Animal Ingredient List and Products
We do our best to make this list as accurate and up to date as possible. If you find an error, an ingredient or product not mentioned here, send us the information and reference. Information obtained from various sources, including, PETA, the books Animal Ingredients A to Z and Veganissimo A to Z: A Comprehensive Guide to Identifying and Avoiding Ingredients of Animal Origin in Everyday Products, and various mobile apps.
“Keep in mind that this list is not all-inclusive. There are thousands of technical and patented names for ingredient variations. Many ingredients known by one name can be of animal, vegetable, or synthetic origin.”
– PeTA
List A – Z
177 Listings
A – B – C – D – E – F – G – H – I – J/K – L – M – N – O – P/Q – R – S – T – U – V – W/X/Y/Z
Adrenaline
Hormone from adrenal glands of hogs, cattle, and sheep. In medicine. Alternatives: synthetics.
Alanine
(See Amino Acids)
Albumen / Albumin
In eggs, milk, muscles, blood, and many vegetable tissues and fluids. In cosmetics, albumen is usually derived from egg whites and used as a coagulating agent. May cause allergic reaction. In cakes, cookies, candies, etc. Egg whites sometimes used in “clearing” wines. Derivative: Plant derived.
Alcloxa / Aldioxa
(See Allantoin)
Aliphatic Alcohol
(See Lanolin and Vitamin A)
Allantoin
Uric acid from cows, most mammals. Also in many plants (especially comfrey). In cosmetics (especially creams and lotions) and used in treatment of wounds and ulcers. Derivatives: Alcloxa, Aldioxa. Alternatives: extract of comfrey root, synthetics.
Alligator Skin
(See Leather)
Alpha-Hydroxy Acids
Any one of several acids used as an exfoliant and in ant wrinkle products. Alternatives: glycolic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid are plant or fruit-derived.
Ambergris
From whale intestines. Used as a fixative in making perfumes and as a flavouring in foods and beverages. Alternatives: synthetic or vegetable fixatives.
Amino Acids
The building blocks of protein in all animals and plants. In cosmetics, vitamins, supplements, shampoos, etc. Alternatives: synthetics, plant sources.
Aminosuccinate Acid
(See Aspartic Acid)
Angora
Hair from the Angora rabbit or goat. Used in clothing. Alternatives: synthetic fibres.
Animal Fats and Oils
In foods, cosmetics, etc. Highly allergenic. Alternatives: olive oil, wheat germ oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, almond oil, safflower oil, etc.
Animal Hair
In some blankets, mattresses, brushes, furniture, etc. Alternatives: vegetable and synthetic fibers.
Arachidonic Acid
A liquid unsaturated fatty acid that is found in liver, brain, glands, and fat of animals and humans. Generally isolated from animal liver. Used in companion animal food for nutrition and in skin creams and lotions to soothe eczema and rashes. Alternatives: synthetics, aloe vera, tea tree oil, calendula ointment.
Arachidyl Proprionate
A wax that can be from animal fat. Alternatives: peanut or vegetable oil.
Aspartic Acid / Aminosuccinate Acid
Can be animal or plant source (e.g., molasses). Sometimes synthesized for commercial purposes.
B12
B12 is not a vitamin, it is a bacteria found in soil and water, which may now be hard to obtain because of industrial farming and chlorination of our water supply. B12 can be animal derived. Please check with the company to see if they use animal sources for their B12. Some vegetarian B12 supplements are in a stomach base. Alternatives: Vegan B12 fortified yeasts, plant milks and faux meats. A healthy person maybe able to produce B12 through the intrinsic factor. Michael Greger, MD claims, B12 supplements are all vegan, since the extraction of B12 from animal sources is relatively expensive. He cautions, though, that the ingredients to make the capsules may not be vegan. Learn more here.
Bee Pollen
Microsporic grains in seed plants gathered by bees then collected from the legs of bees. Causes allergic reactions in some people. In nutritional supplements, shampoos, toothpastes, deodorants. Alternatives: synthetics, plant amino acids, pollen collected from plants.
Bee Products
Produced by bees for their own use. Bees are selectively bred. Culled bees are killed. A cheap sugar is substituted for their stolen honey. Millions die as a result. Their legs are often torn off by pollen-collection trapdoors.
