You deserve to know what’s in the products you bring into your home.
Always.
About our fragrance oils:
I began making candles and soaps for my family 6 years ago after becoming more mindful of the ingredients commonly used in everyday products.
At Forestside Farm & Garden, we only use fragrance oils from Candle Science’s CleanScent+ in all our candles and soaps, and all other bath and body products to come. These fragrance oils are specially formulated to not use any currently known CMR (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic) chemicals, and are tested and reformulated regularly as new safety information becomes available.
This business was built from a commitment to creating thoughtful, high-quality products with carefully selected ingredients.
Why not just use essential oils?
Great question! Well, there are two main reasons for this.
The process of converting lye & fats together is called saponification, and it is an intense chemical process on the molecular level. Without getting into a whole lot of chemistry, it boils down to: essential oils struggle to survive the chemical process of soap making.
Important side note: some fragrance oils also struggle to survive this process - they just, in general, survive better
Essential oils are often a great option in many applications. However, in products like candles where fragrance is exposed to high heat, some research suggests that certain essential oil components may degrade or form unwanted byproducts.
This highlights an important idea: “natural” does not always mean better suited for every use.
By using only Candle Science CleanScent+ fragrance oils, I have peace of mind that each scent has been formulated and tested to specifically give off no known CMRs
The scoop about RSPO Certified Palm Oil
The forest is not just a backdrop to our farm—it shapes every decision we make. I approach each ingredient with one core question: what is the environmental impact of this choice?
Palm oil has received significant attention due to deforestation and monocropping practices, particularly in regions like Indonesia and Malaysia, where large-scale production has impacted ecosystems and wildlife.
In response, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was established to promote more responsible practices. RSPO certification helps ensure that palm oil is produced with stricter environmental standards, reduced deforestation, and fair labor practices.
Why Not Skip Palm Oil Altogether?
This was not a simple decision—and one I spent a long time considering.
Palm oil plays an important role in soapmaking:
It creates a hard, long-lasting bar
Helps soap perform well in wet, humid environments like the shower
Contributes to a balanced, high-quality product
Without a hard oil like palm, soap bars tend to soften quickly, wear down faster, and require significantly longer cure times.
Palm oil is also a major component of my recipe, making up over 40% of each bar. Replacing it with alternatives like shea or cocoa butter would significantly increase production costs—nearly tripling the cost per bar.
As a small business, keeping high-quality, ingredient-mindful products accessible to the entire community matters deeply to me. Using responsibly sourced palm oil allows me to balance quality, sustainability, and affordability.
That said, I’m always open to feedback and may revisit this decision if there is strong interest in palm-free options.
A Note on Sustainability
While palm oil often receives the most scrutiny, all agricultural ingredients —including shea and cocoa butter — come with environmental impacts.
One reason I choose RSPO-certified palm oil is because it is actively monitored and regulated for sustainability and ethical practices. This provides a level of transparency in sourcing that is not always available with alternative oils.