Palm Oil in Soap: Why I Choose Not to Use It

What Is the Difference Between Supermarket Soap and Handmade Luxury Soap?

Apart from the love, care, and craftsmanship that go into handmade soap, the biggest difference often comes down to a single ingredient: palm oil.

Take a look at the ingredient list on most supermarket soaps—even many marketed as "natural"—and you'll likely find palm oil near the top of the list.

Palm oil creates a very hard bar with excellent cleansing properties. It contributes to a long shelf life, a firm texture, and makes soap economical to manufacture at scale.

A Note on Skin Dryness

Palm oil itself is not inherently harmful to the skin. However, soap formulations that rely heavily on palm oil as their primary ingredient can be more drying than formulations rich in olive oil, shea butter, and other conditioning oils.

Palm oil contributes hardness and cleansing power to a soap bar, but when used in high proportions it may produce a soap that removes more of the skin's natural oils during washing. Over time, this can leave skin feeling tight, rough, and uncomfortable, particularly for those with dry or sensitive skin.

Repeated use of highly cleansing soaps may contribute to:

• Dry, rough skin
• Peeling cuticles
• Hangnails
• Cracked skin
• Compromised skin barrier function
• Increased susceptibility to irritation and eczema flare-ups

This is one of the reasons I prefer to formulate my soaps with a high proportion of olive oil, enriched with shea butter and additional superfatting oils. These ingredients help create a gentler cleanse while leaving the skin feeling soft, comfortable, and nourished.

Why Is Palm Oil So Cheap?

One of the primary reasons supermarket soaps can be sold at such low prices is the affordability of palm oil.

Palm oil is derived from the fruit of the African oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis). Today, the majority of global production comes from:

• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Thailand
• Nigeria
• Colombia

Palm oil is extracted from the fleshy fruit, while palm kernel oil comes from the hard inner seed, or kernel.

Palm Oil Ingredients to Look For

Palm-derived ingredients can appear under several names, including:

• Palm oil
• Palm kernel oil
• Sodium palmate
• Sodium palm kernelate

Oil palm is an extraordinarily productive crop, producing more oil per hectare than almost any other oil-producing plant. This high yield makes it exceptionally profitable and allows manufacturers to keep costs low.

The Environmental Cost of Palm Oil

The problem with palm oil is not necessarily the oil itself—it's the scale at which it is often produced.

As global demand has increased, vast areas of native rainforest have been cleared to establish palm oil plantations.

Impact on Wildlife

Deforestation has dramatically reduced habitat for many species, including:

• Orangutans
• Pygmy elephants
• Sumatran rhinos
• Countless bird, insect, and plant species

As forests disappear, so too does the biodiversity that depends upon them.

Climate Impact

Rainforests play a critical role in absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.

When forests are cleared, their ability to sequester carbon is lost, contributing to increased greenhouse gas concentrations and accelerating climate change.

Human Rights Concerns

The pressure to maximise yields and reduce production costs has also led to documented concerns regarding labour conditions and worker rights in some regions of the palm oil industry.

What About Sustainable Palm Oil?

In response to these concerns, the industry has made significant efforts to improve sustainability standards.

The Role of the RSPO

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) works to encourage more responsible production practices by promoting:

• Reduced deforestation
• Protection of peatlands and natural ecosystems
• Improved human rights protections
• Greater supply chain transparency
• Increased adoption of certified sustainable palm oil

If you choose to purchase products containing palm oil, looking for RSPO certification is a positive step.

Can You Always Tell If Palm Oil Is Sustainable?

Unfortunately, not always.

Unless a product specifically displays RSPO certification or clearly states the source of its palm-derived ingredients, it can be difficult for consumers to determine whether sustainable practices have been followed.

This lack of transparency is one reason many consumers actively seek palm-oil-free alternatives.

Why I Choose Not to Use Palm Oil

Even with sustainable sourcing options available, I choose not to use palm oil in my soap formulations.

The reason is simple: there are other ingredients that are both kinder to the skin and free from the environmental concerns associated with palm oil production.

What I Use Instead

My soaps are crafted using a nourishing base of:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Shea butter

Together, these ingredients create a gentle, conditioning cleanse while producing a beautiful lather.

The Benefits of Superfatting

My luxury soaps are also superfatted with additional cold-pressed oils, botanical butters, and carefully selected essential oils.

During the soap-making process, known as saponification, oils react with lye to create soap. By formulating with a deliberate excess of nourishing oils and butters, a portion remains unsaponified after the reaction is complete.

These precious leftover oils are free to:

• Help support the skin barrier
• Reduce moisture loss
• Condition and soften the skin
• Leave the skin feeling comfortable and nourished

A Kinder Alternative

For me, soap should do more than simply cleanse.

It should respect the skin, support its natural barrier, and transform a daily routine into a small act of self-care.

By choosing olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and nutrient-rich botanical oils over palm oil, I can create soaps that are gentle, luxurious, and thoughtfully formulated for both people and planet.