Beeswax / Honeycomb
Wax obtained from melting honeycomb with boiling water, straining it, and cooling it. From virgin bees. Very cheap and widely used but harmful to the skin. In lipsticks and many other cosmetics (especially face creams, lotions, mascara, eye creams and shadows, face makeups, nail whiteners, lip balms, etc.). Derivatives: Cera Flava. Alternatives: paraffin, vegetable oils and fats. Ceresin, aka ceresine, aka earth wax. (Made from the mineral ozokerite. Replaces beeswax in cosmetics. Also used to wax paper, to make polishing cloths, in dentistry fortaking wax impressions, and in candle-making.) Also, carnauba wax (from the Brazilian palm tree; used in many cosmetics, including lipstick; rarely causes allergic reactions). Candelilla wax (from candelilla plants; used in many cosmetics, including lipstick; also in the manufacture of rubber and phonograph records, in waterproofing and writing inks; no known toxicity). Japan wax (Vegetable wax. Japan tallow. Fat from the fruit of a tree grown in Japan and China).
Benzoic Acid
In almost all vertebrates and in berries. Used as a preservative in mouthwashes, deodorants, creams, aftershave lotions, etc. Alternatives: cranberries, gum benzoin (tincture) from the aromatic balsamic resin from trees grown in China, Sumatra, Thailand, and Cambodia.
Biofuels
Sugar cane and corn are what come to mind at first when we think about biofuels, but over the past years the use of animal fats to produce these has extended. There’s actually beef and chicken biofuel to choose from.
Biotin / Vitamin H / Vitamin B Factor
In every living cell and in larger amounts in milk and yeast. Used as a texturizer in cosmetics, shampoos, and creams. Alternatives:plant sources.
Blood
From any slaughtered animal. Used as adhesive in plywood, also found in cheese-making, foam rubber, intravenous feedings, and medicines. Possibly in foods such as lecithin. Alternatives: synthetics, plant sources.
Boar Bristles
Hair from wild or captive hogs. In “natural” toothbrushes, shaving brushes and some paint brushes. Alternatives: vegetable fibers, nylon, the peelu branch or peelu gum (Asian, available in the U.S.; its juice replaces toothpaste).
Bone Char
Animal bone ash. Used in bone china and often to make sugar white. Serves as the charcoal used in aquarium filters. Alternatives: synthetic tribasic calcium phosphate.
Bone Meal
Crushed or ground animal bones. In some fertilizers. In some vitamins and supplements as a source of calcium. In some tooth paste. Alternatives: plant mulch, vegetable compost, dolomite, clay, vegetarian vitamins.
Bonito
Dried flakes from fish. Frequently used in Japanese cooking.
Butteroil / Butter Oil
A dairy product which is created by removing the moisture and the non-fat milk solids contained in butter. It is a milk fat-based dairy product in its purest form. In terms of a packaged good, butter oil is an efficient and economical means of transporting and storing butterfat.
Calfskin
(See Leather)
Caprylic Acid / Caprylamine Oxide / Capryl Betaine / Caprylic Triglyceride
A liquid fatty acid from cow’s or goat’s milk. Also from palm and coconut oil, other plant oils. In perfumes, soaps. Derivatives: Caprylic Triglyceride, Caprylamine Oxide, Capryl Betaine. Alternatives: plant sources.
Carbamide
(See Urea)
Carmine / Cochineal / Carminic Acid
Red pigment from the crushed female cochineal insect. Reportedly, 70,000 beetles must be killed to produce one pound of this red dye. Used in cosmetics, shampoos, red apple sauce, and other foods (including red lollipops and food colouring). May cause allergic reaction. Alternatives: beet juice (used in powders, rouges, shampoos; no known toxicity); alkanet root (from the root of this herb-like tree; used as a red dye for inks, wines, lip balms, etc.; no known toxicity. Can also be combined to make a copper or blue colouring). (See Colours)
Carotene / Provitamin A / Beta Carotene
A pigment found in many animal tissues and in all plants. Used as a colouring in cosmetics and in the manufacture of vitamin A. Alternatives: plant sources
Casein / Caseinate / Sodium Caseinate
Milk protein. In “non-dairy” creamers, soy cheese, many cosmetics, hair preparations, beauty masks. Alternatives: soy protein, soy milk, and other vegetable milks.
Cashmere
Wool from the Kashmir goat. Used in clothing. Alternatives: synthetic fibres.
Castor / Castoreum
Creamy substance with strong odour from muskrat and beaver genitals. Used as a fixative in perfume and incense. Sometimes labelled as “natural flavourings.” Alternatives: synthetics, plant castor oil.
Catgut
Tough string from the intestines of sheep, horses, etc. Used for surgical sutures. Also for stringing tennis rackets and musical instruments, etc. Alternatives: nylon and other synthetic fibers.
Cera Flava
(See Beeswax)
Cerebrosides
Fatty acids and sugars found in the covering of nerves. May include tissue from brain.
Cetyl Alcohol
Wax found in spermaceti from sperm whales or dolphins. Alternatives: Vegetable cetyl alcohol (e.g., coconut), synthetic spermaceti.
