Veganism is not, and never has been, just a diet. It’s about choosing compassion, and most importantly, choosing to live a life that doesn’t exploit or cause suffering to other living creatures. So it makes sense that veganism stretches into all aspects of life, and is not just concerned with what’s on your plate. Think about clothing (leather, fur), jewellery (pearls, shells), and cosmetics (animal byproducts and testing).
Well, have you ever thought about what might be hiding in your bathroom is actually not as vegan as you might have thought? Don’t worry, it’s not your fault. We live in a world where convenience and cost-effectiveness are put above all else. I mean, some things, you really wouldn’t expect to contain animal products, and yet here we are. But I’m here to help. In this article, you’ll find 5 everyday bathroom items that you may well have tucked away in your vanity cupboards, all of which have one thing in common – THEY’RE NOT VEGAN.
Toilet paper
Say whaaaat? That was my reaction too. It’s crazy, isn’t it? Well, like most things, it’s a cost-cutting exercise that unfortunately most big household brands use. Gelatine (a collagen found in animal skin, bones, and connective tissue) and steric acid (fatty acid from animal fat) are commonly used as binding agents. Seriously, who wants to be wiping their behind with dead animal parts? Beats me!
But don’t panic. There are several great vegan-friendly brands out there that you can easily switch to that will benefit both the animals and your butt!. Here are my recommendations:
Who Gives a Crap – This brand is fab. They have two toilet paper lines – the recycled paper, and the bamboo one. Both are excellent choices. I myself use their recycled paper one, which is not only brilliantly eco-friendly, but it comes in the jazziest packaging that truly brightens up any bathroom. Highly recommend.
Bumboo – As the name suggests, this brand exclusively sells bamboo toilet paper. Both the whitened and unbleached kind (if you want that real, authentic experience!). You even have the choice of three different packaging designs – so there really is something for everyone’s taste.
Naked Paper – This brand specialises in unbleached paper – so you won’t find any white loo roll here! Like Who Gives A Crap, they sell both recycled and bamboo paper – each with a subtle light brown colour ‘as nature intended’. Their ethos is to cut out the unnecessary bleaching stages of toilet paper production and work towards a more gentle and sustainable world of TP.
The Cheeky Panda – Like Bumboo, this brand also exclusively sells bamboo toilet paper. It is unbleached and is made from 100% sustainable bamboo. It’s also a B-Corp, vegan, cruelty-free, FSC-approved, and supports WWF to protect the planet!
One thing all of these brands have in common is the option to sign up for a subscription which comes with a reduced price, and ensures you never run out! You can easily adjust the frequency of the subscription to suit your needs.
Shaving razors
Now, once again, this doesn’t apply to all. First, you need to identify what brand you have. When I first learned of this one, I was using Venus Comfort Glide – and spoiler alert – Venus is NOT a vegan brand. Like many other big high street brands, they use lanolin (a natural waxy substance produced from the glands of sheep to protect their skin and wool), and glycerin (a byproduct of animal fat) in their lubrication strips (which can be found above/below the blade). It’s totally unnecessary and once again just outlines the sloth and greed of the manufacturers who are all about saving money above any kind of morals.
When searching for a more vegan-friendly alternative, it’s worth thinking about sustainability too. Whilst some disposable razors may be technically vegan, they still pose some serious downsides with their casual use of single-use plastic. Here are some brands I recommend:
Estrid – Estrid offer a range of vegan beauty products, including razors, deodorant and moisturisers. Instead of animal products in their razors, they use aloe and shea butter for the lubricating strips. You can either make a single purchase, or sign up for their subscription service, where you can choose the frequency at which you receive new blades. The razors themself are made from stainless steel and rubber, and you have the choice of a range of colours.
Jungle Culture – This brand specialises in metal safety razors. Like Estrid, you can choose from a range of colours. When you purchase a razor, you can choose whether to buy your additional blades as a one-off purchase, or as a subscription service. If you go with a subscription, you can then choose the frequency of this to suit your needs. The brand offers a range of other sustainable products, including homeware and natural soaps. They pride themselves on being zero-waste and plastic-free.
Bulldog Skincare – This is a 100% vegan and cruelty-free brand specialising in male skincare and grooming. They offer bamboo, ceramic and glass razors, which can often also be found in highstreet shops such as Boots and Superdrug. They pride themselves on using natural origin ingredients, and no plastics.
Toothpaste
Did you know that glycerin (usually derived from tallow – a rendered animal fat), calcium phosphate (often derived from animal bones), and propolis (known as ‘bee glue’, a sticky substance honeybees produce to seal the cracks of their hives) are commonly found in big-brand toothpastes?
