Hi gorgeous,
This week we’re shifting the focus to the everyday choices most of us were never taught to look at…
Animal products quietly show up in the things we sit on, wear, drive, apply to our skin, and even the experiences we choose while travelling:
🛋️ Furniture
🧴 Beauty products
🚗 Cars
👜 Accessories
✈️ Tourism & experiences
These are the hidden places animal exploitation often lives - often not because people are careless, but because it’s been normalised for generations.
We live in a society that has normalized the exploitation, dis-respect and lack of compassion for animals. As such most of us were never taught to look at all of the elements - but as Maya Angelou's famously said: 'when we know better, we can do better' 🤍
And this isn’t about perfection or replacing everything at once.
Right now it’s about awareness, noticing and choosing kinder options when the opportunity arises.
1. Everyday Objects (hidden in plain sight)
Animal-derived materials show up in places we rarely question:
• Leather furniture (couches, chairs, stools)
• Jewellery & accessories (leather bracelets, watch straps)
• Luggage, suitcases & travel tags
• Notebooks, journals, planners & covers
• Camera bags, tool pouches, keychains, coasters
• Pet accessories like collars and leashes
These items are often marketed as “premium” - but the real cost is rarely shown.
2. Cars & Transport
Many vehicles still include animal materials by default:
• Leather seats
• Suede interiors
• Leather-wrapped steering wheels
✨ Vegan & synthetic leather interiors now exist - offering the same durability and look, without animal harm. It’s one of the easiest swaps most people don’t realise is possible.
3. Tourism & Experiences
Some of the most normalised animal exploitation happens in “entertainment” and while travelling:
• Elephant rides
• Zoos & aquariums
• Photo ops with wild animals
• Animals kept in captivity for entertainment
These industries often rely on confinement, control, and separation from natural behaviours - even when marketed as “ethical” or “educational.”
Ethical travel asks a simple question: Would this exist if animals had a choice?
4. Beauty Products
Many beauty products contain animal-derived ingredients - even when they sound scientific, neutral, or “natural. Understanding ingredient sources helps you make informed decisions:
Collagen
Typically sourced from cows, fish, or poultry - extracted from skin, bones, and cartilage.“Vegan collagen” doesn’t contain collagen itself. Instead, it provides plant-based nutrients (like vitamin C, zinc, and amino acids) that support your body’s own collagen production.
Keratin
Derived from animal hair, feathers, horns, hooves, or nails. Common in shampoos, conditioners, masks, and hair treatments.
Fats, waxes & emollients
• Tallow - rendered animal fat (bar soaps, lipsticks)
• Lanolin - extracted from sheep’s wool (lip balms, creams)
• Stearic Acid - often derived from animal fat
• Glycerin - can be plant-based or animal-derived
• Gelatin - made from boiled bones and connective tissue
Many of these now have plant-based equivalents - checking the source matters.
Silk, milk & “natural ingredients”:
• Silk protein/silk extract - from silkworm cocoons (used in skincare & haircare)
• Casein/caseinate - milk protein used in cosmetics and hair products
• Hyaluronic acid - can be plant-based or animal-derived (often from rooster combs)
Ingredient names don’t tell the full story - transparent sourcing does.
Animal Testing
A product can be vegan in ingredients - but still tested on animals.
That’s why third-party certification matters.
👉 One trusted resource to check brands: Leaping Bunny
Veganuary is an invitation to get more curious!
To learn a little more and to choose a little better.
And to remember that small, everyday decisions really do add up 🌱
If we say we love animals, let’s really, actually, love animals.
Take it one mindful choice at a time ✨
xx Desirée
Founder & CEO
