Really does have natural ingredients
Like food labels, it is a common tactic to put certain buzzwords on the label in order to encourage purchase. Frequently, the picture on the label is about a natural as it gets. Read the ingredients, the label may say natural but the ingredients may have substances you can’t pronounce. Ideally, everything should be something you know, and if it isn’t, derived from something you know and its purpose in the product should be explained.
Avoid sulfates and detergents
Both of these are not only far too processed, they are also skin irritants. They are added because of their low cost. Adding them means that it is these chemicals that are doing the cleaning, not the natural ingredients. They are added to cut costs that is later spent on marketing.
Look for Certified organic
It is not easy to get a certified organic label, so these products can be more trusted.
Fair trade
Along with a concern for your own health, you are probably also interested in making positive changes with your purchases, or voting with your dollar. Shopping wisely and purchasing quality ethical products has driven the health and beauty industry toward many positive changes, and it is the consumer who has driven this. Fair trade means the the producers of the product’s raw ingredients are compensated very well, even though the market rate for their work is actually lower. This is meant to create a higher quality of life for the people most responsible for the product itself. The video above explains the approach that Body Shop takes in this.
A return to the environment
Beyond ethical, this is basic business sense. If a product is produced by nature, then that environment must be sustainablly maintained, including the well being of the inhabitants of the area. This ensures a quality product that can be delivered with consistency.
Animal testing
A clear sign that a product is pure is that its ingredients have been used by people for centuries. That being the case, the testing has been done over millenia, thus making the need for testing on animals unecessary.
Economy of scale
Organic and natural products
are not simply a matter of harveting plants from a small farm and magically pressing them into soap, skin care creams and shampoos. The same rules of distribution, marketing and pricing apply here. The difference is that an ethical company, if they maintain their core values, can along with discounts, extend awareness of these values across a wider area and help raise consciousness about important issues. Large companies that are also ethical also demonstrates that it IS possible to do both and change the world.
A bargain
Yes, there is a recession on and saving money is on many people’s mind, but it is important to know that prices everywhere are coming down, not just for products that are synthetic and unorganic. On average, the same percentage difference will exist between less healthy and healthy products so there is no reason to stop taking care of yourself during these challenging times. In fact, taking good care of yourself is more important than ever because none of us can afford to feel unwell, so it is best to pick up those high value bargains when you can. The issue should not be saving money, it should be making that money do the most work for you and in this sense, green healthy products are always a wise purchase.