And that’s not even mentioning the animal testing! Crest, Colgate, and Sensodyne to name a few STILL test on animals. Don’t be fooled by their ‘vegan’ badge proudly slapped on their packaging. While some of their products don’t technically contain any animal-derived ingredients, they can’t be considered cruelty-free. Instead, stock up on brands such as:
Tom’s of Maine – This is a US B Corp company created by a husband and wife who were seeking a more natural and sustainable way of life for their family back in 1960s Maine (hence the name). They offer a huge range of toothpaste, as well as many other toiletries, that promise all-natural and sustainable ingredients.
Hello – a vegan and cruelty-free brand of toothpaste you may well recognise, as they are no stranger to the high street store. They’re originally an American brand, and can be found tucked away in the aisles of Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy. But their success in America means you can now also find Hello toothpastes in the UK too. Look out for them in Superdrug! Hello boasts an impressive range of toothpastes, including whitening toothpastes, activated charcoal toothpastes, vitamin C toothpastes, and children’s toothpastes. It is worth noting, however, that Hello is owned by Colgate-Palmolive.
The Humble Co – They sell a range of toothpaste products that come in tubes, tablets, and glass jars, using all-natural and sustainable ingredients. They even have a kids’ range, along with a choice of different flavours.
PÄRLA – another B Corp, founded by three UK dentists on a mission to disrupt the outdated oral care industry. They offer vegan, cruelty-free free and palm-oil free products that come in either tablet form in glass jars, or paste form in aluminium tubes – making them both 100% recyclable and plastic-free. You can even find them in a number of UK high street stores & supermarkets, including Boots, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
Floss
I was shocked one day whilst browsing my local Savers (toiletries store to my non-British friends) to come across a new brand of floss that proudly labelled itself as vegan. My mind suddenly started spiralling – does this mean most brands AREN’T vegan? Does this mean my floss at home – that I’ve been using for years – isn’t vegan?! Of course, I headed straight for Google and yep – it was confirmed. The culprits are usually beeswax, silk or glycerin – all of which you certainly wouldn’t want going into your mouth and between your teeth! Instead, try out my recommendations for alternative and vegan-friendly brands:
The Humble Co – This name might sound familiar. That’s right, they were mentioned above for their vegan toothpastes. But they also sell a huge range of vegan floss, including floss spools, floss picks, and a range of different flavoured floss. They have both nylon and polyethylene threads, all coated with plant-based waxes.
Eco Floss – this is a 100% plant-based and cruelty-free dental floss from the brand Eco Living. They have a range of other products that are worth browsing too. The floss is not only vegan, but also plastic-free, palm oil free and compostable.
Bambaw – founded by twin brothers with a passion for making sustainable alternatives to single-use products, this brand makes PLA (polylactic acid) corn starch flosses. The floss comes with a stainless steel dispenser that you can re-use again and again by simply purchasing the floss refills. No plastic here! They also have a brilliant range of other sustainable products that’s definitely worth checking out.
Condoms
Seriously, is nothing safe?! It may or may not come as a shock to you that yes, many traditional condoms are not considered vegan-friendly. They often use casein, a protein found in milk, primarily from cows. Casein is used in the latex processing as it is believed to make the material smoother.
An even more disturbing use of animal products in the world of condoms is lambskin. Which really is just as awful as it sounds. It is made from cecum – a part of the large intestine of a sheep. The use of this material as a contraceptive dates all the way back to the 1600’s (where it really should have stayed). It’s now been rebranded as ‘natural membrane condoms’ – targeted at those with latex allergies. Either way, utterly gross and unethical. Besides, there are plenty of latex-free options in the vegan world of condoms, so there really is no excuse.
If you’re looking for some vegan-friendly fun, check out: Skyn condoms, Pasante, or My.Size – all of which promise 100% animal-free ingredients.
With a huge rise in demand for vegan products, along with a combined increase in knowledge and standards expected for animals, we are seeing vegan symbols pop up more and more. In my experience, it is safest to assume that if something isn’t labelled as vegan, there’s a good chance it isn’t. Lots of brands are proud to showcase their vegan certificate these days, even if they’re not a 100% vegan brand. This is because they know they’re opening themselves up to a huge new customer base, which equals more profit for them. Of course, shopping exclusively with 100% vegan brands would be amazing, but it’s not always possible. It’s okay to shop and buy from brands that aren’t (yet) all-vegan. Don’t be too hard on yourself when it comes to this – making conscious choices is never a bad thing. And sometimes we play the cards we’re dealt. Until the world becomes vegan, we do what we can. When in doubt, Google is your friend. There are great forums and resources out there that can really help narrow down whether you’ve found yourself an under-the-radar vegan item, or a classic hidden animal-product ingredient product. It’s always worth checking.
But hey, there are seriously SO many good brands to shop with these days. All you need is a quick search on Google and you’ll be inundated with options for vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable products. Why not take the time to do the research and make the swap.
Anything I’ve missed? Or do you have a great recommendation I’ve not mentioned in the article? As always, please feel free to share your experiences and advice in the comments.