Cetyl Palmitate
(See Spermaceti)
Chitosan
A fibre derived from crustacean shells. Used as a lipid binder in diet products, in hair, oral and skin care products, antiperspirants, and deodorants. Alternatives: raspberries, yams, legumes, dried apricots, and many other fruits and vegetables.
Chocolate
Milk and white chocolate contains cow, goat or sheep milk or milk products. Some dark chocolate contains milk ingredients (from animals). Eat carob or dark chocolate (without animal ingredients).
Cholesterin
(See Lanolin)
Cholesterol
A steroid alcohol in all animal fats and oils, nervous tissue, egg yolk, and blood. Can be derived from lanolin. In cosmetics, eye creams, shampoos, etc. Alternatives: solid complex alcohols (sterols) from plant sources.
Choline Bitartrate
(See Lecithin)
Civet
Unctuous secretion painfully scraped from a gland very near the genital organs of civet cats. Used as a fixative in perfumes. Alternatives: (See alternatives to Musk.).
Cochineal
(See Carmine)
Cod Liver Oil
(See Marine Oil)
Collagen
Fibrous protein in vertebrates. Usually derived from animal tissue. Can’t affect the skin’s own collagen. An allergen. Alternatives: soy protein, almond oil, amla oil (see alternative to Keratin), etc.
Colors / Dyes
Pigments from animal, plant, and synthetic sources used to color foods, cosmetics, and other product. Cochineal is from insects. Widely used FD&C and D&C colors are coaltar (bituminous coal) derivatives that are continuously tested on animals due to their carcinogenic properties. Alternatives: grapes, beets, turmeric, saffron, carrots, chlorophyll, annatto, alkanet.
Cortisone / Corticosteroid
Hormone from adrenal glands. Widely used in medicine. Alternatives: synthetics.
Cystine
An amino acid found in urine and horsehair. Used as a nutritional supplement and in emollients. Alternatives: plant sources.
Diglycerides
(See Monoglycerides and Glycerin)
Dihydrogenated Tallow Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride
Rendered animal fat, usually in fabric softeners.
Dimethyl Stearamine
(See Stearic Acid)
Down
Goose or duck insulating feathers. From slaughtered or cruelly exploited geese. Used as an insulator in quilts, parkas, sleeping bags, pillows, etc. Alternatives: polyester and synthetic substitutes, kapok (silky fibers from the seeds of some tropical trees) and milkweed seed pod fibers.
Duodenum Substances
From the digestive tracts of cows and pigs. Added to some vitamin tablets. In some medicines. Alternatives: vegetarian vitamins, synthetics.
Dyes
(See Colours)
Egg Protein
In shampoos, skin preparations, etc. Alternatives: plant proteins.
Elastin
Protein found in the neck ligaments and aortas of cows. Similar to collagen. Can’t affect the skin’s own elasticity. Alternatives: synthetics, protein from plant tissues.
Emu Oil
From flightless ratite birds native to Australia and now factory farmed. Used in cosmetics and creams. Alternatives: vegetable and plant oils.
Ergocalciferol / Ergosterol
(See Vitamin D)
Estrogen / Estradiol
Female hormones from pregnant mares. Considered a drug. Can have harmful systemic effects if used by children. Used for reproductive problems and in birth control pills and Premarin, a menopausal drug. In creams, perfumes, and lotions. Has a negligible effect in the creams as a skin restorative; simple vegetable-source emollients are considered better. Alternatives: oral contraceptives and menopausal drugs based on synthetic steroids or phytoestrogens (from plants, especially palm-kernel oil). Menopausal symptoms can also be treated with diet and herbs.
Fatty Acids
Can be one or any mixture of liquid and solid acids such as caprylic, lauric, myristic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic. Used in bubble baths, lipsticks, soap, detergents, cosmetics, food. Alternatives: vegetable-derived acids, soy lecithin, safflower oil, bitter almond oil, sunflower oil, etc.
Fabric Softener
Certain brands of fabric softener contain dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride, which comes from cattle, sheep and horse industry. See Dihydrogenated Tallow Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride. Alternatives: check with the manufacturer if they use this or other animal by-products or better, use vegan products.
FD&C Colors
(See Colors)
Feathers
From exploited and slaughtered birds. Used whole as ornaments or ground up in shampoos. (See Down and Keratin)
Fireworks
The same component used in the tire industry, stearic acid, is present in the production of fireworks. The book, The Chemistry of Fireworks lists this as an ingredient and an article in Wikipedia explains that “in fireworks, stearic acid is often used to coat metal powders such as aluminum and iron. This prevents oxidation, allowing compositions to be stored for a longer period of time.” Alternatives: even though it can be plant-sourced, you never know. Be sure to ask the manufacturer or just ditch the products, since fireworks are also bad for the environment and nonhuman animals.
