorbing and non-greasy cream. The key ingredient is finely ground argan shell powder (rich in vitamin E) which helps to strengthen and protect the skin. Aloe vera soothes, cocoa butter conditions, and blood orange gives a subtle brightening lift.
This is a multi award winning upcycled beauty product from UpCircle, which is a 100% natural, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Price: £21.50 (60ml)
Check out the UpCircle Face Moisturiser in store.
7. UpCircle Night Cream with Blueberry Extract
Best for: mature skin that needs less in summer
This is my personal favourite and something I've discovered through my own skincare routine.
The UpCircle Night Cream is marketed as a night cream, but in summer I use it as my main moisturiser, day and night, without any additional oils or serums. It's surprisingly lightweight for a product aimed at mature skin. It melts in without leaving a greasy residue, and the results speak for themselves: skin that feels plump, even-toned and comfortable, without the heaviness that most creams aimed at mature skin tend to bring.
The cold-pressed blueberry extract is the hero. It's repurposed from the juicing industry — 1kg of this extract contains the oil of 800,000 berries that would otherwise go to waste. It's a natural source of pro-retinol (vitamin A), which helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and uneven skin tone. Niacinamide helps even things out further and refine the appearance of pores. Hyaluronic acid keeps the skin hydrated and plump. And rosehip oil supports overnight skin repair.
Don't let labels fool you. A "night cream" that works beautifully as a summer day cream is just a good moisturiser doing its job.
Price: £21.50 (55ml)
Check out the UpCircle Night Cream in store.
The vegan and cruelty-free bit: what's the difference?
These two terms get used together so often that it's easy to assume they mean the same thing. They don't.
Cruelty-free means the product — and the ingredients in it — haven't been tested on animals. Vegan means the product doesn't contain any animal-derived ingredients. Think beeswax, lanolin (from sheep's wool), carmine (a red pigment made from crushed insects), or silk proteins.
A product can be cruelty-free but not vegan — for example, a lip balm made with beeswax that hasn't been tested on animals. And in theory, a product could be vegan but not cruelty-free, though that's rare.
All seven moisturisers on this list are both. But it's always worth checking the label, because plenty of brands claim one without the other.
Do you actually need a different moisturiser in summer?
For most people, yes.
When it's warmer, your skin produces more oil. If you're still using the same winter moisturiser it's probably trapping oil and sweat, clogging pores and leaving your face feeling heavy.
But skipping moisturiser is also a no no. Dehydrated skin, even oily skin, overcompensates by producing even more oil. What you want is a lighter formula that keeps your skin hydrated without adding unnecessary weight.
What all seven have in common
Every moisturiser on this list is certified vegan, cruelty-free.
If you'd like to explore more British brands doing things properly, have a read of our post on 10 sustainable British beauty brands that are actually worth It.
The UpCircle, and Flawless products are available at Green Trading Store. The rest are available directly from each brand's own website.