Go-To And Palm Oil
We are acutely aware of the ethical, environmental, and social implications of using palm oil from Southeast Asia, we consciously avoid using palm oil in our skin care.
ur founder, Zoë, is an active and passionate ambassador for The Orangutan Project, and is very well versed in this subject. She has seen firsthand the devastation that deforestation creates for the land and the locals in Borneo and knows the desperate plight of the orangutan is very, very real. (Donate HERE.)
The big picture, however, is far from black and white, and contrary to popular belief and despite very best intentions, boycotting palm oil is a misguided way to help this dire situation. Since the land itself – and its ability to create crops and therefore money – is what is of value, if it's not palm oil, then it will be coconuts, coal, rubber etc. Donating money to buy back forest is far more useful.
Where We're At
Many ingredients used in skin care are derived from palm oil, and they are not easily identified. There are multiple steps using multiple manufacturers in the process of obtaining some of the high-end ingredients. To further complicate it, some of the intermediate ingredients can be derived from either palm or coconut, and manufacturers may not segregate the sources. What fun!
As we dug deep (real deep) in to the supply chain of our ingredients, we discovered that some of the ingredients we use are more likely to be palm oil derived than from coconut. These ingredients include a surfactant, emulsifier, and a derivative in one of our fragrances.
We have confirmed that the suppliers of these ingredients are members of the Round Table on Sustainable Palm oil (RSPO). This organisation audits and certifies suppliers based on their level of sustainability and traceability.
However, we want to be sure that any palm oil used to make ingredients for Go-To is completely sustainable, and aspire to the highest level of sustainability, called Segregated and Identity Preserved. This is where there is no mixing of supply from unknown locations and is a 100% guarantee of sustainability. This is the Palm Oil Holy Grail, and currently nearly impossible to achieve, not just for us, but for everyone: The demand simply does not meet the supply.