The Soap Maker's Nest Series: Palm Oil

The Soap Maker's Nest: Palm Oil

 

Welcome to the first entry in our new series: The Soap Maker's Nest! You're invited behind the scenes at Birds of Valhalla in these entries. Founder and CEO Debra Glaze knows that people care about more than just the pretty colors and wonderful scents of our natural soap bars (though those are still just as important!) We will bring you into the studio, otherwise known as "The Weird Basement Where the Soap is Made™" and get into the "hows", the "whys", and the "wtfs" of BoV and the soap-making industry as a whole. Let's dive right in!

 

A beautiful photo of a palm forest in Brazil. Image by wirestock on Freepik

 

Palm Oil: A Harmful Ingredient We Avoid

If you haven't yet read our previous blog post about our continued push to transition all of our products to coconut-free recipes, check it out here. One of the key reasons for this transition is to cater to the several of you with coconut allergies. However, what sets us apart from other coconut-free soaps is that we are also avoiding the use of palm oil.

Even our solid colognes and fragrances are coconut-free!

 

Palm oil has become a ubiquitous ingredient in many products, from food to cosmetics, due to its versatility and affordability. However, the production of palm oil has had devastating consequences for the environment and human rights.

The Widespread Use of Palm Oil

Like many other plant oils, palm oil was first used for cooking. Its high heat tolerance makes it a go-to if you like your tofu SUPER crispy. Another fun fact: it is solid at room temperature, which makes it a cheap alternative to butter and other similar baking ingredients. “But what if we don’t want to cook right away, and instead want to buy our food in bulk and put it in storage?” asked Humanity.

Humanity was in luck because processed food became a huge deal. Think about what you normally buy at your supermarket for a second. Regardless of how natural or healthy the things in your pantry are, they must stay on your shelf for long periods. Palm oil is used for this purpose due to its oxidation resistance, and is in way more products than you’d think. Chocolate, bread, pizza… so many options that according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil it can be found in 50% of food products and, more in line with our discussion here, 70% of cosmetic products.

But, I'm Super Careful About What I Buy!

Are you looking at your labels, reassuring yourself that there can’t be palm oil in that many things? Well, consider this: Only about 10% of ingredients derived from palm oil have the words ‘palm oil’ in them. Young People’s Trust for the Environment, a group based in the UK that keeps children informed about environmental crises, offers a few other names to look for. Give it a quick scroll.

• 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

• Hydrated Palm Glycerides 

• Octyl Palmitate

• Palmityl Alcohol

• Laureth-7
• Steareth-2
• Cocamide MEA (fatty acid-derived)
• Cocamiede DEA (fatty acid derived)

• Stearamidopropyldimethylamine

• Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride

• Isopropylmyristate

• Caprylic/capric Trigylceride

• Fatty Isethionates (SCI)

• Alkylpolyglycoside (APG)

In short, it’s just about everywhere we could ever think of. Below is a photo of just a small sample of what we get from Big Palm Oil and what they consider ethical.

 

This photo shows a small sample of what we get from palm oil that is not certified sustainable.

 

The Environmental and Ethical Toll

While palm oil may be ubiquitous, its production has come at a massive cost to the environment and human rights. The expansion of palm oil plantations has led to widespread deforestation, destroying the habitats of endangered species like orangutans and contributing to climate change.

 

Remember how much palm oil we use, a lot of it without even knowing? Most of it is farmed in ways irreversibly destructive to the farmers, the environment, and the wildlife that used to call these plantations their home.  

"Living" Conditions

There is a direct link between the palm oil industry and the endangerment of orangutans. The Australia-based Borneo Orangutan Survival states that since the 1980s, the rainforest in Borneo has gone from 75% remaining to only 50%. You read that right: half of their forest cover no longer exists. To make it even worse, much of the logging slated for use as palm oil production is just to sell the timber.

The farming process is just as grave. According to a 2016 investigation by Amnesty International, many companies claim sustainability even while taking part in labor abuse. The Wilmar plantations in Indonesia were the subject of this specific survey. Wilmar is the largest palm oil grower in the world, providing to companies like Colgate, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, and Proctor & Gamble, makers of Dove soap and Pantene shampoo. In interviewing 120 workers, they found numerous cases of mistreatment. Some highlights: children dropping out of school to do hazardous work to help their families get by; Women forced to work longer hours or get their pay cut down from $2.50 a day; Being forced to use poisonous chemicals that are banned for their toxicity. You can read their full study here.

This is what your skin hydration looks like from another angle.

 

Birds of Valhalla's Stance

At Birds of Valhalla, we believe that the environmental and ethical toll of palm oil production is unacceptable. That's why we have made the conscious decision to eliminate palm oil from all of our products. Our ever-growing collections, specifically our coconut-free collection are a testament to our commitment to sustainability, ethical practices, and limiting allergens. In the meantime, if you don't need to wait for us to shift recipes, you can get a variety box with the original coconut oil recipe right here.

Did you know you can also use our shampoo as a coconut-free, palm-free, soap? Check out our Sandalwood & Vanilla Fenrir the Great Wolf Shampoo Bar

We understand that it's not easy to stay aware of all the harmful ingredients and practices in the cosmetics industry, especially when large companies are so good at hiding them. That's why we strive to be transparent about our ingredients and processes, and we encourage our customers to always do their research and make informed decisions.

It's our mission to create beautiful, natural soap bars without compromising our values or the well-being of people and the planet. We hope you'll join us in this journey towards a more sustainable and ethical future. Make sure you look at the full picture.