Palm-oil-free skincare: why it matters (and what to use instead)

In a nutshell:

• Palm oil shows up in around 70% of skincare products — often under names you’d never recognise.
• The problem? Unsustainable production is a leading cause of deforestation and wildlife loss.
• Even “eco” brands can use palm-derived ingredients.
  
• Going palm-oil-free is better for your skin and the planet.
  
• Nature already gives us beautiful alternatives — think shea, cocoa, and jojoba.
  
• Every Cedarwood Road product is proudly palm-oil-free, vegan, and planet-friendly.
  

Why is palm oil everywhere in skincare?

If you’ve ever glanced at a skincare label and felt like you needed a chemistry degree to understand it, you’re not alone. One ingredient that hides behind all sorts of scientific-sounding names is palm oil, and it’s most likely in everything from your soap to your shampoo.

Why? Palm oil is cheap, stable, and makes products feel smooth and creamy. From a manufacturing point of view, it’s a dream ingredient. From an environmental one? Not so much.

To keep up with global demand, millions of hectares of rainforest have been cleared across Indonesia and Malaysia to make way for palm plantations. According to Greenpeace, this is the equivalent of 300 football fields of Indonesian rainforest being destroyed every hour to make room for palm oil plantations. This deforestation is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity today, with species like orangutans and Sumatran tigers losing their natural habitats in the process.

Some companies rely on “sustainable palm oil,” but the truth is murkier than the label suggests. Certification systems such as the RSPO are improving, but they don’t always guarantee transparency or prevent destruction on the ground.

So, if you’d rather not play detective with your skincare, the easiest path is often the cleanest: choose products made without palm oil altogether.

What it means for your skin

Here’s the thing: palm oil itself isn’t necessarily bad for your skin — it’s what happens to it along the way. Once refined and processed into different derivatives, it can lose its natural nutrients and end up feeling waxy or heavy.

If your skin leans sensitive, reactive, or eczema-prone, these synthetic blends might be part of what’s throwing it off balance. Palm-oil-free skincare, by contrast, tends to use whole, plant-based butters and oils that are closer to what your skin naturally produces.

Think shea butter sealing in moisture, jojoba oil mimicking your own sebum, or coconut oil gently cleansing without stripping away natural oils. Together, they help strengthen the skin barrier — leaving your skin soft, not suffocated.

What to use instead: Natural, nourishing alternatives

Nature gives us everything we need for nourished, balanced skin. Here are a few of our go-tos:

• Shea butter – deeply hydrating and rich in vitamins A and E.
• Cocoa butter – smooths and protects, keeping skin soft and supple.
• Coconut oil – rich in antibacterial fatty acids, ideal for cleansing.
• Jojoba oil – lightweight and balancing; helps calm irritation and lock in moisture.
• Plant clays and waxes – provide natural texture and gentle cleansing without synthetic foaming agents.

These ingredients are kinder to both your skin and the planet — proof that you don’t need palm oil for a product to feel luxurious.

How to spot hidden palm oil on ingredient lists

Palm oil rarely introduces itself by name. It often hides under lesser-known aliases, like:

• Cetyl alcohol
• Stearic acid
• Glyceryl stearate
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• Palmitate or palm kernel oil

If you’re ever unsure, look for brands that state “palm-oil-free” upfront. And remember — “RSPO certified” means the palm oil is certified, not removed.

We know, it can be confusing! That’s why at Cedarwood Road, we prefer to keep things simple. Every product we make is 100% palm-oil-free. This means no hidden derivatives, no shortcuts, no greenwashing. Just ingredients you can pronounce and results you can feel.

Palm-oil-free skincare for people and planet

Choosing palm-oil-free skincare is about more than self-care — it’s planet care, too. With deforestation-free beauty, you can nurture your skin and the environment at the same time, for that kind of glow that feels as good as it looks.

By choosing small-batch, locally made skincare, you’re helping reduce the demand that drives mass clearing of rainforests. You’re supporting sustainable skincare right here in Australia and protecting ecosystems around the world.

At Cedarwood Road, this philosophy shapes everything we do:

• 100% palm-oil-free
  
• Vegan and cruelty-free
  
• Plastic- and water-free formulas
  
• Handmade in small batches

Because skincare shouldn’t cost the Earth — literally.

Explore our complete range of palm-oil-free skincare.