How vegan do you think you are? Nice that you have cut on your consumption of meat. Great that you look around for organic products only. However, the factories and industries could be silently giving your vegan lifestyle a big blow. Want to know how? Go through these everyday product your are using. They usually contain animal parts (smirk)!
Perfume from sperm whale shit or vomit
Ambergris is the name for the excreta of sperm whales. It's rare and usually found floating in the oceans. It's solid, waxy, and out-and-out the poop of the mammal. Remember the bitter taste you experienced when you accidentally sprayed your costly perfume into your mouth. Ahem, poopy pleasure!
Ground up beetles in strawberry shakes and lipsticks
Carmine is a coloring agent acquired from crushed beetles. The industry has termed it a sophisticate name - Cochineal extract. Well, sadly, it is sometimes the red ingredient present in strawberry shakes. Um, Starbucks had almost blurted it out once (oops!). And, oh yes, have you been using any cosmetic product, especially lipstick that contains 'natural red 4' or 'carmine' or 'crimson lake.' Throw it away because you are applying beetle juice. Gee!
Beaver anal gland secretion and urine in vanilla ice cream
Castoreum, the brown, slimy thing that comes out of beaver's butt, goes into vanilla ice creams that you savor with such greed. Of course, you should not expect to acquire this biochemical in its purest form straight from the butt. Because the anal glands are located very near to the castor sac, from where Castoreum is secreted, the latter is a combo of beaver piss and other secretions of the gland as well. Hey, are you licking a beaver's butt right now?
Face creams with oil exudate from sheep skin
What happen to your hair when you don't wash it for days? It gets greasy, right? And, what if you've never ever taken a bath? Can you imagine the amount of oil that will accumulate in your scalp and hair? Now, think about a sheep with a lot of wool. The sebaceous glands present in the animal's skin excrete an oily product known as Lanolin, which is a great moisturizer. And, this is exactly what goes into most face creams.
Jello-O is boiled pig skin + bovine hide + pork & cattle bones
A protein called Gelatin is obtained when pig and bovine skin, tendons, ligaments and bones are boiled in water. It is used as a thickener in puddings, Jell-Os, ice creams, marshmallow, cakes, and candies. Um, watch what you are eating!
Energy drinks are bull bile
Taurine is a naturally occurring substance present in bull bile. It is extracted from the animal and introduced in energy drinks. Check the can right now. If it says 'Taurine' you sure are drinking bull bile. By the way, Red Bull is quite a nice (self explanatory) name, don't you think?
Shark liver oil in lipstick and eye makeup
Squalene is a substance derived from shark liver oil. This compound can mimic the natural moisturizers present in our body. It behaves as a lubricant on the surface of our skin, absorbing very quickly, and giving us a flawless appearance. Ugh, shark up!
Fish scales in nail polish
Does you nail polish contain 'pearl essence?' Well, this is not derived from some pearl found in the deepest of the deep oceans, like you believe it is. It is Guanine in disguise, which comes from fish scales. The scales are cleaned and mixed with solvents like castor oil. Coloring pigments are added, and bingo! Your bottle of nail polish happens! Yes, bitter truth, it is. Sounds very fishy, right?
Bull semen in hair products
Silky, shiny hair - don't you just love it? But, would you mask your mane with bull semen all over to get it? Ew. But, the fact is, you might actually be applying it already (yes, unknowingly). There are some shampoos and conditioners that make use of this yucky product. By the way, there's something called semen facial as well. Want to go for it?
Snail slime in scar treatment and anti aging creams
The slime is a concoction of proteins, anti-oxidants, and hyaluronic acid. These three ingredients assist in skip repair. They pull out dead cells, reduce inflammation, moisturize skin, and keep it safe from wrinkles. No wonder the cocktail has found its way into scar treatment and age-defying creams. Have you ever rubbed snail slime on your face?
Lamb / sheep intestine in condoms
Not all condoms are made of latex. Study the packet. If it says 'lambskin,' then it surely has come from the intestine of a lamb or sheep. And its perforated. With no guarantee of keeping viruses and bacteria away. But, on second thoughts, what has a condom to do with being vegetarian? Oops.
Image source: Internet