
I have decided to make homemade soap without palm oil, or any of its derivatives (such as stearic acid). Why? Because palm oil production has devastated the environment, pushed animals to the edge of extinction, and uprooted indigenous people. Even more troubling is that there are widespread human rights abuses, including forced labor, child labor, and dangerous and abusive work conditions, in oil palm plantations. All these factors contribute to my decision to make homemade soap without palm oil or its derivatives.
In recent decades, there has been a surge in the world’s demand for palm oil. This increased demand has encouraged poor and less developed countries, with tropical climate, to increase their palm oil production. This is often done by first clearing and burning rainforests, and draining and converting peatlands (wetlands). I don’t want to contribute to the disastrous outcomes associated with palm oil production. Because of this, I have decided to make homemade soap without palm oil or its derivatives.
What Products have Palm Oil? And Why Won’t More Soapers Make Homemade Soap Without Palm Oil?
Palm oil comes from fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is used in food and cosmetic production, including soap making. Some researchers estimated that about half of all packaged products available in U.S. supermarkets contain palm oil. Next time you grocery shop, check out the ingredients in packaged bread, cookies, chocolate, ice cream and margarine. Inevitably, you will see palm oil listed as one of the ingredients. According to the World Wildlife Fund, instead of “palm oil,” you might also see the following ingredients, which could be palm oil or palm oil derivatives:
Vegetable Oil, Vegetable Fat, Palm Kernel, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Fruit Oil, Palmate, Palmitate, Palmolein, Glyceryl, Stearate, Stearic Acid, Elaeis Guineensis, Palmitic Acid, Palm Stearine, Palmitoyl Oxostearamide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Kernelate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Lauryl Lactylate/Sulphate, Hyrated Palm Glycerides, Etyl Palmitate, Octyl Palmitate, Palmityl Alcohol.
Why is palm oil present in so many food items? Remember, trans fat? We all know that trans fat is bad for us. Consuming too much trans fat can raise our bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower our good (HDL) cholesterol levels. According to the American Heart Association, trans fat elevates our risk for developing heart diseases, stroke and diabetes. When we became concerned about having trans fat in our diet, food manufacturers began switching to palm oil for food preparation, because it has zero trans fat. This doesn’t mean that eating palm oil is healthier for us. In fact, being on a palm oil heavy diet causes the same types of health problems as consuming too much trans fat. But the “zero trans fat” label is an effective advertising gimmick.
Palm oil is also found in a number of cosmetic products, including lipsticks and shampoo. For me, the most troubling realization is that palm oil or its derivatives (such as palm kernel oil and stearic acid) are found in most homemade and big brand soap. For example, LUSH stopped using palm oil, citing environmental concerns, but continues to use stearic acid (a palm oil derivative) in its products. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Bar Soap, the much loved and top selling natural soap, also lists palm oil as an ingredient.
Why is palm oil so popular with soapers? Because for a soaper who doesn’t want to use animal fat, palm oil is a dream oil. It produces an extremely hard and long lasting bar of soap. It helps to stabilize lather, but isn’t as drying as soap that’s made with coconut oil. Because of this, you will find palm oil and/or one of its derivatives as ingredients in most homemade and store-bought soap.
How has Palm Oil Production Devastated the Environment, People and Animals?
The biggest palm oil producing countries are Malaysia and Indonesia, which are responsible for supplying 85% of the world’s palm oil. To increase production, palm oil producers, most of them multinational corporations, have burned and cleared rainforests, and drained and converted peatlands, to make room for oil palm plantations. This rapid deforestation and peatland conversion have led to increased emission of greenhouse gases and contributed to climate changes.
The destruction of rainforests and peatlands has also resulted in the loss of habitat for many animals, including rhinos, elephants, orangutans, and tigers. Palm oil production has pushed these animals to the edge of extinction. In some cases, indigenous people who have lived in these areas are deprived of their land and livelihoods, and have reduced access to clean water and fertile soil. The most troubling effect of palm oil production expansion is that widespread human rights abuses, including forced labor, child labor, work without compensation, and dangerous, abusive work conditions, have been reported in oil palm plantations.
What About Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Certified Palm Oil?
A soaper can purchase palm oil that RSPO members produced. RSPO is a non-profit organization that aims to implement a global standard for sustainable palm oil. Palm oil producers who become a RSPO member are required to meet RSPO’s requirements and produce palm oil in ways that are “economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial.”
The problem is, in recent years, RSPO has been ineffective in curbing deforestation and human rights violations. Many believe RSPO does nothing but greenwash palm oil production, because RSPO certified companies have continued to engage in deforestation that destroys biodiversity and shrinks natural habitat. A November 2015 Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report claimed that RSPO auditors have failed to identify violations and some have even colluded with oil palm plantations to intentionally cover up violations. Basically, information from multiple reliable sources, shows that RSPO can’t guarantee that its members are only supplying sustainable palm oil or that the palm oil is produced without human rights violations.
I Now Make Homemade Soap Without Palm Oil
After reading and researching extensively on palm oil production, I have decided to make homemade soap without palm oil. I have also stopped using palm oil in any of my other bath, body and personal care products. I check the ingredients of my packaged food to make sure it doesn’t include palm oil or its derivatives. For me, to continue to buy palm oil products is to turn a blind eye to the harm that its production has caused and continues to cause. It is just not worth it to me. I know not all share my position. Here is one example.
