This month I would love to introduce you to our new skincare range called Pure & Green. This range is totally free of Palm Oil and is the first range in the whole world to have every one of their products ACO Certified Australian Organic.  You will love these lovely products and I am so excited to be able to bring them to you!

You also have the chance to win a free soap by Pure and Green Organics.  Keep reading to find out how.

Did you know that about 6-7% of the world’s palm oil is used by the world cosmetic industry? Now you might be wondering why you would want to know that statistic. For several years there has been growing concern about the environmental and social issues surrounding the use of Palm Oil in cosmetics, food and bio-fuel.

So, what’s actually wrong with Palm Oil?

The global demand for Palm Oil is causing massive deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, which is where most of the world’s supply of Palm Oil comes from. Because of this deforestation Indigenous and traditional peoples being driven from their homelands and the forest that supports the endangered Sumatran and Bornean orang-utans is being destroyed. Rainforests are being burnt to the ground and redeveloped as Palm Oil plantations.

The problem isn't in the palm oil, it's in the way it is being harvested.  It is sourced from non-sustainable rainforests. Indonesia is the worlds 3rd largest Carbon Dioxide emitter after the US and China due to the deforestation processes being used.   It's costing the earth.

Palm oil is used in many body and food pcoducts.  It's in bakery products and is often used as oil for deep frying.  It is in sweets and packaged goods  It's even in the shampoo you are using.  It isn't always caled palm oil on the label, but it's there.  It can be hidden under labels like 'vegetable oil' or 'coconut butter equivalent'.  Did you know that even SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) comes from palm oil?

You can help stop this environmental degradation by buying palm oil free products.  Read your labels carefully.  Choose products from a range like XXX and know that you are doing the right thing by the world.

For a list of palm-oil free food products click here.

1 round Lebanese bread
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 Lebanese cucumbers, finely diced
2 tomatoes, finely diced
½ cup radish, finely diced
½ red capsicum, finely diced
½ green capsicum, finely diced
4 spring onions, finely diced
2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
½ cup parsley, finely chopped

Dressing

juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Bake the Lebanese bread in a medium oven for 10 minutes or until it is crisp.  Break it up into small pieces.

Deep-fry the Lebanese bread.

Mix the chopped vegetables and herbs together in a bowl.  Combine the dressing ingredients and them toss with the salad.  Gently mix through the Lebanese bread pieces and serve.