As you’re no doubt aware by now, animals and parts of them show up in almost everything!
You can read all about the many ways they are used in cosmetics, and therefore which ingredients to avoid, and a list of common foods that contain animal ingredients, here.
But you may be further surprised to learn how much they are used in every day items found in the home.
It seems it never ends! But don’t worry, as of course you don’t have to go and live in a cave and gather berries in order to avoid them. We don’t show you only what to avoid, but also the amazing array of alternatives from wonderful vegan companies that you can swap them out for.
Remember that our goal is to do our best in a very imperfect world. Wherever we can make a change and a positive difference, we should do so. Unfortunately, there are still some things we cannot either change or avoid, and in those cases we must accept them, as there are bigger and more effective things we CAN do.
Here’s a list of every day household items that you might not be aware probably contain parts of animals.
Fabric Softener
Apart from usually being tested on animals, (depending on the country these days), most fabric softeners contain rendered animal fat, – usually from cows and pigs, and sometimes horses. This may be listed as dehydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride. The fat is used as a cationic surfactant, which basically changes the way that water behaves, essentially making it more effective at picking up dirt and oil, and leaving the clothes soft following the wash.
Laundry Detergent
Fabric softeners may also contain stearic acid, and it is this which works t dislodge oil, grime and grease from the surface of the clothes. This is the same function it has in soaps and shower gels and shampoos – however, it is very commonly animal -derived.
Dryer Sheets
And….. once again, – fatty acids! You know which fat, by now, right? Animal fat, of course.
Playing Cards
Stearic acid is found in the form of zinc stearate in the coating of playing cards. This is to ensure the cards “fan” smoothly and don’t stick to each other in the deck.
This is the same issue with bank notes around the world. You may remember a few years ago there was an outcry over the new bank notes in the UK, now that the Bank of England had taken the decision to use the polymer in the new notes. Unfortunately, this means that bank notes are not vegan friendly. However, it is impossible to avoid them, and other than card payments, – which come with their own set of problems, there is no alternative.
LCD Screens
The screens of your TVs, computers, tablets, and cell phones likely contain animal cholesterol.
Currently, there is no way to avoid this either, as there are no ‘vegan screen’ companies that we know of.
Photo Paper
Unfortunately, both home use and commercial photo printing paper contain gelatine. This animal-derived ingredient is used to hold silver halide crystals in an emulsion – which is what produces the glossy effect. If we learn of any vegan photo paper, we will certainly write about it here and make sure you get to hear about it too.
Glue
It depends on the type of glue, but some varieties contain gelatine. These animal-based glues are traditionally used in bookbinding and woodworking (including furniture and musical instruments). However, PVA glues are usually vegan-friendly.
Pritt Stick and Elmers glues are all vegan friendly, as are Gorilla Glue products.
If you’re into card-making or other crafts, Glue Dots are also vegan friendly.
Over at I Am Going Vegan, Tyler McFarland has a dedicated page all about vegan glues.
Fertilizers and plant food
Bone meal, fish, ground shells and feathers are often used in fertilizers and plant food. Luckily there are many vegan, plant-based compost fertilizers available.
Paint for the home
Most paint, including latex-based paints and “natural paints”, contain casein, which is a cow milk protein. The colour pigment may come from animal derived ingredients, often bones. Paints may also of course be tested on animals, which would make them non vegan even if they don’t contain animal ingredients.
The other key thing to bear in mind about paints is the harm they can do to the environment. Trying to bear these factors in mind when it’s time to redecorate can make finding the right paint a huge task in itself, before you even get started stripping those walls!
However, – environmentally friendly, vegan paints are available! Yeey!
Organic Natural Paint carries a large vegan line and is in the process of transitioning to only stocking vegan paints.
Earthborn paints are in the majority vegan friendly. Check the individual colours.
Lakeland paints are all vegan.
Victory Colours – a small company based in Dorset, offers only vegan paints across their entire range.
