Keratin - compound found in horny tissue: horn, claws, nails. Used in many hair products. almond Oil used as a hair rinse can give the same strengthening effect.

Lactic acid - derived from blood, muscle and milk. used in skin fresheners and as plasticiser and food preservative.

Lactose - milk sugar. Used in eye lotion and cosmetics, food, medicines.

Lanolin - (lanosterol, lanoinamide DEA, wool fat, wool wax) a moisturising agent derived from sheep wool, often after the animal has been slaughtered and skinned, lanolin may contain pesticide residues from sheep dipping, and can cause allergic reactions. Used in sunscreens, moisturisers, perfumes, pharmecueticals, hair products, dish detergents, baby products. 2, 47

LD50 - The toxicity of many products is estimated by employment of the LD50 test, where animals (usually rats) are force fed a substance until 50 percent of the test population dies, having consumed a 'lethal dose'. Toothpaste,

Lard - rendered pig fat 14, 2

Lead - Lead may enter the body inhaled from car exhaust, consumed from vegetables contaminated by exhaust, or from lead-based paint, lead water pipes, copper pipes soldered with lead. It is proven to cause infertility, sperm deformity, and lower intelligence in children. Some other sources of lead may include some Indian eye liners and hair blackeners. An itemin the Courier Mail in June 1997 claimed that "certain hair dyes contain so much lead that consumers, bathrooms, hair dryers, hands and dyed hair are contaminated". see also Toxicity 12, 17

Leather-The softest leather comes from the youngest animals, sometimes unborn ones taken from their dead mother's womb. So don't be under any illusions about leather being an innocent by-product of meat production. Tanning animal hides into leather is also polluting: tanning, dyeing and finishing use poisons such as chromium, which pollutes waterways and is known to cause cancer. 2, 14
The Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology states, "On the basis of quantity of energy consumed per unit of product produced, the leather-manufacturing industry would be categorized with the aluminum, paper, steel, cement, and petroleum manufacturing industries as a gross consumer of energy." Leather products are not easily biodegradable, because the primary function of a tanning is to stabilize the collagen so that they are not.

Lecithin - derived from eggs or soyabeans, though it may be obtained from tissues and blood. In cosmetics, soaps and some medicines. 14, 2

Linen - fabric derived from the flax plant

Lipase - enzyme from the stomachs and tongue glands of calves, kids and lambs. in some vitamins 75