Ingredients

Here are some animal-derived ingredients commonly found in household products

Ambergris

A solid substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales often used in perfumes and cosmetic products.

Down

Down is the name for bird feathers, often from a duck or a chicken used for stuffing pillows, comforters, and coats.

Gelatin

Also used in food products, gelatin is derived from the collagen extracted by the bones, ligaments, and hooves of animals.

Lanolin

Lanolin, a fat derived from wool, is often used in cosmetics and personal care products.

Suede

Suede, like leather, comes from the skin of cows.

Tallow

Once widely used for lubrication and candle wax, tallow is now primarily used in the production of certain biofuels. Commercially, it may be found in some shaving products.

What are The Tests?

Animals used in laboratory tests include mice, rats, dogs, cats, and rabbits, and many more. The kinds of tests done on animals vary and are not always by name, as are the two below.

Commonly, testing is performed on animals to determine toxicity (how poisonous a substance is), irritancy (how a substance reacts with animal tissue), or mutagenicity (how a substance affects DNA).

Draize Test

When you first heard products like shampoos were tested on the same bunny rabbits you saw at the pet store, you might have imagined these rabbits getting their fur washed on a daily basis.

Actually, tests like the Draize test are tests for toxicity. The Draize test involves dabbing a substance in the eye of a conscious animal (often a rabbit) and letting it linger to study its possible effects on the human eye.

Why are rabbits used specifically? Because rabbits have no tear ducts.

Median Lethal Dose

The Median Lethal Dose, also known as LD50, is a metric of toxicity determined by the dosage required to kill half of a group of animals.

For example this test shows it takes 90,000 mg/kg of water (yes, water) or 50 mg/kg of Nicotine to kill half of a group of rats.

Homemade Cleaning Products

While there are plenty of excellent products not tested on animals, it's often dramatically cheaper to just make them yourself!

Please note, some commercial products in the attached media are not vegan.

• Vegetable Scrub
• Hand Sanitizer
• Wet Cleaning Wipes
• Stove Cleaner
• Dishwasher Detergent
• Soap Nuts
• How to clean every room in your house using items you already have

Vegan Vendors

Vegan Essentials

VE, as the name implies, is all vegan with a wide selection of foods for humans and nonhumans as well as clothing and other specialty items.

Amazon.com

While not an exclusively vegan storefront, Amazon actually has a large directory of vegan foods available in bulk in their grocery department.

The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men

—Leonardo DaVinci