Browsing: ethical beauty

It hasn’t passed our notice here at EthicalSuperstore  that two of our most popular blog topics have been regarding the poignant question of ethical beauty products – skincare, hair care, make up and make up removers that don’t cost the earth are right up there at the top of many peoples’ priority lists.

Whether it’s a guilty secret or one of your greatest pleasures, everyone loves to pamper themselves every now and again. This might involve a quiet moment with a book or an indulgence in your favourite sweet treat rather than a face-mask or a luxury body scrub, but for myself personally, I enjoy nothing better after a hard day than enjoying a nice hot bubble bath, beautifully scented and wonderfully relaxing.

With so many different beauty and skincare products on the market it’s often hard to know which way to turn. We all know by now that we ought to avoid phalates, sodium lauryl sulphates and other nasties (worryingly still found in many mainstream brands of skincare and cosmetics), however where do you go from there? Do you buy natural products, or only opt for those with certifiably organic ingredients? Do you stick to vegan-friendly pampering, or is it more an issue of avoiding animal cruelty that is at the top of your list?

But there has been one glaring omission in the market which has puzzled me on several occasions. One type of pamper product that has been conspicuously absent from both specialist and supermarket shelves is Fairtrade Labelled skin treats – up until now.

We are delighted to be able to unleash Fairtrade Labelled Bubble & Balm onto our shelves today – this delightful new ethical skincare range has been developed in conjunction with the Fairtrade Foundation, and is set to transform my own pampering sessions, as well as do great things leading the march in the world of cosmetics.

Bubble & Balm looks great in its stylish silver pots and bottles, and each potion and lotion smells fabulous too. But much, much more than this, the message given by the Fairtrade Mark is that the producers working alongside Bubble & Balm are getting a great deal, which says a lot both about the company, and about the people who buy these products and support this Fairtrade cosmetic pioneering first.

Whether it’s Fairtrade Shea Butter sourced from a producer co-operative in Burkino Faso, or Fairtrade Cocoa Butter from a small-scale farmer co-operative in the Dominican Republic which tempts you first, these products give you the best of both worlds – these moisturisers, body oils and bath salts are naturally produced, using natural ingredients, and come with the world’s leading Fairtrade Certification too.

We’d love to know how you find Bubble & Balm, and what your take is on expanding the Fairtrade Labelling system to cover an ever-growing range of products. Will Fairtrade Labelling for skincare and pampering products change your priorities when you’re making your own purchases? I know it’s certainly something which will change my habits.

So next time you have a ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall…’ moment, take a moment to think about it…who IS the fairest of the all???

In all my comments over previous weeks about the potentially harmful household products that we pour down our drains, I have studiously avoided discussing the similar effects of hygiene and beauty products. Why is that? Is it because the bubbles, fragrance and silky texture enhance my bathing pleasure? Is it because my children exercise more control over my choices in this area? Or is it because we get through so much shower gel and shampoo that the price becomes all-important?

Certainly, my supermarket’s shelves bear witness to the fact that people can be more easily persuaded to buy environmentally friendly washing liquid than shampoo. As far as I can see, there are no organic beauty products on offer. And yet it stands to reason that harmful ingredients in household products are also present in beauty products – what disappears down the plughole in the bath has the same harmful effects on the natural world as what disappears out of the sink in the kitchen. Time to try organic, naturally fragranced shower gels and shampoos without harmful chemical additives, I feel (especially as my body is entering a heightened allergy phase for some reason).

But how about the make-up and all the creams and potions that promise so much? For some people, to be separated from their face cream would be a matter of life and death. I remember a friend telling me

Read the rest of Ethical Beauty… Secret or Dilemma? »