We have somehow figured out the most obscure and complicated ways to make certain products. Animal-derived parts and ingredients can be found in places you would never think to look. Companies that make these products know that if given the information, people will typically choose to use a product that doesn’t involve a weird body part of an animal. So, these corporations have learned to provide a list of ingredients that, to an untrained eye, seem harmless.

As animal lovers and conscious consumers, we try to avoid using products that cause any harm to other living beings at all costs – but there are many items that you would never even think twice about whether they contain animal ingredients or not!


Here is a list of ten products that contain bizarre and hidden animal ingredients and how to replace them.

1. Plastic Bags

The “slip agent,” or surface lubricant, used to keep plastic bags from sticking together is stearic acid. This long-chain fatty acid is derived from the rendering of beef fat. If you weren’t already convinced it was time to cut out plastic shopping bags completely, this should help convince make it easy to invest in some reusable bags.

2. Fabric Softener

Fabric softener is another product with rendered animal fat hiding in its ingredient list. Tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride, a common ingredient in these softeners, turns out to be a ridiculously complicated way of saying ammonia mixed with the rendered fat of cows, sheep and horses. This chemical is found in nearly all fabric softeners, so you’ll have to go out of your way to purchase a cruelty-free form to be safe!

3. Shampoo and Conditioner

According to PETA’s list of chemicals that contain animal products, there are over 20 potential animal-derived chemicals that can be found in your shampoo or conditioner. Unfortunately, many of those chemicals can be derived from either plants or animals making it difficult to determine exactly what you are buying. Keratin is a newer trend in the hair-care front. This chemical can be derived from hooves, animal hair, horns, scales and other keratinized animal parts. Your safest bet when shopping for shampoo and conditioner is to choose cruelty-free products.


4. Toothpaste

Glycerin is a common ingredient in many toothpastes and what gives the paste-like quality to it. Turns out the glycerin (which can be derived from plants), is cheaper to derive from the fat taken out of animal bones. Not only does it seem downright gross to brush your teeth with bone marrow, but recently glycerin has been under scrutiny in the dental field. It is suspected that the chemical actually demineralizes your teeth! So, next time your at the store, aim for a toothpaste with the animal-friendly rabbit logo.

5. Sugar

Refined sugar is not known to be the healthiest item to ingest. This white sugar is not the natural form of our favorite sweetener. To get the super refined, white look we are used to seeing U.S. companies filter cane sugar through cow bone char. Luckily, is is pretty easy to avoid this refining process. Buying the unrefined version of sugar is not only better for you, but way better for our cow friends. If you need white sugar, there are brands that use alternative refining processes. You can find these brands here.


6. Beer and Wine

Potentially the most devastating items to make this list, many beers and wines use animal products in their filtration process. Isinglass is a membrane taken from the bladders of certain fish. This membrane is used to filter the yeast extracts out of some of our favorite weekend drinks. Don’t fret! Barnivore is a guide for finding the best vegan beers, wines and liquors.

7. Gummy Candies

Gelatin has started to gain notoriety as a non-animal-friendly product. Gelatin is derived from the collagen in animal bones, connective tissue and skin. It is often used as a thickening and/or stabilizing agent. This chemical is most often found in gummy candies, but is also used in candy such as Altoids and Starburst, not to mention Jello!


8. Perfume/Cologne

Musk is a scent used in many perfumes and colognes. Because everyone wants to smell like the “dried secretion from the genitals of otter, beaver, musk deer, and civet cat genitals.” Many scents are starting to use the synthetic version of musk, but you still have to be cautious of what you are buying. Since most fragrances don’t list their ingredients, however, it is easiest to stick to all-natural and cruelty-free versions.

9. Condoms

Although the primary ingredient in most condoms – latex – comes from plants, most condoms also contain casein and glycerin. Casein is derived from a milk protein and glycerin, as noted above, is derived from the fat in animal bones, not sexy ingredients by any means. Not to mention there is also the option of lambskin condoms made from the intestines of sheep. There are cruelty-free options, though. Glyde has a 100 percent vegan product and there are other options as well.

10. Crayons

Goodbye childhood! That smell we so strongly associate with the joys of coloring is actually the smell of stearic acid, or processed beef fat. This chemical is used in crayons because it allows them to have their waxy, solid consistency.

Image Source: TakashiOta/Flickr