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Jell-O - Jell-O has been consumed in some shape or form for centuries. The thing that makes Jell-O what it is, of course, is gelatin, an ingredient which is usually derived from animal collagen. Many gelatin products today, even the sweet, fruity ones, are still made using animals bones and skins.

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Capsules -

Gelatin is also often used to create the capsules for medication. Many find these softer capsules preferable to hard pills, but choose your remedy carefully if you're a vegan!

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Perfume -

Many perfumes and colognes contain a substance called castoreum. It comes from drying out certain parts of a beaver's behind that you certainly wouldn't want anywhere near you. That smoky beaver scent apparently provides a unique musk.

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Beer - Some brands of beer use a type of collagen called isinglass in the clarification process. Isinglass is a substance extracted from the dried bladders of freshwater fish. It seems like no human vice is safe!

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Beer -

Guinness contained isinglass up until 2018, when they finally got rid of the fish guts and declared themselves vegan-friendly!

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Wine - Unfortunately, isinglass is also a common ingredient in winemaking. It helps to remove detritus from the wine before bottling, like bits of grape skin, pulp, and dead yeast.

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Condoms -

Latex is the key material used to make condoms, but they often also contain casein and glycerine. Casein is derived from milk protein and helps to make the rubber smoother and thinner.

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Condoms - The other problematic component is glycerine, which usually comes from animal fats. Glycerine can also be derived from plant-based sources like vegetable oils, but most brands use the animal version.

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Crayons -

Stearic acid is a waxy substance that helps products like crayons solidify and hold their shape. This might be traumatizing for vegans out there, but the nostalgic smell of a crayon is basically the smell of processed beef fat!

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Plastic bags -

Stearic acid is also used to coat the surface of plastic bags to prevent them from sticking together. Yet another reason to bring your own reusable bags from home.

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Jelly -

Red preserves that are highly processed and use artificial coloring often contain a colorant called carmine. Carmine is a brightly colored powder obtained by crushing the shells of the red cochineal beetle.

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Red candy -

Carmine is also used in many other red food products, like candy, strawberry ice-cream or syrup, and even cinnamon-flavored gum.

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Bagels - A lot of processed bread products like bagels contain an enzyme called L. Cysteine. L. Cysteine doesn't just come from animals–it comes from humans too! It's extracted from bird feathers, hog hair, and human hair. It can be made synthetically but the process is expensive, so most brands just go with hair and feathers.

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Panera Bread -

This explains why the popular American bakery chain Panera Bread proudly proclaims on their website that their bagels aren't made with feathers or human hair! That one definitely needs some context.

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Fabric softener -

Many fabric softeners contain a chemical called tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride. That long scientific name simply describes ammonia mixed with rendered animal fat. It uses fat from cows, sheep, and horses. This substance is found in almost all fabric softeners, so it takes some effort to find a vegan alternative.

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Sugar -

In the US and many other countries, bone char is used to filter sugar during the production process. Bone char is a porous, black, granular material produced by charring animal bones. It's used for white, brown, and icing sugar.

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Sugar - It helps sugar to achieve its white color, so the whiter the sugar, the more bone char has been used! The use of bone char has been widely phased out in the EU, UK, and Australia.

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Shampoo and conditioner - According to PETA, there are more than 20 different animal ingredients you might find in your shampoo or conditioner. One example is keratin. It's a popular ingredient often mentioned in advertisements these days.

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Shampoo and conditioner -

Keratin is often derived from the hooves, hair, horns, and scales of various animals. Keratin, and many of the other animal ingredients, can also be obtained from plant sources, so it's difficult to know when you're looking at the back of the bottle. The safest bet is to choose a vegan or cruelty-free brand.

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Toothpaste - Glycerine, which you may remember is a key ingredient in condoms, is also commonly found in toothpaste. Not only is this a sneakily hidden animal product, it has also come under recent scrutiny. Research suggests it may actually demineralize your teeth.

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Nail polish - Shiny products like nail polish or lipstick often contain guanine, a substance obtained from fish scales. It's sometimes listed in the ingredients as "pearl essence."

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Makeup powders -

Guanine is also used in a lot of shimmery powdered products, such as eye shadows, bronzers, and highlighters.

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Lip balm -

Lip balms and chapsticks commonly contain a chemical called squalene. Squalene is derived from shark liver oil. Luckily, it can also be found in plant-based sources. It has some impressive anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Deodorant -

Unfortunately deodorants can contain more than one animal-derived ingredient. They often contain either stearic acid or squalene.

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Brushes -

Many makeup brushes are made using animal hair, even if they are labeled as cruelty-free. They are most commonly sourced from foxes, sables, horses, goats, minks, and squirrels.

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False eyelashes -

Lots of false eyelashes are also made from animal hairs, particularly mink. There are plenty of synthetic options available.

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Soap -

Soap is one of the most common household products that contains animal ingredients. Many soaps contain stearic acid, glycerine, or oleic acid, all of which are derived from animal fat.

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Cake mix -

Cake mixes usually combine most of the cake ingredients in one box to make the process more convenient. Some will require you to add oil or butter, but others just add them to the mix to reduce the additional ingredients required. Check the ingredients carefully to see if they're using animal fats.

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Hostess CupCakes -

The famous American brand Hostess is known for making Twinkies and other packaged baked goods. Not only are their products not vegan, they're not even vegetarian! They're made using beef fat.

Sources: (One Green Planet) (Plant Based News) (Business Insider) (Listverse)

See also: Is animal testing a necessary evil?

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