Fish Liver Oil
Used in vitamins and supplements. In milk fortified with vitamin D. Alternatives: yeast extract ergosterol and exposure of skin to sunshine.
Fish Oil (See Marine Oil)
Fish oil can also be from marine mammals. Used in soap making.
Fish Scales
Used in shimmery makeups. Alternatives: mica, rayon, synthetic pearl.
Fur
Obtained from animals (usually mink, foxes, or rabbits) cruelly trapped in steel-jaw leghold traps or raised in intensive confinement on fur “farms.” Alternatives: synthetics. (See Sable Brushes)
Gelatin / Gel
Protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. From cows and pigs. Used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetics. Used as a thickener for fruit and pigs. Used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetics. Used as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings (e.g., “Jello”). In candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, yogurts. On photographic film and in vitamins as a coating and as capsules. Sometimes used to assist in “clearing” wines. Alternatives: carrageen (carrageenan, Irish moss), seaweeds (algin, agaragar, kelp—used in jellies, plastics, medicine), pectin from fruits, dextrins, locust bean gum, cotton gum, silica gel. Marshmallows were originally made from the root of the marshmallow plant (lthaea officinalis). Vegetarian capsules are now available from several companies. Digital
cameras don’t use film.
Glucose Tyrosinase
(See Tyrosine)
Glue (shoes, wood work, musical instruments etc.)
Animal glue (made from the boiling animal’s cognitive tissue and bones) is apparently the best adhesive for fixing musical instruments made from wood such as violins and pianos. Even though other synthetic glues are used too, hide glue is also readily available and widely used for furniture fixes and wood work. Alternatives: check with the company if the glue they use is vegan (animal free), or better yet purchase products which are vegan. If in doubt, ask the manufacture. Reference
Glycerin / Glycerol / Glycerol / Glycerides / Glyceryls
A byproduct of soap manufacture (normally uses animal fat). In cosmetics, foods,mouthwashes, chewing gum, toothpastes, soaps, ointments, medicines, lubricants, transmission and brake fluid, and plastics. Derivatives: Glycerides, Glyceryls, Glycreth-26, Polyglycerol. Alternatives: vegetable glycerin—a by-product of vegetable oil soap. Derivatives of seaweed, petroleum.
Guanine / Pearl Essence
Obtained from scales of fish. Constituent of ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid and found in all animal and plant tissues. In shampoo, nail polish, other cosmetics. Alternatives: leguminous plants, synthetic pearl, or aluminium and bronze particles.
Hide Glue
Same as gelatin but of a cruder impure form. Alternatives: dextrins and synthetic petrochemical-based adhesive.
Honey
Food for bees, made from the stomachs of bees. Honey keeps the bees warm. Can cause allergic reactions. Used as a colouring and an emollient in cosmetics and as a flavoring in foods. Should never be fed to infants. Alternatives: in foods—maple syrup, date sugar, syrups made from grains such as barley malt, turbinado sugar, molasses; in cosmetics—vegetable colors and oils. See Vegan Alternatives for more information on alternative honey products.
Honeycomb
(See Beeswax)
Horsehair
(See Animal Hair)
Hyaluronic Acid
A protein found in umbilical cords and the fluids around the joints. Used in cosmetics. Alternatives: plant oils.
Hydrocortisone
(See Cortisone)
Hydrolyzed Animal Protein
In cosmetics, especially shampoo and hair treatments. Alternatives: soy protein, other vegetable proteins, amla oil (see alternatives to Keratin).
Insulin (From Animals)
From hog pancreas. Used by millions of diabetics daily. Alternatives: synthetics, vegetarian diet and nutritional supplements, human insulin grown in a lab. Insulin is also a hormone produce by the pancreas of humans, which controls the amount of sugar absorbed by the body.
Isinglass
A form of gelatin prepared from the internal membranes of fish bladders. Sometimes used in “clearing” or filtering of wines and in foods. Alternatives: bentonite clay, “Japanese isinglass,” agar-agar, mica, a mineral used in cosmetics.
Isopropyl Lanolate
(See Lanolin)
Isopropyl Myristate
(See Myristic Acid)
Isopropyl Palmitate
Complex mixtures of isomers of stearic acid and palmitic acid. (See Stearic Acid)
Keratin
Protein from the ground-up horns, hooves, feathers, quills, and hair of various animals. In hair rinses, shampoos, permanent wave solutions. Alternatives: almond oil, soy protein, amla oil (from the fruit of an Indian tree), human hair from salons. Rosemary and nettle give body and strand strength to hair.
Lactic Acid
Can come from animal or plant sources. Found in blood and muscle tissue. Also in sour milk, beer, sauerkraut, pickles, and other food products made by bacterial fermentation. Used in skin fresheners, as a preservative, in the formation of plasticizers, etc. Alternative: plant milk sugars, synthetics.
