Toothpaste

There are very few beauty items that are as essential as toothpaste, which happens to be one of the most difficult vegan items to find. A great vegan and cruelty-free toothpaste is Pure Beginnings. Pure Beginnings is sugar-free, containing xylitol instead, and is free of the ever controversial fluoride. Pure Beginnings is available from Wellness Warehouse and various Dischem stores.

Deodorant and Antiperspirant

There are many vegan and cruelty-free deodorant and antiperspirant options on the market, with everything from a crystal stick to home made options. However, if a simple and convenient deodorant is what you are searching for then try the Oh So Heavenly range. Oh So Heavenly has various selections of antiperspirant in sprays and roll-ons, deodorants, body mists and even perfume. Oh So Heavenly is available at various Clicks outlets.

Sunblock

This is another essential that many of us can't do without, especially in the hot and sunny climate of South Africa. To protect yourself from these dangerous UV rays try Oh So Natural Sunscreen from Hey Gorgeous. It's made with sun-protecting coconut oil that will leave your skin feeling perfectly moisturized and sun-burn free. You can purchase Hey Gorgeous on their online store.

Shampoo and Conditioner

A wonderful vegan and cruelty free brand is the Good Stuff. The Good Stuff offers an amazing range of body and hair care products. Their shampoos and conditioners will leave your hair feeling vibrant, soft and full of life. They are also quite affordable, unlike other vegan and cruelty free hair products. The Good Stuff is available at Dischem and selected Pick n Pays.

Body Wash and Lotion

Oh So Heavenly is definitely a well-loved favourite vegan and cruelty free brand. They have skincare, hair care and baby care products among others. They also have adorable little gifts packs, which is how I first discovered their great body wash , soap and body lotion. All of their bath and body products smell wonderful and leave skin feeling super soft and revitalised. I recommend their Coconut Cream and Macadamia Oil collection, which pairs perfectly with their French Vanilla Body Spray. Oh So Heavenly is available at Clicks.

Facial Essentials

What constitutes as a facial essential is debatable from woman to woman. I consider sunblock to be the only skin essential but Shirley, next to me, insists she would need her cleansing milk day and night even if she were stranded on an island. No matter what you consider to be a facial essential, Iwori is the best vegan and cruelty-free brand for that gorgeous facial glow. Iwori has everything from toner to cleansing milk made with powerful African ingredients from the Marula tree, Baobab tree and Rooibos bush. All of their products are free from silicone, phthalates, sulphates, parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, propylene glycol and animal ingredients and by-products. You can find Iwori at Clicks stores.

Baby

Like facial essentials, women will consider what is an essential item for their babies to be debatable. So instead of choosing individual products, we have listed a range. Beautiful Earth's products are all vegan, cruelty-free and environmentally friendly. They have a baby range which has baby barrier cream, baby hair and body wash and baby breathe easy chest rub among others. Beautiful Earth is available at Beauty on TApp, Eco Mom and Fresh Earth Food Store.

Check out our Best Vegan Beauty Luxuries guide for more.

For more information about vegan and cruelty free products, visit Beauty Without Cruelty's Humane Guide.

*Always read the labels first to make sure the products are vegan and certified by Beauty Without Cruelty*