Why Do We Use Palm Oil?
Soap is just a combination of liquefied salts (goat milk and sodium hydroxide aka lye) and fats (oils in our case). Why don’t we use just one oil and cut costs? Well, all the oils we use have qualities that make a special, luxurious, stand out product that can “suds up” against anything.
We talked about coconut oil in a previous blog, and now we’ll talk about palm oil. Most of our goat milk soap contains palm oil. Here in the states, we are not as familiar with palm oil, but in Europe, it is a common cooking oil. Now, to me, it seems like palm oil is God’s gift to soap making! It is a creamy, rich oil that is solid at room temperature. It contributes to the hardness of the soap bar, and is full of Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and adds to a creamy, stable lather. Vitamins E and A are fat soluble nutrients that are easily absorbed through the skin. Since palm oil adds to the hardness of the bar, it also makes it more stable and longer lasting. Even better, it is abundant and relatively inexpensive. Win-win!
Why doesn’t everyone use palm oil in soap making? Well, believe it or not, politics. Yes, there is even politics in soap making. Palm oil is a significant industry in Indonesia, Malaysia and various African countries. My view is that the citizens of these countries are well aware of the need to replant trees to have long term viability. In fact, they have been doing so for years. For those who are worried about environmental impact, the only palm oil that can be purchased must be certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
There are substitutes for palm oil like lard, tallow or shea butter, but for our money, palm oil can’t be beat! Along with our goats’ raw milk, we think you won’t find a better bar anywhere else!