Lush develops new (very nearly) palm free soap base
The threat to biodiversity, global warming and human rights represented by the demand for palm oil is by now a well publicised one. Ancient rainforests are being destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations, a situation which is leaving a trail of havoc in its wake. Wild orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo are being threatened with extinction, indigenous peoples are being robbed of their land, causing violent conflict, and peat fires used to clear land for plantations represent the third largest contributor to CO2 emissions in the world.
The situation is not a good one. Especially when you consider that most of us are directly contributing to the problem, with one in ten products in the supermarket containing palm oil. For example, a whole 6% of palm oil produced goes into making sure you're not sitting at your desk emitting BO and frightening your colleagues (or perhaps you are, I don't know...). At least on this front, however, help is at hand - cosmetics company Lush has spent most of the past year attempting to develop a palm oil free formula with which it can create all its soap...
After unsuccessful in-house trials involving olive oil and sunflower oil, they decided to consult every soap base maker in the UK and find out what suggestions they might have. Their knight in shining armour turned out to be Kays (Ramsbottom) Limited, the oldest soap maker in the UK, who eventually came up with a winning combination of sunflower, rapeseed and coconut oil. The formula, it was agreed, could feasibly be used on a scale large enough to accommodate the needs of commercial soap production.
Unfortunately, it's not quite 100% palm oil free yet. Traces of palm oil still exist in the formula, as two main ingredients in soap - Sodium Stearate and Sodium Laurel - both contain palm oil. Given that these are obtained from third parties, action further up the chain is required to remedy this. This is a minor consideration, however, when the overall level of palm oil required in the development of this formula in comparison to previous soap bases is taken into account!
Related: The Body Shop switches to sustainable palm oil | Lush website back online with green focus