Lactose
Milk sugar from milk of mammals. In eye lotions, foods, tablets, cosmetics, baked goods, medicines. Alternatives: plant milk sugars.
Laneth / Lanogene / Lanolin Alcohol / Lanosterols
(See Lanolin)
Lanolin / Lanolin Acids / Wool Fat / Wool Wax
A product of the oil glands of sheep, extracted from their wool. Used as an emollient in many skin care products and cosmetics and in medicines. Also found in chewing gum and products with vitamin D3. An allergen with no proven effectiveness. (See Wool for cruelty to sheep.) Derivatives: Aliphatic Alcohols, Cholesterin, Isopropyl Lanolate, Laneth, Lanogene, Lanolin Alcohols, Lanosterols, Sterols, Triterpene Alcohols. Alternatives: plant and vegetable oils.
Lard
Fat from hog abdomens. In shaving creams, soaps, cosmetics. In baked goods, French fries, refried beans, and many other foods. Alternatives: pure vegetable fats or oils.
L-Cysteine / L-Cysteine Hydrochloride
An amino acid from hair which can come from human hair, hog hair or duck feathers. Used in hair-care products and creams, in some commercial cereals, bakery products, (especially hamburger buns) and in wound-healing formulations. Alternatives: plant sources.
Leather / Suede / Calfskin / Sheepskin / Alligator Skin (Other Types of Skin)
Subsidizes the meat industry. Used to make wallets, handbags, furniture and car upholstery, shoes, etc. Alternatives: cotton, canvas, nylon, vinyl, ultrasuede, pleather, other synthetics.
Lecithin / Choline Bitartrate
Waxy substance in nervous tissue of all living organisms. But frequently obtained for commercial purposes from eggs and soybeans. Also from nerve tissue, blood, milk, corn. Choline bitartrate, the basic constituent of lecithin, is in many animal and plant tissues and prepared synthetically. Lecithin can be in eye creams, lipsticks, liquid powders, hand creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, other cosmetics, and some medicines. Alternatives: soybean lecithin, synthetics.
Linoleic Acid
An essential fatty acid. Used in cosmetics, vitamins. Alternatives: (See alternatives to Fatty Acids)
Lipase
Enzyme from the stomachs and tongue glands of calves, kids, and lambs. Used in digestive aids as it helps the body break down fats. Also commonly found in cheese and dairy products. Alternatives: vegetable enzymes, castor beans.
Lipoids / Lipids
Fat and fat-like substances that are found in animals and plants. Alternatives: vegetable oils.
Maple Syrup
Most companies add lard as a foam reducer. Buy organic or check with the company.
Marine Oil
From fish or marine mammals (including porpoises). Used in soap-making. Used as a shortening (especially in some margarines), as a lubricant, and in paint. Alternatives:
vegetable oils.
Methionine
Essential amino acid found in various proteins (usually from egg albumen and casein). Used as a texturizer and for freshness in potato chips. Alternatives: synthetics. Milk Protein Hydrolyzed milk protein. From the milk of cows. In cosmetics, shampoos, moisturizers, conditioners, etc. Alternatives: soy protein, other plant proteins.
Mink Oil
From minks. In cosmetics, creams, etc. Alternatives: vegetable oils and emollients such as avocado oil, almond oil, and jojoba oil.
Monoglycerides
From animal fat. In margarines, cake mixes, candies, foods, etc. In cosmetics. Alternative: vegetable glycerides.
Molasses
By product of sugar; lard is added to reduce foam. Use organic molasses or check with the company.
Musk / Musk Oil
Dried secretion painfully obtained from musk deer, beaver, muskrat, civet cat, and otter genitals. Wild cats are kept captive in cages in horrible conditions and are whipped around the genitals to produce the scent; beavers are trapped; deer are shot. In perfumes and in food flavorings. Alternatives: labdanum oil (which comes from various rockrose shrubs) and other plants with a musky scent.
Myristal Ether Sulfate
(See Myristic Acid)
Myristic Acid / Myristyls
Organic acid in most animal and vegetable fats. In butter acids. Used in shampoos, creams, cosmetics. In food flavorings. Derivatives: Isopropyl Myristate, Myristal Ether Sulfate, Myristyls, Oleyl Myristate. Alternatives: nut butters, oil of lovage, coconut oil, extract from seed kernels of nutmeg, etc.
Natural Sources
Can mean animal or vegetable sources. Most often in the health food industry, especially in the cosmetics area, it means animal sources, such as animal elastin, glands, fat, protein, and oil. Alternatives: plant sources.
Nucleic Acids
In the nucleus of all living cells. Used in cosmetics, shampoos, conditioners, etc. Also in vitamins, supplements. Alternatives: plant sources.
