Saying No To Palm Oil

Is using products that contain palm oil really that big of a deal? Well, we think so - that’s why nothing that we make contains a single drop.

66 million tonnes of palm oil is produced annually - that’s a lot! And because it’s so cheap globally, the demand for it is high and can be found in a huge number of different kinds of products. From processed foods, biscuits, margarine, soaps (not ours!) and makeup. It’s actually found in most cosmetic emulsifiers even if it’s not listed, so don’t be fooled!

Palm oil is also processed to make biofuels. Totally sounds like an eco-friendly alternative right? Unfortunately not. Palm oil based biofuels actually have 3 times more impact on our climate than fossil fuels.

Plantations of palm oil take up a huge 27 hectares of land across the world - that’s the same area as the whole of New Zealand! Every day, huge parts of South East Asia, South America and Africa are bulldozed or burnt to make way for these plantations. This causes masses of pollution and releases huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

And if that wasn’t enough to make you think twice about buying products that contain palm oil - the areas that are demolished to make room for producing more of it, are largely forests that are inhabited by endangered species like orangutans, Borneo elephants and Sumatran tigers. Not only that, but many Indigenous peoples have been forced away from their homes and land too.

From a soap-making and skincare point of view, it is not essential to use palm oil. Some palm oil suppliers claim they are sustainable, however, it is possible to avoid it entirely which is what we choose to do. We use Australian olive oil and coconut oil in our soap and non-palm oil derived emulsifier and solubilising ingredients (to bind oil and water) in our hand and body cream and deodorant. And if you’re thinking—but coconuts come from palm trees! The environmental issue is with oil palms. Coconut palms and carnauba palms don’t pose the same threat.

So what can you do to steer clear of palm oil products? Read food labels. Research palm-oil free brands. Shop responsibly and support businesses that are saying no to palm oil!