Palm oil free products to help you make a difference

The only way we can make this claim is to not sell products with any ingredients derived from palm oil, because once palm has been used to make another compound it is generally impossible to trace it back to where it was grown.  The palm oil supply chain is complicated and palm is used to make hundreds of ingredients that are used in 70% of personal care products like shampoo, cleansers, moisturisers, toothpaste and makeup. In fact, any creamy or sudsy item in your cupboard right now likely contains palm oil – including natural brands fronted by celebrities. But you will usually not see it listed with the word 'palm', it will be under a name such as Glycerine or Caprylic Triglyceride.  

Cruelty free needs to be palm oil free. Many brands and stores say they are cruelty free, but we don't feel this claim can be made if palm oil is involved.  Palm is used extensively in the personal care industry, but this catastrophic issue is swept under the carpet because the devastation is out of sight and it seems too hard and too costly to give up.

We have plenty of resources below if you wish to delve further into this topic.

*A brand may change ingredients without telling us, despite our request to make sure they do. We regularly audit our products, but should one slip through we remove it immediately from sale. The important thing is that we make a definitive, clear cut public statement to the industry that we will not accept palm oil being used; and that you as a consumer do the same by choosing palm oil free products. There are no wavy lines about being 'sustainable palm oil' at Biome as that is only band-aiding the root cause, which is the escalating demand for palm oil.

Harrison Ford gives a gripping insight into why we are taking this strong and passionate stance

"Things have got to be done, NOW."

We can all play a part in reducing demand to help countries like Indonesia stop the deforestation. 

View Now

Something very special has happened at Biome. We acted to help stop the decimation of rainforest and animals by removing from our stores a large number of products with ingredients derived from palm oil.  This was not easy to achieve, and it is a big business risk because these are the products our natural shoppers are buying, but it is the only ethical choice for us. After 14 years of asking brands to declare palm oil on their packaging, nothing was changing.

This is one of the most serious issues facing the planet.  Deforestation for palm oil and logging in Indonesia and Malaysia is increasing global warming and sending orangutans, tigers and elephants to extinction. 

We are grateful to Palm Oil Investigations who guided us to achieve this back in 2017.  Today, we thoroughly check all products ourselves. We also speak out and advocate widely for change. Change is now happening – we are inspiring brands to reformulate without palm  – Tracey and the Biome team

What is the problem with palm oil?

- Palm oil is an edible oil from the fruit of the African oil palm and its use is growing rapidly due to its versatility, high yield, and low cost.

- Palm oil monoculture is responsible for immense deforestation, carbon emissions from peat lands, fires, animal deaths and human rights abuses in Indonesia and Malaysia – called "conflict palm oil".

- Palm oil is a hidden ingredient in almost every way it is used: food, cleaning products, makeup, body care, and bio fuels.

- For body care and detergents, it is used to make 1000's of synthetic ingredients with names such as Glycerine, Emulsifying Wax, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl Dipolyhydroxystearate, Caprylic Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol.

- Most companies using palm derived ingredient have no idea where the palm came from.

- 99% of "sustainable palm oil" claimshave always been unreliable.

- To be certain the palm in a product is sustainable, it must be kept segregated from plantation to end consumer – almost impossible!

- A complex supply chain, hidden use, and fuzzy certification scheme allowed manufacturers to get away with the guise of “sustainable palm” for too long.

- If the true environmental cost of palm is factored in (including carbon dioxide released when peatlands are decimated and wildlife deaths), and full traceability to source was required, it would be more expensive and less appealing to use.

- Certified cruelty free, organic or vegan, is no indicator of a product being palm free.

There is a significant "glossing over" going on with natural and organic brands, as most are using palm oil derived ingredients and are not disclosing it on their ingredients listing. Some do not even realise they are as they have not fully checked their supply chain.

Many 'Cruelty Free' brands tell us everything they do not contain, but they seem to afraid to tell us that they do contain palm oil. Once an ingredient has been altered artificially it is identified by its chemical name, not its source.  Unless brands fully disclose all ingredients, you the consumer can not make an informed choice.  

What is Biome Doing?

A MESSAGE FROM BIOME FOUNDER, TRACEY BAILEY

Biome's mission from day one has been to be a part of the solution to the world's environmental problems. We think deeply about the whole story of the products we offer.  We aim to be financially secure so that we can continue what we love doing.