Octyl Dodecanol
Mixture of solid waxy alcohols. Primarily from stearyl alcohol. (See Stearyl Alcohol)
Oleic Acid / Oleyl Oleate / Oleyl Stearate
Obtained from various animal and vegetable fats and oils. Usually obtained commercially from inedible tallow. In foods, soft soap, bar soap, permanent wave solutions, creams, nail polish, lipsticks, many other skin preparations. Derivatives: Oleyl Oleate, Oleyl Stearate. Alternatives: coconut oil. (See alternatives to Animal Fats and Oils.)
Oleyl Alcohol / Ocenol / Oleths / Oleyl Arachidate / Oleyl Imidazoline
Found in fish oils. Used in the manufacture of detergents, as a plasticizer for softening fabrics, and as a carrier for medications. Derivatives: Oleths, Oleyl Arachidate, Oleyl Imidazoline.
Oleyl Myristate
(See Myristic Acid)
Palmitic Acid / Palmitamide / Palmitamine / Palmitate From Fats
Mixed with stearic acid. Found in many animal fats and plant oils. In shampoos, shaving soaps, creams. Derivatives: Palmitate, Palmitamine, Palmitamide. Alternatives: palm oil, vegetable sources. (See Fatty Acids)
Panthenol / Panthenyl / Dexpanthenol / Vitamin BComplex Factor / Provitamin B-5
Can come from animal or plant sources or synthetics. In shampoos, supplements, emollients, etc. In foods. Derivative: Panthenyl. Alternatives: synthetics, plants.
Pepsin
In hogs’ stomachs. A clotting agent. In some cheeses and vitamins. Same uses and alternatives as Rennet.
Placenta / Placenta Polypeptides Protein / Afterbirth
Contains waste matter eliminated by the fetus. Derived from the uterus of slaughtered animals. Animal placenta is widely used in skin creams, shampoos, masks, etc. Alternatives: kelp. (See alternatives to Animal Fats and Oils.)
Plastic Bags
Many plastics, including shopping bags, contain ‘slip agents’, reduce the friction in the material. These are made from animal fats. Plastics manufacturers often use additives of animal origin to improve material properties and/or to aid in processing of raw polymers. Food manufacturers are experimenting with keratin protein found in chicken feathers to produce plastics, adhesives and non-woven materials. Alternatives: reusable bags made from cotton or other plant or synthetic materials.
Polyglycerol
(See Glycerin)
Polysorbates
Derivatives of fatty acids. Can be animal or plant based. In cosmetics, foods.
Pristane
Obtained from the liver oil of sharks and from whale ambergris. (See Squalene, Ambergris). Used as a lubricant and anti-corrosive agent. In cosmetics. Alternatives: plant oils, synthetics.
Progesterone
A steroid hormone used in anti-wrinkle face creams. Can have adverse systemic effects. Alternatives: synthetics.
Propolis, Propolis cera
Tree sap gathered by bees and used as a sealant in beehives. In toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, supplements, etc. Alternatives: tree sap, synthetics.
Provitamin A
(See Carotene)
Provitamin B-5
(See Panthenol)
Provitamin D-2
(See Vitamin D)
Rennet / Rennin
Enzyme from calves’ stomachs. Used in cheese-making, rennet custard (junket), and in many coagulated dairy products. Alternatives: microbial coagulating agents, bacteria culture, lemon juice, or vegetable rennet.
Resinous Glaze
(See Shellac)
RNA / Ribonucleic Acid
RNA is in all living cells. Used in many protein shampoos and cosmetics. Alternatives: plant cells.
Royal Jelly (aka maggot)
Secretion from the throat glands of the honeybee workers that is fed to the larvae in a colony and to all queen larvae. No proven value in cosmetics preparations. Alternatives: aloe vera, comfrey, other plant derivatives.
Sable Brushes
From the fur of sables (weasel-like mammals). Used to make eye makeup, lipstick, and artists’ brushes. Alternatives: synthetic fibers.
Shampoo & Conditioner
According to Peta, there are more than 20 components from animals that could be in your shampoo and conditioner. The tricky part is when you read “Panthenol”, “Amino acids”, or “Vitamin B” in a bottle (just to name a few), it can be either from animal or plant source — making it hard to tell. Companies have even removed the word ‘animal’ from some ingredients to avoid putting off consumers. Alternatives: check with the manufacturer if they use animal ingredients or better, use vegan products. It will mention vegan on the back if they are.
Shark Liver Oil
Used in lubricating creams and lotions. Derivatives: Squalane, Squalene. Alternatives: vegetable oils.
