I went to the supermarket expecting to find at least one soap without palm oil. I didn’t. Not one. Every single bar from Dove to Pears, even those branded as “natural” was palm-based. It was honestly shocking.
Despite all the work from conservationists, businesses like Biome, and hard-hitting documentaries, I thought we’d be further along. But this wall of soap shouted otherwise. The demand is still growing, and the big brands with the power to change? They’re doing nothing. And that matters — a lot.
Palm oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world. It’s cheap, versatile, and works well, so it quietly ends up in everything from fast foods to skincare to soap. But that convenience comes at a huge cost: deforestation, endangered species, global warming, and human rights abuses that most consumers never see.
If every supermarket Australia in stocking its shelves with palm oil soap, imagine the pressure when that is multiplied by every supermarket, in every country around the world, every day. It's not just demand. It's detonation!
So, why is palm oil used in soap? How do you spot it on labels? And what are the better alternatives? This blog breaks it down so you can make more informed choices and help shift demand. We've also included a list of brands at Coles and Woolworths Supermarkets still relying on palm oil.
By Tracey Bailey, Biome founder
What is palm oil and why is it used so widely?
Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world — not because it’s sustainable or ethical, but because it’s cheap, scalable, and perfect for mass production. That’s why it ends up in everything from snack foods to shampoo, dishwashing liquid, lipstick — often hidden behind chemical names and greenwashed as natural.
Most of it is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it’s created billionaires, boosted GDP, and fuelled massive deforestation. Ancient rainforests are bulldozed and burned — often in remote regions, out of sight and out of mind.
Why palm oil raises environmental and social concerns
(Image from Orangutan Foundation International Australia)
To meet global demand, huge swathes of rainforest are cleared for plantations. This destruction contributes to climate change and erases ecosystems that once supported incredible biodiversity.
Orangutans, elephants, rhinos and tigers are among the many species losing critical habitat. Local communities are displaced too, severing livelihoods and cultural ties to land.
And it’s still happening — often behind opaque supply chains and corporate greenwashing.
Why is palm oil in soap?
Palm oil makes soap easy and cheap to mass-produce. It creates a hard bar, stable lather, and long shelf life.
It’s not there because it’s the best or kindest option. It’s there because it’s the cheapest and most convenient for manufacturers.
And palm oil is only cheap because the real price — accelerating climate change, destroyed rainforests, species loss — is paid by the planet, not the brands.
How to spot palm oil on soap ingredient labels
Palm oil rarely appears as "palm oil" on packaging. In soaps and personal care products, it may appear as:
- sodium palmate or sodium palm kernelate
- palmitate
- palmitoyl
- vegetable or plant oil
It can also hide within ingredients like glycerine and stearic acid — making it hard to avoid, even for careful readers. That confusion is part of the problem.
We checked out the bar soaps available at Coles and Woolworths. Here’s what we found.
Red = Palm oil. Orange = commonly palm-oil derived
| Soap | Ingredients | |
|---|---|---|
|
Dove Beauty Cream Bar
The only beauty treatment here is solid palm oil with synthetic fragrance. And there's sure not any "Cream"
|
 |
Sodium Palm Kerneloyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Palmate, Water, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, CI 77891 |
|
Freshwater Farm Body Bar
Sings “natural” on the label but still a palm oil soap bar.
|
 |
Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Purified Water, Glycerin, Olea Europaea (Australian Olive) Fruit Oil, Backhousia Citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) Oil, Australian Honey (Manuka), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Palm Acid, Palm Kernel Acid, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Gluconate |
|
Cashmere Bouquet Soap
Old-school charm with a rich red flag of palm oil.
|
 |
Sodium palmate, sodium palm kernelate, water, palm acid, fragrance, sodium chloride, titanium dioxide, palm kernel acid, glycerin, tetradibutyl pentaerithrityl hydroxyhydrocinnamate, etidronic acid, EDTA, acid violet 43, acid red 33 |
|
Beachroad Naturals Coconut & Lime Body Bar
Feels coastal and clean, but rides the palm wave.
|
 |
Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernalate, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Olea Europaea (Australian Olive) Fruit Oil, Fragrance, Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Citrus Hystrix (Kaffir Lime) Leaf Oil, Palm Acid, Palm Kernel Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Sodium Chloride, Sodium Gluconate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate |
|
Palmolive Gold
Wears its palm right in the name. Ever thought where the name "Palmolive" came from?
|
 |
Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate or Sodium Cocoate, Water, Glycerin, Talc, Palmitic Acid, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, CI 47005, CI 15510 |
|
Australian Botanical Goats Milk Soap
The goat milk is 1-3% of the content being 10th out of 12 (even after salt).
|
 |
Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua, Fragrance, Sodium Gluconate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Organic Shea) Butter, Palm Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Goat Milk, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 1 (CI 11680) |
|
Pears Transparent Soap
The iconic clear bar — but still palm, plus a lot more additives than the transparent nature suggests.
|
 |
Aqua (Water), Sorbitol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Rosinate, Glycerin, Sodium Palmate, Sodium Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, PEG-4, Sodium Laurate, Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfate, Parfum (Perfume), Tetrasodium Etidronate, Lauryl Alcohol, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, CI 12490, CI 47005 |
|
Ecostore Lemongrass Soap
Palm oil in an eco outfit.
|
 |
Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua, Glycerin, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Leaf Oil, Sodium Chloride, CI 77891, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Lemongrass Cymbopogon Flexuosus Leaf Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene |
Even more palm oil-based soap found on the supermarket shelves and online:
Cussons Imperial Leather, Solvol, Country Life (plus tallow), Balnea Body Company, PRIYA, Velvet, Nivea (plus tallow), Dettol Anti-bacterial soap, LUX, Hemp Worx, Shea Moisture African Black Soap, Dr Squatch, Weleda Calendula Soap, Simple.
What are palm oil-free soap alternatives?
Palm oil isn’t the only way to make a good bar of soap. Bar soaps can be made using a range of other fats and oils that deliver cleansing, hardness and lather.
Common alternatives include:
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Rice bran oil
- Shea butter
- Castor oil
At Biome, we prioritise soaps made with these time-tested, thoughtfully sourced ingredients — crafted to perform beautifully, without relying on palm oil.
Explore our Palm Oil-Free Soap Collection
Proof that exceptional soap doesn’t need palm oil.
What you can do
Brands won’t change unless we stop buying what they’re selling. That’s the power we hold — every bar we reject sends a signal. Every palm oil-free choice shrinks demand.
Find your next palm oil free soap and
Join The Bar Soap Revolution
Why Biome is palm oil free
In 2017, Biome made the decision to remove palm oil and palm oil derivatives from all products we stock. This wasn’t a campaign or a trend response — it became a buying standard. 👉 Our stance on palm oil
For soap, that means every bar on our shelves is chosen without palm oil, reducing the need for customers to decode long ingredient lists or second-guess unfamiliar names. Shop with us and you'll have one less thing to navigate in everyday shopping.
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