Why We Choose Palm Oil Free: Our Story, Our Pride, Our Impact
More than ten years ago, I travelled to Sepilok in Malaysia and then further into the jungle on a small boat. We drifted down a remote river when I saw it: an orangutan in its nest, high in the trees. A “person of the forest,” watching quietly from above.
To get there, I had passed endless palm plantations.
Back home, when walking down the supermarket aisles, it can be easy to feel disconnected from that moment. But the truth is, they are deeply linked — so much of what we see on those shelves comes at the cost of that orangutan’s forest.
That experience has stayed with me. It’s one of the reasons I knew, when starting The Australian Natural Soap Company, that we would never use palm oil.
Why Palm Oil Free Matters
Palm oil is in more than half the products on supermarket shelves — from food to personal care to cleaning. It’s often hidden under different names, making it nearly impossible for shoppers to know what they’re buying.
Even so-called “sustainable” palm oil is fraught with problems. Forests are still cleared, habitats are lost, and orangutans continue to disappear. That’s why we questioned the claims, and why we made the commitment: 100% certified palm oil free, recognised by the Orangutan Alliance.
Instead, we use beautiful Australian plant oils — olive, almond, avocado, macadamia. Oils that genuinely nourish the skin, support local farmers, and don’t come at the cost of rainforests.
Our Ongoing Commitment: 1% for the Orangutans
We knew being palm oil free wasn’t enough. So from the beginning, we partnered with The Orangutan Project, donating 1% of every online purchase to protect orangutans and their forests.
To date, our community has contributed more than $58,000 — real money that funds real outcomes:
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203 rescued and rehabilitated orangutans released into Bukit Tigapuluh, one of only two reintroduction sites in Sumatra.
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15 individuals thriving in sanctuary care and 11 learning survival skills at Jungle School, preparing for life back in the wild.
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New life in the forest: mothers with infants observed near the reintroduction centre, living proof of a future for the species.
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Wildlife Protection Units dismantling snares, stopping poachers, and patrolling the forest to protect orangutans, elephants, and tigers.
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Trail cameras even revealed nine Sumatran tigers, including five never recorded before — proof of resilience against the odds
2025 - ANSC Statement of Support
This is the impact we are so proud to share with you. Every bar, every bottle, every bundle contributes to this.
Celebrating 10 Years Of Donations
This month, as we celebrate ten years of donating to the Orangutan Project, we’re inviting you to join us in imagining a different future — one where palm oil isn’t the default.
Maybe you already use one of our soaps. This is your chance to try something new — to see how palm oil free can extend across your household and your skin. From haircare to liquid soaps to home care, our range shows you don’t need palm oil to get products that work beautifully.
Why We’re Proud
Being palm oil free is not the easy path. It challenges big business and it challenges the vague promises of “sustainable palm.”
When modern industry favours profit over forests, people, and wildlife, we’ve chosen a harder road — one that puts the planet and our values first.
We are so proud to be certified by the Orangutan Alliance. We are proud to donate to The Orangutan Project with every sale. And we are proud of the difference that all of us — together — are making for the orangutans, the forests, and our planet.
What We Stand to Lose, What We Choose to Keep:
Ten years on, I hope that orangutan is still in its nest, high in the trees — king, or queen, of the jungle. In a world where it so often seems humans’ instinct is to dominate the natural world, I hope it is there still — as part of a living forest, not a memory.
Soapy Hugs,
Emma xx
