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As palm oil plantation owners, employees and stakeholders, you may wonder where the fruits of your labor go. Once palm oil is extracted from its fruits, it is used in many industries.
Many people mistakenly believe that palm oil is only used in the food industry. This isn’t true, as it’s also used for paint, ink, toiletries, cosmetics and much more. These Malaysian products are some of those that use palm oil:
1.Margarine

Margarine is often used in baking and to spread on bread. Since it is made with vegetable oils, margarine is often used by vegans and vegetarians in place of butter. Margarine made with palm oil contains no trans-fat or very, very low amounts. This means it’s completely safe for your arteries and your heart health.
Local brands of Margarine include Daisy by Lam Soon, as well as Planta.

Credit; Lam Soon Oils

2. Vitamin A & E supplements
Many Malaysians had a good laugh when some of our Ministers promoted the drinking of red palm oil in parliament. However, red palm oil is quite a good health supplement. Red palm oil is very high in Vitamin A and Vitamin E in the form of Tocopherols and Tocotrienols.
This means that red palm oil can benefit the body in many ways, including reducing heart disease, improving brain health, keeping skin and hair young, and functioning as an antioxidant.
The local leading local brand of red palm oil for cooking is Carotino, while companies like ExcelVite make Vitamin supplements for daily consumption.

3. Bath soaps
Everyone remembers bathing with soap brands like Lux and May. Almost all the bath soaps and shower gels we use today have palm oil derived soaps in them. Palm oil is very popular as a soap base because of its firm texture that does not get soft and slimy easily.

4. Chocolate
Almost all chocolate brands use vegetable fat derived from palm oil as part of their recipe. This is especially true for Malaysian chocolate makers. The great thing about our local chocolate brands is that they’re designed to stay firm in hot weather, rather than melt easily. This is due to the amount of vegetable fat within the chocolate itself.
Famous Malaysian chocolate brands include Vochelle and Beryl’s.

5. Bread and Cakes
The baking of commercial bread usually requires vegetable shortening or dough conditioners, and this is derived from palm oil. Vegetable shortening gives bread and cakes the density, weight, and texture it has. Palm-based dough conditioners are stable and vegetarian-friendly, which makes them a popular choice. Brands like Gardenia and Massimo both use palm oil derived vegetable fats and conditioners in their products.

6. Makeup and Skincare
Purified palm oil fat is firm and does not melt at room temperature or at body temperature. This makes it ideal for cosmetic products like lipsticks. Palm oil derived fats form the base of many lip products, including lip gloss, lip balm, and lip moisturizers.
This is also the reason why palm oil derivatives are used in skin moisturizers and skin creams (anti-aging, brightening, etc). They are able to provide moisture to the skin and prevent it from drying out.
If you’re curious, you can check out local cosmetic brands like Velvet Vanity, Nita Cosmetics and SugarBelle Cosmetics.

Seeing the palm oil from plantations reach all parts of the country (and the world) is a satisfying experience. The demand for palm oil is varied and wide, and will definitely not disappear anytime soon.