As the most commonly produced vegetable oil, it is incredibly difficult to avoid palm oil. We've shared a bit about whether we think palm oil can be sustainable or not (and thankfully more resources have emerged since then, which we'll include in a post soon), but our verdict still stands: in most cases, no. Like basically everything when it comes to trying to be more eco friendly, this is a complex issue steeped in corporate greed, power struggles, social and environmental injustices, politics ... Read More
Search Results for: palm oil
Is Palm Oil Bad For You? And Can It Be Sustainable?
With the surging interest in alternative oils in the last few years (hello oil pulling) there’s one that many people still don’t seem to know about. For the most part, that’s by no fault of their own. Palm oil is such a divisive additive that companies have gone as far as implementing alternative names like Etyl palmitate that, let’s be real, most of us are likely to gloss over. So let me, someone who stumbled upon the horrible reality of palm oil one day many moons ago, open this discussion ... Read More
10 Ethical Chocolate Companies That Don’t Use Palm Oil
If you've just started omitting unsustainable palm oil from your diet, you might be a little concerned about getting your chocolate fix. I know I was, at first! Once I got over the initial realization that Oreos were out of the question, I started turning every label in the chocolate aisle to see what I'd rather support instead. Long, long time later, I have no problem avoiding palm oil in the candy aisle, and eat a whole lot less junk because of it. (While each ethical chocolate company has a ... Read More
AP News Investigates Human + Environmental Cost of Palm Oil in ‘Fruits of Labor’
If you love to support your local Girl Scouts, you may be disappointed to learn that they use palm oil (from unsustainable sources) in their cookies. I learned this during my first January boycotting this pervasive ingredient several years ago (RIP processed cookie addiction), but last week I finally heard the full, unsettling story, thanks to a Girl Scout from Tennessee and an AP investigation. If you have heard about even one of the destructive consequences of the unethical global palm oil ... Read More
Back to Basics: 10 Natural, Women Owned, Palm-Oil Free Bar Soap Brands
When I originally set out to write a post on biodegradable soap, I didn't intend on palm oil being the subject. Honestly, I just love a good, effective natural skincare product all wrapped in some pretty, sustainable packaging. That's it. It's a light, afternoon kind of blog read, and palm oil is, well, not. Unfortunately, just like when I first started boycotting pantry ingredients and other foods containing palm oil, the more soap brands I came across, the more palm oil I found. This time ... Read More
From Candy to Costumes, These Are The Easiest Eco Friendly Halloween Swaps
As much as I love hot girl summer, nothing gets me quite as hyped as spooky season… I think it’s something about the joy it sparks for my inner child? I loved trick-or-treating as a kid because of all the candy I brought home, and Hocus Pocus just hits different this time of year. (As an adult, I obviously buy my own candy, but girl math means that getting it half-off after the holiday basically makes it *free.*) Now chances are, unless you have something against Halloween, you like to dress ... Read More
