Could Your Soap Be Damaging The Rainforests?

Palm oil is made from the fruits of trees called African oil palms. From these trees come palm oil which is used in everything from soaps, cosmetics, biofuels, candles and detergents – the list goes on and on.

Between 1990 and 2008, approximately 8% of the world’s rainforests and peat lands were destroyed to allow for the planting of African oil palms. These rainforests are located in Malaysia and Indonesia, but also increasingly in parts of Africa and Latin America too. The areas of land being used to produce palm oil is over five times the size of Switzerland.

Destroying areas like these means destroying essential habitats and ecosystems – the places where plants and wildlife live, meaning the area has less biodiversity.

Species like orangutans, rhinos, elephants and tigers can be affected, as can indigenous people. It’s not all bad new though; organisations such as the Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund are working to preserve these valuable habitats while still allowing palm oil to be produced in a more sustainable way.

But this brings us back to our question; could our soaps be damaging the environment? The answer is yes. Is there a way to prevent this damage? The answer is a resounding YES. Today you can buy many products which do not contain any palm oils but which instead use oils from – for example – olives, castor, coconuts or vegetable. In fact, as many more people become aware of the fragility of our living planet, the more they want to do the right thing and only go with those products which have a minimal impact. Buying palm free soap is one of the choices that people are making. All of Donnta’s soaps are PALM-FREE. All we use are oils from environmentally sustainable crops such as castor, flowers, olives, coconut and other essential oils. We want you to experience how amazing these palm oil free products feel and smell and in doing so, you’ll not only be helping the rainforests to regenerate, but you’ll be helping this little guy too 🙂