Transparency?

What exactly does “transparency” mean and what is its value?

It means knowing where your ingredients come from and who grows & processes them: complete transparency back to the producers.

What is its value? The ability to protect your supply and anticipate your costs.

Why is this important? Climate change is hammering farmers. Costs go up and supply goes down. Here are a few examples from farmers and producers over just the past few days:

– The neroli (bitter orange blossom) and rose crops in Morocco were hit by bad weather in the spring and this reduced the world supply. In turn, there will be an increase for the cost of fragrance ingredients that come from these harvests.

– The soaring temperatures in India have been brutal. This has delayed the harvest and reduced the size of the harvest for castor. Result: a reduction in world supply and an increase in the price. It will probably impact other seed (oil) crops as well.

– The fires in Canada will taint the smell of many food crops and the essential oils that have traditionally been gathered from those forest will also be reduced and…smell of smoke.

In Short

Climate change is impacting the availability and cost of your ingredients. Farmers are your true suppliers. It helps to know who and where they are. Organic farmers have healthier farms that sequester CO2 and retain more moisture in the soil. Healthy farms and healthy farmers (because stye make a bit more) are the very definition of sustainable.

As the cosmetic world continues to move towards naturally derived (non-petroleum) ingredients, agriculture increases to grow in importance and for planning purposes. Who produces and where the ingredients are grown becomes increasingly important. Ensuring that the communities that produce these crops and who work the land that support these crops are crucial to robust recovery. Improved response to climate change and long-term stability is the path forward. Organic farmers offer truly sustainable cosmetic ingredients. We are all dependent on agriculture along with transparency.

Let us know if you want more information on the products we offer. We will do everything in our power to make sure you are informed about the products you buy from us AKA transparency to its core.