Sodium palmate is the sodium salt of palm acid. It usually appears as a white paste or granules, and is derived from a mixture of fatty acids from palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil. We use this ingredient in some of our bar soaps as a surfactant, to gently cleanse skin.

Sodium palmate can be produced by reacting palm fatty acids with a strong base, typically sodium hydroxide. This process can be undertaken with almost any fats and alkalis, and is known as saponification - the traditional method for creating soap. Sodium palmate can be used in bar soaps and cleansers as a gentler alternative to some harsher surfactants.

Palm oil (PO) is derived from the whole fruit of the plant, whereas palm kernel oil (PKO) is derived from the kernels or seeds. The two oils are compositionally different, with palm oil having a higher content of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid.

To learn more about our palm oil policy, click here.

Other names: Fatty Acids, Palm Oil, Sodium Salts

Component compounds: (Palm oil fatty acids) Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid. (Alkali) Sodium Hydroxide

Chemical class: Soap

REFERENCES

Mancini, Annamaria & Imperlini, Esther & Nigro, Ersilia & Montagnese, Concetta & Daniele, Aurora & Orrù, Stefania & Buono, Pasqualina. (2015). Biological and Nutritional Properties of Palm Oil and Palmitic Acid: Effects on Health. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 20. 17339-17361. 10.3390/molecules200917339.