I'm back and on my soap :) box!

It's been a long time since I updated my blog but I can't believe that it is actually 3 months!!! I have still been busy busy busy making soap and starting to move towards starting my little business up properly. One of the most important things I have to do before I can start selling is to have my recipes checked and receive a safety assessment. To start with this will be for one basic formula of oils and butters which I can then vary to make a range of soaps and this is what I have been working on the most. While researching, I have been becoming more aware about the environmental issues surrounding palm oil.

Palm oil is used in soap because it is believed to give a better texture and a harder bar. Palm oil is also used in a huge range of other products including many processed foods, cosmetics and as a biofuel. Most palm oil originates from Malaysia and Indonesia and while this was sustainable at the start, the rapid increase in demand is now causing significant environmental damage to these areas.


Producers are now removing huge areas of tropical rainforest and peatland to convert them to huge plantations. This is particularly acute in Indonesia which was named in the 2008 Guinness Book of Records as the country with the fastest rate of deforestation and it is also the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world (largely due to deforestation). It is believed that the species that this is being hardest hit is the orangutan, which some report could become extinct within 10 years if the expansion of plantations continues as it is.

Progress is being made and in 2008 the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed so as to make consumers aware about and able to choose the source of their palm oil. There are still though uncertainties about how successful this has been. My personal belief is not that palm oil production should be stopped - it provides a good income and better standard of living for people in areas that may otherwise struggle, but that this should not be at the expense of the delicate environment and vulnerable species that also inhabit the area. So, until I can ensure that I can obtain palm oil that is from a truly sustainable source I will not be using it. Anyway, I've been experimenting with a range of other oils and butters which provide (I think :) ) much more interesting qualities for your skin than just making a nice feeling soap so watch this space!