SPONSORED CONTENT: Being vegan is more than just the food you eat

Being vegan is not just about the food or drink you consume it is about all aspects of life.

Vegans don’t wear leather, vegans will not support bull fights and vegans use household cleaning products that contain no animal products.

In addition, vegans will not use products that have been tested on animals, usually rabbits.

Therefore, the Waitrose ECOlogical cleaning products available in Eroski are ideal for vegans and for those who want to use cruelty free products.

It might be baffling for some people to think that the product they clean their toilet with or wash their clothes or dishes with could contain products from animals.

This is because let’s face it not many of us know exactly what all the ‘ingredients’ written on the side of the containers actually are.

Some cleaning products contain items such as Beeswax especially in products that are looking to give a nice shine. Some contain glycerol, steric acid, lauric acid and myristic acid which are all basically animal fats.

Rendered beef fat known as tallow is used, as is oleyl alcohols which comes from fish. The waxy nervous tissue in animals known as lecithin is used and perhaps surprisingly caprylic acid which comes from milk is also often used.

Waitrose developed their products according to its press release at the time to provide a range that, “is 100% British, plant based, biodegradable, cruelty free and comes in recyclable packaging.”

“Inspired by the great outdoors, the products are fragranced with scents such as Camomile and Waterlily, Watermint and Sage, and Grapefruit and Eucalyptus.”

They sell Bathroom Cleaner, Floor Cleaner, Glass Cleaner, Toilet Cleaner, Non-Bio Laundry Liquid, Fabric Conditioner and Washing Up Liquid.

Another reason vegans and non-vegans alike would use these products is because aside from any personal allergies anyone might have they are suitable for all household members from babies to pets.

Hair and body products
Other items vegans need to check and ensure they do not contain any animal products are shampoos, conditioners, body wash, bubble bath and even hand soap.

You may often here that certain shampoos contain keratin. Keratin is a chemical is it made from animal hair, horns, hooves, feathers, claws and calluses and therefore not suitable for vegans.

The same regarding collagen it is the fibrous protein found in vertebrates.

These shampoos can also include items such as animal derived Vitamin B5, known as panthenol or amino acids that have come from animals and not plants.

The same applies to body wash or bubble bath and even hand soap where the animal derived items mentioned in both the cleaning products and the shampoo section above can also be found.

Eroski sell Waitrose essential vegan products such as the pink grapefruit bubble bath (which incidentally is a lovely hand soap for the bathroom), 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner, ginger and clementine body wash and antibacterial hand wash which is ideal for the kitchen or to clean children’s hands after playing outside.

As the world continues to make a turn from using animal products Eroski have vowed to continue growing its range, promoting it and bringing an animal cruelty free Gibraltar closer to reality.

This article is sponsored by Eroski Gibraltar.