How Peet Bros. Soaps and Lotions are Fighting the Palm Oil Problem

The harvesting of palm oil is causing some real havoc on the environment. Palm oil is the most commonly used vegetable oil and can be found in nearly half of the packaged goods in the supermarket. It’s affordable and shelf stable, but the problem is that most palm oil is produced on plantations in an unsustainable and destructive manner, inflicting serious damage to the climate, local ecosystem, and indigenous communities.

Peet Bros.—known for their premium bar shea butter soaps and lotions packed with only the best ingredients for your skin—have a simple & powerful promise: deliver more of the high-quality, moisturizing ingredients consumers value in 100% palm oil free products. 

“There is no proof that palm oil is good for your skin, so why use it?” says David Bass. “By using premium natural ingredients that are actually good for your skin—like Shea Butter, Olive Oil, and Hemp Oil, we remove the harmful palm fillers so you can get the best possible soaps and lotions that moisturize and protect your skin.” 

Peet Bros. is also educating consumers so they are aware that brands can be marketed as “sustainable” even though they utilize palm ingredients. Many plantations that produce ‘sustainable palm oil’ have enabled deforestation and climate change, making certifications virtually meaningless. “Truly sustainable palm oil needs to be produced without contributing to deforestation, species extinction, high greenhouse gas emissions, and human rights violations,” adds David. “So far, the palm oil industry is failing our world, so we are taking the moral high ground and avoiding palm oil (and palm oil derivatives) altogether with our 100% palm oil-free soaps and lotions.”  

There are significant movements happening in Europe, the U.K. and Australia to ban palm oil or remove it from products altogether. Palm oil comes in many names—from palmate to sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphates to absorbyl palmiate—and this is just an abbreviated list of familiar ingredients. There are so many palm oil derivatives it is hard to count. Peet Bros. believes in transparency when it comes to ingredients, and they’re proud to show all of the ingredients used and with why they use them (on their website and on packaging)—giving consumers the confidence to know what they’re putting on their bodies. 

Not only is Peet Bros. making a positive impact on the planet through their products, they also have a 1% for the Planet membership where they support nonprofit organizations creating positive change for the environment. Making products with no palm oil is a good start, but there’s more to be done to change the industry and champion the protection of our planet. To join the movement, Peet Bros. encourages consumers to visit onepercentfortheplanet.org and find out which organizations they’re supporting each month on Instagram at @peetbros.

Available now at Wegmans, Amazon, select independent retailers, and online at peetbrospalmfree.com, Peet Bros. products are cruelty-free certified by Leaping Bunny, and donates a portion of proceeds from every sale to support the preservation of rainforests. Peet Bros. is also in the process of adding many new retailers in 2020 to bring the palm-free revolution to consumers nationwide.