Sheepskin
(See Leather)
Shellac / Resinous Glaze
Resinous excretion of certain insects. Used as a candy glaze, in hair lacquer, and on jewellery. Alternatives: plant waxes.
Silk / Silk Powder
Silk is the shiny fiber made by silkworms to form their cocoons. Worms are boiled in their cocoons to get the silk. Used in cloth. In silk-screening (other fine cloth can be and is used instead). Taffeta can be made from silk or nylon. Silk powder is obtained from the secretion of the silkworm. It is used as a coloring agent in face powders, soaps, etc. Can cause severe allergic skin reactions and systemic reactions and systemic reactions (if inhaled or ingested). Alternatives: milkweed seed-pod fibers, nylon, silk-cotton tree and ceiba tree filaments (kapok), rayon, and synthetic silks.
Snails
In some cosmetics (crushed).
Sodium Caseinate
(See Casein)
Sodium Stearoyl-2-lactylate (sodium Stearoyl Lactylate or SSL)
(See Lactic Acid)
Sodium Tallowate
(See Tallow)
Spermaceti / Cetyl Palmitate / Sperm Oil
Waxy oil derived from the sperm whale’s head or from dolphins. In many margarines. In skin creams, ointments, shampoos, candles, etc. Used in the leather industry. May become rancid and cause irritations. Alternatives: synthetic spermaceti, jojoba oil, and other vegetable emollients.
Sponge (Luna and Sea)
A plant-like animal. Lives in the sea. Becoming scarce. Alternatives: synthetic sponges, loofahs (plants used as sponges).
Squalane
(See Shark Liver Oil)
Squalene
Oil from shark livers, etc. In cosmetics, moisturizers, hair dyes, surface-active agents. Alternatives: vegetable emollients such as olive oil, wheat germ oil, rice bran oil, etc.
Stearic Acid / Stearyl Betaine / Stearyl Imidazoline / Stearamide / Stearamine / Stearamine Oxide / Stearates / Stearic Hydrazide / Stearone / Stearoxytrimethylsilane / Stearoyl Lactylic Acid
Fat from cows and sheep and from dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters, etc. Most often refers to a fatty substance taken from the stomachs of pigs. Can be harsh, irritating. Used in cosmetics, soaps, lubricants, candles, hairspray, conditioners, deodorants, creams, chewing gum, food flavoring. Derivatives: Stearamide, Stearamine, Stearates, Stearic Hydrazide, Stearone, Stearoxytrimethylsilane, Stearoyl Lactylic Acid, Stearyl Betaine, Stearyl Imidazoline. Alternatives: Stearic acid can be found in many vegetable fats, coconut.
Stearyl Alcohol / Sterols / Stearyl Acetate / Stearyl Caprylate / Stearyl Citrate / Stearyldimethyl Amine / Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate / Stearyl Heptanoate / Stearyl Octanoate / Stearyl Stearate
A mixture of solid alcohols. Can be prepared from sperm whale oil. In medicines, creams, rinses, shampoos, etc. Derivatives: Stearamine Oxide, Stearyl Acetate, Stearyl Caprylate, Stearyl Citrate, Stearyldimethyl Amine, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Stearyl Heptanoate, StearylOctanoate, Stearyl Stearate. Alternatives: plant sources, vegetable stearic acid.
Steroids / Sterols
From various animal glands or from plant tissues. Steroids include sterols. Sterols are alcohol from animals or plants (e.g., cholesterol). Used in hormone preparation. In creams, lotions, hair conditioners, fragrances, etc. Alternatives: plant tissues, synthetics.
Suede
(See Leather)
Sugar (White and Brown)
It’s known that purified ash from animal bones is used in filters to refine sugar by some brands, though there are other companies that use filters with granular carbon or ion exchange systems. Brown sugar is also refined, only to have molasses added after. Alternatives: you could instead purchase, beat sugar, sucanat sweetener, brown rice syrup, maple syrup (after checking it doesn’t contain lard as a de-foamer), maple sugar, sorghum syrup, stevia, evaporated cane juice, barley malt syrup, agave nectar, date sugar or molasses (fancy, blackstrap or Barbados). The only two sweeteners that are whole foods are, organic blackstrap molasses and date sugar.
Tallow / Tallow Fatty Alcohol / Tallow Acid / Tallow Amide / Tallow Amine / Talloweth-6 / Tallow Glycerides / Stearic Acid / Tallow Imidazoline
Rendered beef fat. May cause eczema and blackheads. In wax paper, crayons, margarines, paints, rubber, lubricants, etc. In candles, soaps, lipsticks, shaving creams, other cosmetics. Chemicals (e.g., PCB) can be in animal tallow. Derivatives: Sodium Tallowate, Tallow Acid, Tallow Amide, Tallow Amine, Talloweth-6, Tallow Glycerides, Tallow Imidazoline. Alternatives: vegetable tallow, Japan tallow, paraffin and/or ceresin (see alternatives to Beeswax for all three). Paraffin is usually from petroleum, wood, coal, or shale oil.
