Back to Basics: 11 Natural, Women Owned, Palm-Oil Free Bar Soap Brands

When I originally set out to write a post on biodegradable soap, I didn’t intend on palm oil being the subject. Honestly, I just love a good, effective natural skincare product all wrapped in some pretty, sustainable packaging. That’s it. It’s a light and fun Friday-afternoon kind of blog read, and palm oil is, well, not. Unfortunately, just like when I first started boycotting pantry ingredients and other foods containing palm oil, the more soap brands I came across, the more palm oil I found. This time under the name sodium palmate, which acts as an emulsifier. So, while there are lots and lots of other small soap companies you could support, I wanted to make sure this list featured exclusively palm oil free bar soap brands.

(If you’re not familiar with the devastating effects the palm oil industry is having on our environment and the people and organisms within it, Selva Beat has an amazing one-pager on the topic. This very dated article is also a good start if you’re new to the issue and its effects on threatened and endangered animals.)

I know that a lot of other common body care ingredients can have detrimental effects on our planet, but I think avoiding palm oil is really the best place you could start, especially if you’re new to natural beauty. And it just so happened that the biodegradable soap brands I’ve listed below are all women-owned, making soaps in small batches that are free of lots of other questionable ingredients you’ll find in more conventional products. And the packaging on these beauties? Yup, 10000% eco club approved:

TERRA-TORY is an NY based all-natural soap company touting 100% Natural 0% Bullsh*t Skincare. This is a very rare company that is both palm and coconut oil free… Learn more on their website.

Etta + Bille creates “farm to bottle skincare for lovers of food and drink”.

Vice & Velvet is a Melbourne-based soap brand featuring handmade vegan soaps + body + soap favors. They’re not currently stocking their Etsy shop, but it looks like you can still order through their main website.

Poetry and BloomSoap Co, out of Vancouver, BC, creates the most beautiful eco conscious soap without palm oil. This yummy bar shown above is made with 100% plant-based oils and butters and scented with sweet orange essential oil.

Vegan + eco friendly soap from Smithmade Essentials are fun & fragrant artisan soaps handmade in small batches in New Haven, CT.

No Tox Life has their own line of a body cleansing bars wrapped in recycled paper for shipping.

BHAVANANYC makes all-natural, vegan sea salt soap bars using luxe natural ingredients like activated charcoal and Rose Kaolin Clay.

Bell Mountain Naturals are makers of natural small batch soaps that are super cute, and always palm free.

UK vegan soap-on-a-rope brand KLEEN cures their all-natural soaps for a minimum of 6 weeks and uses only skin-friendly, eco-friendly ingredients that are free of palm oil, parabens, and toxins. Not to mention, their packaging and branding is totally gift-worthy.

Another handmade soap brand, Unearth Malee specializes in palm oil free Thai-inspired soaps, lotions, lip balms, and even solid dish soap! To further raise awareness of the devastating effects of palm oil, the brand donates a portion of sales to help save the endangered orangutan. Learn more in founder Marie’s Etsy shop!

Coghlan Cottage Soaps are junk-free (palm oil, paraben, fragrance oil + petrochemical free) soaps made on a farm in Canada’s Fraser Valley.

The brands above also feature sustainable packaging, making truly biodegradable soap for us all to enjoy… sans palm oil.

We are always looking for beautiful, natural, quality skincare and body brands to add to our lists. If you know of another palm oil free bar soap brand, let us know below!