As a soaper, it has been tough for me to give up using palm oil, a dream oil. I have been in a soap funk. I can’t figure out how to achieve the same kind of results without using palm oil. Yes, soap funk is a real thing. All of you soapers out there know what I mean. One Saturday, I made 4 different batches of palm-free soap. The results ranged between total garbage, not useable soap, to minimally acceptable soap that I might be able to rebatch. It has been a rough patch. I am trying different ingredients, such as sea salt, beeswax and hard oil, to tweak my palm-free homemade soap recipes. I am not quite there yet, but I am hopeful that I’ll figure this out soon.
What about you? Will you continue to use palm oil or any of its derivative in your homemade soap? Will you be checking your packaged food items, and avoid purchasing products that contain palm oil? I understand that this is a complex issue and there are no easy answers. I would love to know what you think. So share your thoughts!
Thank you….
Hi I just left a comment and forgot to ask if you have a recipe for tea tree oil soap I used to buy Trader Joe’s brand & they no longer sell it but I also found out recently most of their soaps contain Palm oil in their products and they are not cruelty free.
Thank you!
Hi Mary, unfortunately most soap bars you find in stores include palm oil. Palm oil makes a harder bar of soap that lasts longer. But I applaud you for looking for palm oil free products. I haven’t posted a recipe for tea tree oil soap, but you can certainly following this easy homemade soap recipe, and instead of adding lavender essential oil in step 8, add tea tree essential oil. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you for the information Sylvia I really appreciate it! Can you tell me how long a Lye solution should last?… In other words I would like to make a big batch of lye solution since it is kind of dicey & Have it on hand which it sounds like from your instructions you do it just doesn’t say at least I didn’t see how long the lye solution should last. Thank You!
Hi I applaud you for taking the extra step and effort in not using Palm oil. I’m just now coming to the realization I need to make my own soap as well. Please let me know You found a good alternative for Palm oil☮️
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mary! I think salt bars or pure coconut oil bars are good alternatives to palm oil bars. Here’s a salt bar recipe that explains how you can make your own rock hard salt bars that are bubbly and moisturizing.
I’ve always wanted to make soap, and a friend just sent me a link to your blog. It looks like a wonderful source of information! I’m here because I just noticed the palm oil ingredients in all my Dr. Bronner’s soaps, and my friend thought your blog could help. I’ve used their soaps for about 47 years, and I am horrified! It may be time to make my own. Are there any recipes for DIY soap that can substitute for Sal Suds, a powerful grease cutter? I just used Sal Suds and hot water to clear a clogged drain, and it’s good for my dog’s laundry too. But I won’t buy palm oil. Thanks.
Thank you for reaching out, Amala! I hope you’ll give some of my handmade soap recipes a try. You might want to start with this first time soaper recipe. I haven’t tested DIY degreaser recipes, but I think that a mixture of vinegar, baking soda, liquid soap, and warm/hot water works wonders as a degreaser. Please keep me posted on your soap/degreaser making adventure. 🙂
Hi. It’s 2018 and just wondering if you’ve been successful in making soap/shampoo/conditioner that’s free from palm oil? I was led here by my research on castile soap, which I don’t want to use because of its palm kernel oil content. Thank you and hope you’re well!
Hi Ampy, yep, I’ve figured out how to make soap (both soap bar and liquid soap) without using palm oil. 🙂 Here are a few of my recipes that you might like: liquid castile soap, easy soap bar recipe for 1st time soapers, homemade castile soap bar recipe, and DIY shampoo bar. I don’t use palm oil or palm oil derivative in any of my soap recipes. Hope you’ll find the recipes helpful and that you will give them a try. Please let me know if you have any more questions. I’d be glad to help.
I too don’t use palm oil because of the same reasons. Did some research and found that if you use a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar after cooking the soap and mix it in really well the soap will harden quicker.
Great tip, Carmen! I’ll be sure to give salt and sugar a try for my next batch of soap. I sometimes add salt when making lye solution, and that helps a bit with hardening the soap as well. Thanks!
Thank you for your engagement and dedication. I hope there will be many more of us acting alike.
Thank you for your kind words! I too hope that more people are informed about the harm they are causing when they choose products that contain palm oil.
A girlfriend and I were sitting down having a cuppa and a whinge about all the chemicals in soap.. As I was suffering from excema I decided I would try my hand at making my own soap free from all these added nasties..
So we have both made around 5 batches of soap and are addicted big time .. Soapaholics
we are ????
We are both adamant we will not use palm oil in any of our soaps.. Soaps are still curing so have only tested one batch so far which we were happy with ????
Beginners we are so if anyone comes up with any handy hints would be much appreciated thanks ????
Oh! I totally agree! Soap making is addictive. I’m glad you don’t use palm oil in your soap. How palm oil is produced now is so destructive to the environment, indigenous people and animals. Have you tried making hot process soap? Hot process soap has a very brief drying/curing time. They need only a few days before you can enjoy them. Here are some of my hot process soap recipes. Give them a try. They are all palm oil-free.
I am on my way to making my first batch of soap thanks to you! I too do not use palm oil for the same reasons! When I came across your recipe I was ecstatic!
That’s wonderful! I’d love to hear all about your very first batch of soap. Be warned, soaping is addictive. You will find yourself making a batch a week in no time. 🙂
Thank you for caring for the environment.
Thank you for reading the post and your kind words. It’s very frustrating that not many people know about the harm associated with palm oil production, and that so many people are continuing to consume large quantity of palm oil in food items and cosmetic products.