Certified sustainable palm oil and clean beauty – The role palm oil derivatives play in meeting consumers’ expectations

It is estimated that at least 70% of all cosmetics contain palm kernel oil or palm kernel derivatives. This means that even if a company uses small volumes of palm oil or palm kernel in their products, every single cosmetic company has an opportunity and a responsibility to generate demand for sustainable palm oil derivatives and abandon the use of unsustainable palm oil. Substantial progress has been made in the oleochemicals supply chain, leading to a wide range of personal care ingredients being widely available as RSPO certified to the Mass Balance model. As demand for certified products continues to increase, production systems will also change and adapt to the request creating a positive impact for people and planet. When choosing sustainable palm oil derivatives, companies demonstrate commitment towards a bigger cause: ending deforestation and use of fire, improving the livelihood of millions of small-scale farmers in producing countries, and ensuring labour and communities’ rights are upheld.