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Frequently Asked Questions
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| What
is fair trade? |
Fair
trade is an organized social movement which promotes
standards for international labor, environmentalism,
and social policy in areas related to production of “Fair
trade” labeled and unlabelled goods. The movement
focuses in particular on exports from developing countries
to developed countries.
Fair trade’s strategic
intent is to deliberately work with marginalized producers
and workers in order to help them move from a position
of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency.
It also aims at empowering them to become stake holders
in their own organizations and actively play a wider
role in the global arena to achieve greater equity
in international trade. |
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| Subject |
| What
does organic mean? |
Organic
goods are the product of organic farming, a form of agriculture which avoids or largely excludes
the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plant
growth regulators and livestock feed additives. Organic farmers rely as much
as possible on crop rotation, crop
residues, animal manures and mechanical cultivation to
maintain soil productivity and tilth, to supply plant
nutrients and to control weeds, insects and other pests.
According
to the international organic farming organization
IFOAM, “The role
of organic agriculture, whether in farming, processing,
distribution or consumption is to sustain and enhance
the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest
in the soil to human beings.”
Organic farming is also often associated
with support for principles beyond agricultural practices,
such as fair trade and environmental stewardship. Approximately
75 million acres worldwide are now grown organically. |
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| Subject |
| What
does certified organic mean? |
Organic
certification is a certification process for producers
of organic food and other organic agricultural products.
In general, any business directly involved in food production
can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers,
food processors, retailers and restaurants. Requirements
vary from country to country, and generally involve a
set of production standards for growing, storage, processing,
packaging and shipping that include:
• avoidance of synthetic chemic inputs (e.g. fertilizer,
pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc.) and genetically
modified organisms
• use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a
number of years (often three or more)
• keeping detailed written production and sales records
• maintaining strict physical separation of organic products
from non-certified products
• undergoing on-site inspections.
In some countries, certification is overseen by the
government, and commercial use of the term organic is
legally restricted. Certified organic producers are also
subject to the same agricultural food safety and other
government regulations that apply to non-certified producers. |
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| Subject |
| What
does cruelty-free mean? |
More
people are choosing to buy animal cruelty-free personal care and household
products containing
environmentally sound ingredients. Cruelty-free
is a philosophy and a manufacturing principle.
We believe
that personal care need not inflict harm on any living
creatures. Therefore, we reject the use of all cruelly-derived
animal ingredients. We also insist that our products
and all ingredients used within those products are never
tested on animals. We neither test on animals, nor do
we ask others to do so for us. Life is beautiful without
cruelty. |
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| Subject |
What
is the function of skin and
why is it important to care
for it? |
It
is very important to care for your skin. Although most don’t
view skin as an organ like the brain or heart,
the skin is the body’s largest
organ, measuring approximately 20 square feet and
weighing between 7 and 9 pounds.
The skin requires one third
of the body’s circulation to carry out its vital function – the excretion of up to two pounds of waste daily, removing more
toxins than all the body's other eliminative organs combined.
Perspiration also assists in regulating
body temperature and pH balance, and is a way to burn a few calories – approximately 500 per day.
In addition to its eliminative function, the skin performs
seven other basic functions.
1. |
It keeps out bacteria, viruses and other pathogens
that could infect your blood, joints and other tissues. |
2. |
It is a protective barrier from heat,
cold, and other environmental stresses. |
3. |
It regulates
the body temperature, maintaining one’s inside
temperature despite wide variations on the outside
of the skin. |
4. |
It breathes to a small extent, exhaling
carbon dioxide and eliminating unwanted gases. |
5. |
It absorbs substances, passing them
through the tissues. |
6. |
It has its own hydration system which
keeps it soft and supple, and lubricates itself by
discharging the sebaceous fluids through perspiration. |
7. |
It contains a complex networking of
nerve endings that allow us sensation and enable
us to react to heat, cold, pain and pleasure. |
Skin condition varies on a daily basis depending
on temperature, humidity, travel factors (airplane air
is drying to the skin and different water sources interact
differently with the skin), exercise and outdoor exposure.
Since water comprises about 70% of the constituents of
the skin, it is understandable that the skin serves as
a sort of reservoir for the rest of the body. It
is widely confirmed that a relative humidity of 60-65%
helps to maintain the skin's natural moisture content. A
lower relative humidity draws moisture from the skin
into the environment resulting in dry skin. A higher
relative humidity forces moisture into the skin.
A healthy skin is a well-nourished skin,
and the nourishment essentially comes from
diet, exercise and overall well-being. There are easy ways to keep the skin in a glowing healthy
state: Drink a half-gallon of water a day. Eat
a balanced diet with lots of vegetables, whole grains and
fresh fruits. Exercise moderately. Quit or
reduce smoking, caffeine and alcohol consumption. Keep
a positive attitude and a fulfilling life-style. Hydrate
the skin with a rich moisturizer both morning and night.
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