A Sustainable Solution

I've come to admit to myself, all be it a noble mission, I probably cannot make ALL my soaps Palm-Free. Some? Yes, most definitely, but all... probably not likely, unless I want to start using Lard as a substitute, which I would rather not.

The solution: Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)

While there still is a lot of Palm related hardships, the solution to the problem is to use Palm products from sustainable sources of production. There's a few places online where you can purchase this type of Palm Oil and so, when I need to use it in my soaps, that's what I will use!

Ah... there, finally! Now I can soap and not have to worry about the quality of my soaps suffering alongside the Orangutans.

I love a happy ending.

Palm-Free, Maybe?

I tend to go Gung-Ho whenever I get a new idea in my head and I wrote a couple of days ago that I was going to be going Palm-Free for all my soap. I now fear I may have spoke too soon!

It is possible to have Palm-Free soap, but after much research, I might not be able to get away from it entirely as it is one of the few oils which provide for a hard, cleansing bar.

SO! I've decided to come to a compromise... I can't guarentee at the moment that all my future soaps will be Palm-Free. I'm going to try it for a while and see how my soaps turn out... if they work just as well, then PERFECT! We're Palm-Free! But, if I don't like how they work, then I'll just create a Palm-Free line of soaps specifically for those who are Palm Conscious, as well as have a line of soaps with Palm Oil to achieve the effect I like in my soaps.

In the meantime, I'm going to use Soybean Oil as my replacement for Palm Oil. Both should create a hard lathering bar, but I know Soybean Oil isn't as popular. We'll see how it goes!

Wish me luck!

Oh, To Be Palm Free - High Five!

As with any new venture I get into, I tend to go overboard. When I first started to make soap, I read a lot of online stories and got a few books and realized my options of Base Oils and Essential Oils was extensive.... So I did what anyone with a meager savings and a new addiction would do, I went out and bought 20 different kinds of carrier oils and 50 different kinds of essential oils and started creating!

I knew when buying my oils that I didn't want to use any lard in my soaps. Now don't get me wrong, I love a juicy steak as much as the next person, so it wasn't a decision on behalf of the animal. Rather the idea of working with animal fat was far less appealing than vegetable oils (that and while I'm sure it would make fantastic soap and more than likely Ive used such a soap in the past) and I just couldn't get down with the thought of rubbing saponified animal fat on my body in order to feel clean afterwards. More or less, if I'm gonna use a soap like that, then I don't want to be making it and more importantly, I don't want to be knowing whats in it. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

I found out the most common vegetable soap formulas combined the following three oils: Olive, Coconut and Palm Oil. So I made sure to buy a lot of these, as well as other kinds to add as fillers for their various skin benefits. After I got into making several soaps, a girlfriend of mine, who was working at Lush in Santa Monica at the time, gave me the skinny on the Palm Oil controversy and why people were being Palm Conscious.

I won't go into so many details, as you can read up more about it in this article, but more or less because Palm Oil has become so increasingly popular in so many different ways over the last few years, from bio-fuel alternative, to being a main ingredient in bath and body products, to being used in many food products, the production of Palm oil is running the Orangutans out of their homeland, destroying the rain forest and more, as I said, I won't go into so many details, but definitely read the article if you get a chance, it's very interesting.

While I unfortunately do not have the time to go and pound my fist for change, I'll at least do my part to be aware of the issues and not contribute to the problem. Palm Oil is not a necessity in making my soap. There are several other alternatives (and better ones at that!) which I can use.

I still have a little bit of Palm Oil and Palm Kernal Oil to go through, I figure if I don't use it, then that would be an even bigger waste! But after I'm done with what I have, I will not order any more and I'm going to start making all my soaps Palm-Free. Just another little marketing perk and an excuse to pat myself on the back! :-)

And now on to play Super Mario Bros for the Wii.... Thank God they went back to the old school version! Yay!