Best eco-friendly moisturisers

Cruelty-free, vegan formula and one of their best-selling products, this face moisturiser from Neal’s Yard is a must-have. The brand always creates heavenly scented products and this one using frankincense essential oil is to die for. This face moisturiser is best suited for either mature skin or skin that’s slightly on the dryer side, as its rich formula has been clinically proven to provide up to 24 hours of hydration.

Customer review: “This moisturiser is such a comfort at the end of the day - perfectly moisturising with the relaxation and anti-ageing benefits of Frankincense.”

Enriched with Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, the Vitamin E Moisture Day Cream from The Body Shop will give your skin a much-needed boost. Weightless, this moisturiser leaves your face feeling soft, smooth and plump. It's fast absorbing and replenishes skin moisture and vital hydration for 48 hours.

Tried and Tested by Commercial Content Writer, Piper Huxley:

"This face cream is lightweight, absorbs easily and helps me feel hydrated - for sure."

This moisturiser created by dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting has been made for those with problematic and spot-prone skin. The luxurious cream-gel formula is fragrance free to avoid irritation and non-comedogenic, so as to not block pores. It glides over skin and sinks in leaving your skin feeling comfortable and hydrated. The packaging is also recyclable too.

Tested by Bryony Firth-Bernard, commercial content writer for Yours: "I use all of Dr Sam's skincare products for my acne-prone skin and I love them. Dr Sam describes her moisturiser as ‘a hug for your skin’ and she couldn't be more right. The cream has a velvety texture and glides effortlessly across my bumpy skin. There was no sticky residue and my face was left feeling plump and hydrated. It doesn't cause further breakouts and I love the fact it's fragrance free and doesn't block pores."

You can't go wrong with their Seahorse Plankton Bright Night Intensive Cream, which works as you sleep to give you a hydrated, dewy complexion in the morning. Its marine extracts help reduce fine lines, wrinkles and boosts collagen for a healthy, youthful complexion. Also, it claims to smell like a spa in a jar, what’s not to love?

Customer review: “I love this night cream, one of my favourites. Texture is thick but not heavy with a lovely scent. Glad this comes in a lovely jar so no wastage.”

Treat your body to a little TLC with this luxurious body cream from UpCircle. This award-winning body cream is packed with shea butter, linseed and olive oil to give your skin the true nourishment it deserves. It’s also made with the anti-inflammatory extract of leftover date seeds, making this product perfect for also reducing inflammation and redness. 

Tried and Tested by Commercial Content Writer, Piper Huxley: "This is such a lovely body cream! Not too thick and a little goes a long way. My skin is very dry and thirsty - and this helps a little. Love UpCircle and its ethos - get this refilled every few months, which is cost effective."

If you wake up with dry and dull looking skin and are in need of a little pick-me-up, then applying the GinZing Ultra-Hydrating Energy-Boosting Cream will be a real treat. This moisturiser contains hyaluronic acid to quench dehydrated skin, caffeine and salicylic acid. It claims to give you an amazing 72-hours of hydration and has a citrusy, orange scent.

Customer review: “I fell in love with this cream after the first use. I love the light texture, smell and I was complimented on how glowing my skin looks. The 50ml lasted for 9 months! Buying it again.”

This light day cream deeply moisturises and soothes skin. The Skin Academy Zero Day Cream has been enriched with shea butter for its natural healing properties and coconut oil, which helps to reduce inflammation, whilst also deeply moisturising the skin. 

Customer review: "I usually find it extremely difficult to find creams that work with my skin, but this is perfect for me. The cream has a lovely, but not overpowering smell and absorbs into the skin within seconds. I've got to say this is miles better than many of the more expensive brands I have purchased in the past. Plus it's 100% natural and vegan!! Absolutely lush!"

Cruelty-free and made in Scotland, this Ishga Anti-oxidant Marine Cream is suitable for all skin types. Made with Hebridean seaweed, this certified organic moisturiser is full of natural goodness. It is brightening, freshening and smooths all those fine lines. It's clean, all-natural and detoxifying. Containing shea butter, macadamia, fatty acids and vitamin E, it's packed with everything you need.

Tried and Tested by Commercial Content Writer, Piper Huxley:

"Wow - this seaweed marine cream is perfect. It smooths my skin out like you wouldn't believe. You only need a tiny amount as it spreads so well. I've added it to my skincare routine and it refreshes my skin post-make-up cleanse so well. It's truly special. You're in safe hands with this moisturiser."

This luxury The Perfector™ Hydrating Solid Face Cream Mini from B Corp Ethique can be used as a day or night cream for dry or normal skin. It’s packed full of skin-good ingredients, including kokum butter, jojoba, and hydrating hyaluronic acid, and we love its compostable cardboard packaging.

Tested by Eleanor Weaver, commercial content writer for Yours:

"I had never used solid bar moisturisers before, so this was definitely a new concept for me, but I loved the innovative way Ethique has sought to eliminate the use of plastic.

You simply need to warm the bar between your hands and use the residue on your palms to apply to your face. Make sure to store your bar in a cool, dry place; otherwise, you'll find they 'melt' a little of their own accord.

The cream felt thick, a little oily and deeply moisturising, so I definitely would recommend it to dry or mature skin as they suggest. That said, it didn't cause my combination skin to break out in any way, and my skin felt richly hydrated in the morning. The scent is quite subtle, with a buttery shea and coconut scent being the most prevalent."

This Jurlique Moisture Replenishing Day Cream has a high-performance combination of emollients, including avocado and safflower oils, shea butter and beeswax to hydrate and restore skin's suppleness. A small, pearl-sized amount also goes a long way, so this 125ml bottle will last you a long time.

Tested by Eleanor Weaver, commercial content writer for Yours: "This moisturiser is more expensive than others on this list, but it does last a long time as a little goes a long way. I found this moisturiser to be lovely and hydrating, leaving my skin to feel smooth and enriched after application. The brand is big on its botanicals and natural ingredients, and this comes across in the beautiful floral smell. It's a really well-balanced thickness, not too thick or thin, a testament to its quality. Like other reviewers, I found that my skin felt soft with had a refreshing glow."

This replenishing moisturiser is rich in vitamins that hydrate, soothe and transform your skin to give you a natural glow, such as cacay oil, passionfruit seed oil and centella asiatica leaf extract.

Tried and tested by Eleanor Weaver, commercial content writer for Yours:

"The packaging for this cream was really gorgeous, with the petite glass bottle coming in a fan-out box, with beautiful floral patterns. From the offset, the moisturiser looked like it was of great quality and luxurious - I would happily give this as a gift.

"Compared to other creams I tried, the moisturiser itself was of a looser consistency and really light, making it feel silky smooth when applying to my skin. I actually really liked the fact it was light as I felt my skin could still breathe beneath the layer of cream, making it feel comfortable, hydrating, and refreshing."I also really liked that this cream includes an Anti-Blue Light Complex to help protect your skin - as I'm constantly sat in front of my laptop screen, phone or TV, I felt this cream was a great everyday option for keeping my skin feeling and looking its best."