The ingredients we choose matter just as much as the products themselves. One choice we've made from the beginning is not to use palm oil.  But this isn't a story about palm oil being “bad.” It's more complicated than that, we think the story is worth telling.

What is palm oil, and why is it everywhere?

Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree, grown in warm, tropical climates. It's one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world, found in food, cosmetics, soaps and cleaning products.

It's popular for good reason. Oil palm produces a lot of oil from a small amount of land compared to most other oil crops, it's genuinely versatile, it helps to create texture, stability and a hard, long-lasting bar in soap making. It's a good ingredient. We're not here to pretend otherwise.

The issue isn't the oil itself. It's how and where it's sometimes been produced.

Environmental concern

Rising demand for palm oil has driven the expansion of plantations, in some areas that's meant clearing forests and natural habitats which are home to orangutans, elephants, tigers and countless other species. Losing that habitat has real consequences, both for wildlife and for the wider environment, including the release of stored carbon.

Palm oil isn't the only crop linked to this kind of pressure, simply swapping it for another vegetable oil doesn't automatically solve the problem, other oil crops need land and resources too. But because of the sheer scale of the palm oil industry and the biodiversity of the regions it's often grown in, it's become a particular focus of concern.

What about sustainable palm oil?

Many companies now choose certified sustainable palm oil instead of avoiding it altogether. Organisations like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) promote more responsible sourcing and there are genuine efforts across the industry to do better.

Sustainably sourced palm oil is a legitimate and important part of the conversation and businesses making that choice are working toward real, positive change.

So why did we choose to go without it?

For us, it comes down to something simple, as a small business we didn't feel we could fully verify sourcing claims at our scale, even within certified supply chains that vary in traceability. Rather than navigate that uncertainty we chose to formulate without palm oil altogether.

This isn't a judgement on companies using responsibly sourced palm oil. It's a personal choice that reflects the direction we want to take, one shaped by our concern for the forests and wildlife affected when agricultural expansion goes unchecked.

It's part of a bigger picture

Being palm oil free is just one piece of how we try to do things at as a small independent business based in Derbyshire.

•        🌿 Palm-oil-free — formulated without it, always

•        ♻️ Eco-friendly packaging — biodegradable, plantable and recyclable wherever possible

•        🐰 No animal testing — ever

•        🌱 Natural ingredients — carefully chosen for what they bring to each product

•        💷 Affordable — natural skincare shouldn't mean luxury pricing

We know no product has zero environmental footprint, every ingredient comes from somewhere, every product needs packaging and transport. But we believe small businesses can still make thoughtful choices and we'll keep trying to make better ones.

Explore our range

Handmade Soaps · Natural Deodorants · Body Butters · Body Oils · Face Serums · Foot Balms · Lip Balms

Every product is made with carefully selected ingredients, focused on natural skincare that's gentle, effective and affordable. 💚