Many everyday items you use on a regular basis most likely have animal products as one of the ingredients, but you would never imagine how many surprising foods and items contain them.

Things like beer, perfume, downy detergent, nail polish, cake mixes and sugar all include by products. For example beer contains Isinglass, a chemical found in fish bladder. Cake mixes sometimes include beef fat. Perfumes that smell like vanilla list castoreum as one of the ingredients; castoreum comes from beaver. Lastly nail polish contains guanine which companies obtain from fish scales.

According to Medical News Today, most people think that in order to go vegan they have to cut out all meats and dairy but they don’t realize how many things come from animals. Although vegan/vegetarian is the healthier option because a plant based diet offers more nutrients and fiber. Though not all of the amino acids. It also reduces the risk of heart disease, obesity, hypertension type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. Researchers aren’t saying that you shouldn’t eat a burger, but should have self restraint when it comes to eating meat day to day. Eating less meat is better when it comes to long term health, according to the Mayo Clinic.

A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat and may include abstinence from by-products of animal slaughter. But many vegetarians eat dairy-products. Vegans on the other hand only eat plant based products and do not eat any type of products or foods that come from animals.

Over 100 million animals including dogs, cats, pigs, fish, monkeys, birds, and hamsters are killed in laboratories each year for medical training, curiosity driven experimentation, chemical, food, drug, and cosmetic testing. According to PETA, even though animal experimentation fail 90% of the time animals still continue to get tested on. They also say “Experiments on animals are so pointless they should just be stopped.” It can be replaced with 3-D cultures of human cells, sophisticated computers stimulations, and organ-on-chip technology. Laboratory animals are animals too and we protect our own pets from abuse but the same doesn’t apply for laboratory animals but a difference can be made by buying products only from cruelty free products. Only buying from cruelty free products will send a message to the industry. If enough people don’t buy from companies that test on animals this will influence more companies to go cruelty free.

When looking for hair products, makeup, and skin care look for brands that say “ not tested on animals.”, “vegan.”, or “ cruelty free.”  Some countries have already banned products that have been tested on animals and this should show how hurtful and wrong it really is. According to Crueltyfreekitty, “When buying cruelty free products there’s no doubt there are fewer choices but this can be a good thing if your aiming to save money.”

Brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Urban Decay, Too Faced, Hourglass, and many more are all vegan products.

Going vegan or vegetarian may not be something for you, but it is a very healthy and earth friendly lifestyle. Like I said researchers aren’t wanting people to not love and enjoy meat but, they should have more self restraint when it comes to it and not eat it day after day. Supporting cruelty free products is still an option. When going to the store look for hair, makeup, and skin care products that are cruelty free and help others realize how cruel animal testing really is.

Buying cruelty free products is not only better for your wallet but better for the planet.