Tires (car and bicycle)
Car or bicycle manufacturers may use animal-based stearic acid, which helps the rubber in tires hold shape under steady surface friction. Alternatives: please check the website below for a list of brands that use vegetable alternatives. Reference
Toothpaste
Toothpastes may contain many animal ingredients such as Glycerin, which is found in animal and vegetable fats, Propolis or Bee Pollen. Alternatives: check with the manufacturer if they use animal ingredients or better, use vegan products. Auromère carries cruelty free toothpastes. Just be sure to purchase the non-foaming (cardamom-fennel) type because their other flavours contain Sodium Lauryl Suphate.
Triterpene Alcohols
(See Lanolin)
Turtle Oil / Sea Turtle Oil
From the muscles and genitals of giant sea turtles. In soap, skin creams, nail creams, other cosmetics. Alternatives: vegetable emollients (see alternatives to Animal Fats and Oils).
Tyrosine
Amino acid hydrolyzed from casein. Used in cosmetics and creams. Derivative: Glucose Tyrosinase.
Urea / Carbamide
Excreted from urine and other bodily fluids. In deodorants, ammoniated dentifrices, mouthwashes, hair colourings, hand creams, lotions, shampoos, etc. Used to “brown” baked goods, such as pretzels. Derivatives: Imidazolidinyl Urea, Uric Acid. Alternatives: synthetics.
Uric Acid
(See Urea)
Vinegar (distilled white)
Uses animal charcoal for filtering. Use rice, wine, or apple cider vinegar.
Vitamin A
Can come from fish liver oil (e.g., shark liver oil), egg yolk, butter, lemongrass, wheat germ oil, carotene in carrots, and synthetics. It is an aliphatic alcohol. In cosmetics, creams, perfumes, hair dyes, etc. In vitamins, supplements. Vitamin A can also be labelled as vitamin A
palmitate which can be animal, plant or synthetically derived. Wikipedia says vitamin A palmitate (which is also called retinyl palmitate) is a major component of palm oil. Alternatives: carrots, other vegetables, synthetics.
Vitamin B-Complex Factor
(See Panthenol)
Vitamin B Factor
(See Biotin)
Vitamin D / Ergocalciferol / Ergosterol / Calciferol / Vitamin D3
Vitamin D can come from fish liver oil, milk, egg yolk, etc. Vitamin D3 (sometimes referred to as pro-vitamin-2 or 3) is almost always from an animal source. Vitamin D can be found in creams, lotions, other cosmetics, vitamin tablets, etc. Alternatives: There is a synthetic version of vitamin D3, however, vitamin D2 is obtained from plant or mineral sources and is better absorbed than the D3 version. Purchase completely vegan vitamins or get exposure of the skin to sunshine. Many other vitamins and minerals can come from animal sources. Examples: choline, biotin, inositol, riboflavin, etc. Check with the manufacture if it the ingredient(s) are animal or plant derived or purchase from vegan companies.
Vitamin H
(See Biotin)
Wax
Glossy, hard substance that is soft when hot. From animals and plants. In lipsticks, depilatories, hair straighteners. Alternatives: vegetable waxes.
Whey / Whey Powder / Whey Protein
The watery liquid that remains when milk forms curds. Usually in cakes, cookies, candies, and breads. In cheese-making. Alternatives: soybean whey.
Wool
From sheep. Used in clothing. Ram lambs and old “wool” sheep are slaughtered for their meat. Sheep are transported without food or water, in extreme heat and cold. Legs are broken, eyes injured, etc. Sheep are bred to be unnaturally woolly, also unnaturally wrinkly, which causes them to get insect infestations around the tail areas. The farmer’s solution to this is the painful cutting away of the flesh around the tail (called “mulesing”). “Inferior” sheep are killed. When shearing the sheep, they are pinned down violently and sheared roughly. Their skin is cut up. Every year, hundreds of thousands of shorn sheep die from exposure to cold. Natural predators of sheep (wolves, coyotes, eagles, etc.) are poisoned, trapped, and shot. In the U.S., overgrazing of cattle and sheep is turning more than 150 million acres of land to desert. “Natural” wool production uses enormous amounts of resources and energy (to breed, raise, feed, shear, transport, slaughter, etc., the sheep). Derivatives: Lanolin, Wool Wax, Wool Fat. Alternatives: cotton, cotton flannel, synthetic
fibres, ramie, etc.
Wool Fat / Wool Wax
(See Lanolin)
Alternatives: cotton, cotton flannel, synthetic fibres, ramie, etc.