The canola oil in our soaps and shampoo bars is USDA Certified Organic and expeller-pressed. That means it is non-GMO, grown without synthetic pesticides, and never extracted with hexane or other chemical solvents. The usual concerns about canola come from conventional canola oil, not the oil we use.
Where do the concerns about canola come from?
- GMOs and farming. About 90–95% of the canola grown in North America is genetically engineered and raised with synthetic herbicides and pesticides.
- Solvent extraction. More than 90% of commercial canola oil is extracted with hexane because it is cheaper and yields more oil.
Why those concerns don't apply to our canola oil
- Certified organic: USDA Organic standards require non-GMO seed and prohibit synthetic pesticides. Organic oils also cannot be extracted with hexane.
- Expeller-pressed: the oil is pressed out of the seeds mechanically, with no hexane or other chemical solvents. It is then refined only with natural processing aids, steam and diatomaceous earth, all within USDA Organic rules.
Isn't canola "man-made"?
Canola was developed from the rapeseed plant through traditional selective breeding, the same way farmers developed modern apples, tomatoes, broccoli and kale. That is different from genetic engineering in a lab. The name comes from "Canadian Oil, Low Acid."
Why we use it
Organic canola oil helps make a bar that is creamy, conditioning and long-lasting, with a smooth, stable lather. It is in many of our soaps, shampoo bars and shaving soaps, and every product page lists every ingredient.
Want the whole story? Ida answers the most common canola myths in her blog post "Organic Canola Oil: Separating Fact from Fiction." For seed oils in general, see Do Chagrin Valley products contain seed oils?
