Are you trying out veganism this year? Welcome to the club! I was vegan for almost two years and it was life-changing. One thing people don’t tell you about going vegan is the amount of animal products that are hidden in everyday items.
As the world is becoming more animal-conscious, we are too! So we wanted to give you a quick guide to what products you should avoid when you’re going vegan. Whether it’s food (spoiler: gummy candy is probably not vegan), household items, or even reusable shopping bags, we’ve got you covered – here are some everyday items you probably don’t know aren’t vegan!
Food Items
We all know the obvious non-vegan foods to avoid (meat, dairy products, and honey), but some might not be as obvious.
A number of breakfast cereals have sheep grease hidden in them to make them shinier. Yummy, healthy breakfast, right?
The popular ‘Red #4’ food coloring that’s usually found in candies, red makeup, and juice is often made using crushed-up beetles, so you’ll want to avoid that ingredient. Also, some gelatin candies (specifically Haribo) have not-so-secret animal parts in them. These brands use gelatin, which is often made from boiling bones, cartilage, skin, and other discards from dead animals’ bodies.
If you’re a big fan of fruit juices, we suggest you do your research on these, too, as popular brands like Tropicana and Minute Maid have fish oil, gelatin, sheep’s wool, and the infamous Red #4 in them as well.
While we’re on the subject of fruit drinks, check your wine to make sure it’s vegan. While this beverage might not have animal products listed in the ingredients, some wines use ‘fining agents’ to remove the yeast, cloudiness, and other undesirable colors in the wine – these fining agents are animal products.
While there are vegan alternatives to all of these products, it’s good to know what to look out for in food you might not think about!
Household Items
I know we all love our reusable bags, but some bags might be made with animal fat. The animal fat is used to reduce friction and static in the material. Make sure when you’re purchasing your bags that they say vegan and don’t assume.
You also might want to check out any rubber or latex items that might be in your house – chances are they’re not vegan. Condoms are some of the most obvious non-vegan items. If you’re picking them up at any regular store, they’ve probably been made with casein (a protein derived from milk). Make sure that you’re shopping vegan when it comes to your sex toys and condoms!
If you’re ridding your house of animal products, check your candles as well. Depending on how you approach veganism (some vegans do eat honey, and therefore, this won’t apply to them), your candles might not be vegan if they contain beeswax.
Make sure your candles are made from soy, coconut, or rapeseed wax, or a blend of natural vegetable waxes. Many candle companies use animal fats and beeswax to make their candles easier to harden.
Shop Vegan Household Items
Cleaning Products
Many cleaning products have sneaky non-vegan ingredients in them that you might not know about.
When you’re shopping for cleaning products, look for caprylic acid, tallow, animal lecithin, beeswax, and lanolin. If your products have any of these ingredients, they aren’t vegan.
Thankfully, just like there’s a cruelty-free bunny symbol on vegan beauty products, there’s a Leaping Bunny on vegan cleaning products!
Shop Vegan Cleaning Products
Beauty Products
Vegan beauty products are thankfully very popular right now and only gaining popularity. The problem with finding vegan beauty products is that it requires a lot more research than one would think.
Yes, look at the ingredients and know what to look for. Many shampoos and conditioners have lecithin in them which is taken from an animal source. One ingredient vegans especially want to avoid (especially in their shampoos and conditioners) is keratin. While keratin has many beauty benefits, it’s made with animal ingredients (and it’s not pretty).
Also, make sure that your makeup and beauty products haven’t been tested on animals. They should say ‘cruelty-free’ and most likely will advertise that they’re 100% vegan.
Shop Vegan Beauty Products
Medicine
While you shouldn’t stop taking your medication, you might want to do a bit of research into the products coating your pills. Some medication has a gelatin coating. If you find that the medication you’ve been prescribed isn’t animal-free, ask your doctor or pharmacist for a vegan alternative.
Shop Vegan Medicine
Razors
Yes, even razors aren’t safe! Do you know that soft surrounding that your blade has around it? It’s called the ‘moisture strip’ and it’s usually made from animal fat. Razor brands like Billie and other popular brands are actually vegan. Just double-check on the FAQs online!
Shop Vegan Razors
Toothpaste
It might be time to switch to a vegan or all-natural toothpaste. Many toothpaste companies use animal-based glycerin in their ingredients. The most common brands to avoid are Crest, Colgate, Sensodyne, Arm & Hammer, Aquafresh, Biotene, and Spry. Thankfully, all-natural toothpastes are everywhere and that’s an easy fix!
Shop Vegan Toothpastes
Did you know about these commonly missed non-vegan products? Did we forget any? Comment below!
For More Vegan-Friendly Articles, Read These Next:
