Orangutans – victims of "sustainable" palm oil

Photo by Adrian Van Leen 

Once again another "sustainable palm" oil company, Butmitama Gunajaya Agro, has been caught deforesting endangered Orangutan habitat.  

Orangutans – victims of "sustainable" palm oil
"Perched atop the remains of the last tree, an orangutan looks helplessly on what was until recently the forest he was living in but is now only ruins. Armed with chainsaws and bulldozers, workers of Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (BGA), a palm oil company, have completely destroyed the rainforest for miles....This may seem hard to believe, but the palm oil producer BGA has been a member of the RSPO, the label for sustainable palm oil, since 2007. "

Please help spread the word, "sustainable palm" is not sustainable.  Palm oil is a common ingredient in baked goods and handmade soaps.  You will never find this ingredient in Aquarian Bath products.  It is possible to make bath and body products with out palm oil.  You can follow this link to ask governments and big industry to put an end to rainforest deforestation and palm oil imports.  

Does your Soap Contain "Sustainable" Palm Oil?

Caters News Agency: Rescued Baby Orangutan 

Does your soap contain "sustainable palm oil?"  Even though I make soap I still like to try other handmade soaps a couple times a year.  It's always a big disappointment to me when I see an essential oil soap that I would love to try, but find 'sustainable palm oil' in the ingredients.  None of my soaps or body products contain palm oil or 'sustainable palm oil,' because I believe that label is pure greenwashing.  The 'sustainable' palm oil rating is something that is industry enforced by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which makes it highly suspect.  UK Daily Mail Online reported yesterday on 7 endangered Sumantra Orangutans whose forest homes were destroyed by the bulldozers being used to make way for more Palm Oil production.  The company responsible was PT. Sisirau, a member of the RSPO.  Read the full story here.

If you are looking for palm free soaps, I hope you will check out Aquarian Bath soaps and shampoo bars.  I recently received this feedback from a palm oil free customer on Etsy after she tried my Lavender Rose Geranium Soap:

I've recently switched to palm-free soaps these last couple of months and have spent probably a couple of hundred dollars trying different brands. I've found that some have not much lather, too much of a grape seed oil feel and/or not a strong enough smell for me...Your soap has the perfect blend of ingredients for a wonderful lather and skin softness. My skin has never felt so soft and balanced!... I LOVE your soap!