Tyres
The great majority of tyres are not vegan. This is due to, stearic acid,- again! Is there anywhere that animal fat is not used? In tyres, the stearic acid is used to enhance the flexibility, strength and grip of the rubber against the road.
You can get vegan tyres though!! Michelin – one of the most widely known and oldest tyre manufacturers, derive all their stearic acid from plant sources, which means that their entire range is vegan and you can obtain tyres for all and any type of vehicle! Hurray for the Michelin Man!
Plastic Bags
Since we actually have to purchase those single use (or even extra durable, re-usable) plastic bags at the store, many people have taken to ensuring they always have some with them or to using cloth bags, as the charge was intended to drive down usage in order to protect the environment. But of you needed another reason to avoid getting them because you forgot (again!) you bring your own, it’s worth knowing that they contain … animal fat… again!
Just as with most places we find animal fat, (basically EVERYWHERE, if you haven’t noticed that trend yet), in plastic bags it acts as a ‘slip agent’, so that the bags slide away from each other and open easily.
For the best alternative, switch to cloth bags.
Biodegradable Bin Bags
Making the switch to biodegradable bin bags rather than stuffing landfill sites with plastic ones is absolutely a move in the right direction, and something we should all be doing.
Do be aware, however, that lactic acid (from cows’ milk) is usually added to the bag material to help it deteriorate when it comes into contact with bacteria or through exposure to sunlight. Lactic acid can be derived from plants, but unless your biodegradable trash bags are specifically labelled vegan, then they most likely aren’t.
Ethical Superstore stocks vegan friendly biodegradable bags.
CANDLES
The great majority of candles are made of tallow – animal fat, – again!
Animal fat is really the oldest ingredient that has been used for thousands of years for things such as candles and soaps.
Luxury candles often contain beeswax.
Vegan candles abound however!
Check out the wonderful range at:
Vegan Bunny –
The New Haven Project – this company began as a way of raising funds for animals to be adopted that would have otherwise been sent to the slaughterhouses, so we strongly recommend checking them out.
Pacifica – this well-known vegan perfume brand also make candles, and of course, their entire range is vegan. Now you can enjoy smells such as Hawaiian Ruby Guava and Island Vanilla radiating through the house.
Razors
A lot of disposable razors have a soft waxy strip above the razor blades, and sometimes below too. This strip is commonly made from glycerine which can be taken from animal fat or plant derived. It can be quite difficult to find ingredients on razor packets, and even if listed, they are not likely to state the source of the glycerine.
However, Honesty Cosmetics has a huge cruelty free selection. They sell Preserve Razors which are not only vegan but also made from 100% recycled plastic.
The Estrid 5 blade razor is a consciously designed beauty tool, 100% vegan, and available here.
Some vitamins, supplements or prescriptions aren’t vegan.
It’s not uncommon for the casings of pills and tablets, including supplements, to be made of gelatine. Some vitamins or supplements may also contain animal by-products such as milk derivatives. Prescription medication is tested on animals too. This is extremely unfortunate but being vegan is about avoiding animal products as far as is possible and practicable. No-one should ever eschew prescribed medication.
When it comes to vitamins and other supplements however, simply look for the vegan version!
Stockists like Holland and Barrett have a massive array of vegan friendly vitamins and supplements, so you are sure to find what you need.
TOOTHPASTE
There are a lot of brands of toothpaste out there, – and unfortunately, most of them are not vegan.
Glycerine derived from animals is a common ingredient in toothpastes, and of course, in a lot of countries they will have been tested on animals.
Always remember, as with any product out there, if they aren’t mentioning on the packaging that the product and its ingredients have not been tested on animals and are vegan, then it’s 99% likely that it has been tested on animals and the ingredients are not animal-free.
Once again though, vegan toothpaste is something that has been around for a while, so no need to stop brushing your teeth! (And thank goodness for that!)
Happier Beauty is a vegan tooth care brand. They like to take environmental responsibility too!
Vegan beauty brand Kiss My Face offer toothpaste among their product range.
Davids, Marvis, and Bite are also 100% vegan brands.
