There is much debate in my little soap maker's world about the Orangutans. What do they have to do with soap making? Most soap is made with a generous amount of palm oil. And palm oil is being harvested at alarming rates to feed the cosmetic and soap making industry. The palm oil is harvested from forests and loss of forest means loss of homes for the the Orangutan population. Many of us are choosing to discontinue the use of palm oil. And some of us are purchasing our palm oil from sustainable sources. And that is an option that we are able to take advantage of because we are small cottage industries. But why would there be any debate at all? Because many believe that this is a bunch of hype and the whole story is not being told. But regardless of what the case may be, I have chosen to discontinue the use of palm oil in my cold process soaps and if I do make a specialty soap that requires it I purchase from a sustainable source. Please watch this clip to see the plight of the Orangutans. http://www.youtube.com/
