Since then, palm kernel oil is predominantly used in the production of laundry detergent and personal care items like toothpaste, soap bars, shower cream and shampoo.
[7]: 21 Lauric acid is used to produce sodium lauryl sulfate and related compounds, which are used to make soaps and other personal care products.
Though a nascent and small industry when pitted against big detergent giants in the US and Europe, oleochemical companies in southeast Asia had competitive edge in cheap ingredients.
Competition was intense with market shares divided among many companies there where neither imports nor exports played a significant role.
[10] By the late 1990s, giants like Henkel, Unilever, and Petrofina sold their oleochemical factories to focus on higher profit activities like retail of consumer goods.
Since the Europe outbreak of 'mad cow disease' (or bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in 2000, tallow is replaced for many uses by vegetable oleic fatty acids, such as palm kernel and coconut oils.