Since we began in 2003, we have spoken out about palm oil.  This followed on from my encounter with orangutans in Kalimantan that was the catalyst for Biome.

As a result of taking bold action in May 2017 for Biome stores to be 100% free from palm oil, a chain reaction is happening. Now, other Australian stores are talking about palm!  We are proud that our action is helping make palm oil matter. 

Every hour, 300 football fields of forest is cleared in South East Asia for palm oil plantations. Almost 80% of orangutan habitat has disappeared in the last 20 years. We are losing over 6,000 orangutans a year, 16 today. There are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world. Source: The Orangutan Project

We have learned that it is not possible to rely on a brand's assurances that they use "sustainable palm" because they generally have not obtained legally binding commitments from their suppliers. The problem is they use ingredients that their manufacturer buys from other suppliers. There are too many links in the chain and when inputs change for commercial reasons no one tells us.

Any body product that is creamy such as moisturisers, liquid makeup, or sunscreen requires an emulsifying agent to bind the water and oil together into a cream. That emulsifier is more than likely to be a palm oil-derived ingredient. Similarly, most plant-based detergents (or surfactants) are derived from palm or coconut, and the two are interchanged depending on seasonality and cost. If a brand tells us that their Stearic Acid, for example, is not palm-oil derived, we ask for a written guarantee of this. Once we asked for this, we found they could not guarantee it would not be palm.

In addition to Glycerin/e, palm is used extensively in the cosmetics and skin care to make 1000 synthetic compounds (by chemical reactions), such as Emulsifying Wax, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl Dipolyhydroxystearate, Cetyl Alcohol, and Caprylic Triglyceride. Manufacturers buy these ingredients from a chemical company such as CRODA who purchase palm oil from a mixed pool of sources around the world. You can see how difficult it is for the manufacturer of your moisturiser to know where the palm oil used in the emulsifying agent was grown.

Therefore, Biome no longer stocks any products with palm oil derived ingredients.  We are not saying that these brands are 'bad' because they rely on palm oil ingredients. The problem is the lack of transparency. Without full consumer awareness how will there ever be any push back to manufacturers and palm oil industry that the rampant deforestation and costs to the planet are unacceptable.  Here is a list of brands that we believe may contain palm oil derivatives >

This means that we are not able to stock many of the top natural makeup and skin care brands. We do offer equally effective boutique brands that go to extra lengths to find a different way of doing things. We seek out brands that use simple, close-to-nature ingredients, so that you have peace of mind about exactly what is in the products. We also have ingredients for you to make your own skin care.

We sincerely thank those suppliers who were transparent and assisted us, eventhough it meant we could no longer stock their range. 

Read more about my journey to Kalimantan's rainforest and orangutan habitat in 1996 here >

What you can do to make a difference

Together we can make Palm Oil matter!

The only sure way to help reduce the destruction caused by palm oil cultivation is to avoid all palm oil, including that claimed to be "sustainable".  Please support the products found at Biome that are 100% palm oil free.

Avoid palm oil in processed and packaged foods which accounts for 72% of global palm oil use (personal care and cleaning products 18%, Biofuel 10%).  Rainforest Action Network has published a list of 20 of the biggest snack food users of palm oil including PepsiCo, Unilever, Kellogg's, Mars, Hershey's, General Mills, Nestlé, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Brands, Kraft Heinz.

Join the Don’t Palm Us Off campaign that is advocating for mandatory palm oil labelling in Australia. Palm oil is found in up to 50% of all packaged supermarket products yet is mostly hidden. Without clear labels you don't know if you're contributing to demand for palm oil. Write a message to your Minister here > 

“Adopt” an orangutan or give money to help BOS purchase a large block of rainforest in Borneo. Donate here > BOS Australia

Learn More from Biome's Great Resources:

How Palm Oil is Hidden the World's Most Glamourous Lipsticks

Guide to Palm Oil Free Makeup

Guide to Palm Oil Free Toothpaste

Guide to Palm Oil Free Soap

Make Your Own Palm Oil Free Shampoo Recipe

LOA Palm Oil Free Miracle Oil

Biome is a Finalist in the 2018 "World Retail Awards" for Our Palm Oil Free Initiative

We are always advocating for palm oil change and here is some of the media coverage

  • Easy Returns

    45 day returns in-store and online

  • Recycle with us

    Return eligible products for recycling

  • Eco friendly packaging

    Plus we offset shipping emissions

  • Loyalty Club

    Join the Be. Club and save