Dryer sheets. Yep. They (most of them) use tallow, or animal fat, as the softening agent. So, I'm not using them any more. I just recently made my own detergent at home (from Borax, Washing Soda, and Oxyclean, plus a few drops of essential oil each load) and that completely freshens my clothes. And I tried it without a dryer sheet today, and my clothes had no static and they were just as soft as ever. So, yeah.
Also, a lot of refined sugars have been purified through carbon filters made from cows' bones. Supposedly the bones come from cows who died of natural causes and not from factory farmed cattle, but still. Ew.
And gelatin. Which is made from collagen from animals' skin and bones. Again, ew.
And finally, cosmetics, such as mascara, lipstick and lip gloss. Of which, fortunately, I use none. I'm kinda glad I'm a natural girl. I don't remember the last time I used make-up.
So, in my quest to discover more about how animals are used in society, I signed up for a vegetarian starter kit from Peta. A while ago. And it just came in my mail yesterday. I've been reading over the materials, and they're very interesting and have caused me to think. A lot. I'm definitely leaning more toward becoming vegan, but I'd have some serious meal planning to do and I just need to use up some of the food I have first before I can "start fresh," so to speak. But I'm looking into it.
And I am getting a little more vocal about the possibility of my husband going veg. I think he's a long way off still, since he told me today that he's seen many Peta commercials and knows about what goes on with animals and it doesn't bother him.
That bothers me. It really does.