Conscious Consumerism: It Matters

Cosmetic Health Industry is advocating for safer, healthier production standards. But are they able to comply with the standards? Is there any other way to choose safer and healthier cosmetics? We all wish for safer & effective natural products. How it’s possible to make a change? It all starts with you…Yes, we can make the difference… Make a commitment today to initiate change & achieve the aim of minimizing the toxicity. Your money matter…... Don’t waste your money for something that can cause harm to you. The consumer model is constantly changing. Today it is known as “conscious consumerism”—the buying practices driven by a commitment to making purchasing decisions that have a positive social, economic, and environmental impact.

Why this Matters?

This trend really matters and is necessary for the sustainable development of our future societies. It significantly aids humanity's progress toward realising sustainability goals. Conscious shopping can help to mitigate the effects of human waste and pollution. It reduces the need for mass consumption and production, which is one of the main causes of environmental damage. Furthermore, it is necessary from an ethical standpoint, as a key component of conscious consumerism is the idea of having a good social and economic impact. Unfortunately, a large number of businesses have and continue to follow unethical standards and practices. Animal abuse, inhuman acts also come under its purview.

How we can stop it?

Many of you have been confused to choose healthier products that are free of irritating and potentially harmful chemicals, but we all need to make healthier choices that reduce toxicity not only for our own health, but also to reduce the global impact of hazardous chemicals. Let’s find out what we can do.

Education empowers everyone

Education is the most powerful tool we have. We all have access to internets and we can search for the right ones.  Take time to do some research and find out how the industries are operating. Find whether it’s genuine or not? Repeat your research with other products and services also. Compare the results. Trust only genuine sites. Look for Certified organic Products with logo or emblem. Think Twice and Act Wise. Practice makes you perfect, Choose it wise for you and for this Earth.

But know the following too…

1. Have you heard of Natural Chemical? A substance or compound, produced by a living organism, it can be sourced from plants or animals. All natural products are chemical compounds but all chemicals are not natural products. For example, Starch in rice is carbohydrate which contains glucose.
2. What are artificial/ man-made chemicals? There are an estimated 144,000 chemicals made by man that do not exist in nature.
3. Are Chemicals toxic? All chemicals can be toxic depending upon the situations.
4. Is there any regulatory authority for Chemical regulation? Government agencies are responsible for chemical regulation in cosmetic Industry. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is the main authority to regulate activities relating to cosmetics and promulgate corresponding regulations in India. Likewise, there are regulatory authorities in respective countries also.
5. Do consumers hold the right to know any adverse drug reactions? Consumers have the right to know whether a product contains the 'substances of very high concern', which are carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction, or very critical for the environment etc
6. What are consumer rights?

• Right to safety
• Right to choose
• Right to be informed
• Right to consumer education
• Right to be heard
• Right to Seek redressal

7. What are Consumer Responsibilities?

• Ask Yourself!
• Be Critically Aware
• Be Involved
• Be Organized
• Practice Sustainable Consumption
• Be Responsible to the Environment

8. Adverse Health issues need to be reported and then government agencies investigate.
9. Who should report adverse reactions? Everyone needs to report adverse reactions to the TGA, authorities respond to multiple reports.
10. How product certification helps consumers? Product certification shows a company’s commitment to quality and safety. It affirms that products have passed specific performance and quality assurance tests. Government purchasing standards usually require product certification. Independent verification raises the standards of manufacturing, above & beyond legislation. Reputable companies work to minimize and eliminate risk.
11. How to trust certifications are genuine? Because these are issued by the government organisations. The organisations that monitor and issue these certificates allow producers to use their logos provided that follow certain quality standards. The quality standards they followed can be searched from their respective websites. Like, if a product is cosmos organic certified visit https://www.cosmos-standard.org/ . You can also check the list of companies who trust ECOCERT with their certified organic or natural cosmetics http://certificat.ecocert.com/?l=en.
12. Why it is important to know, to respond and demand for safe products? It is not for you alone. Whole world is getting benefitted. You are protecting Mother nature thereby care for the future generations too. Multi-stakeholders including respective governments, industry & consumers must work on together in this great campaign to work for a noble cause which could bring benefit for all.

Be Aware and Spread awareness

Once you complete your research, try to spread the information to others too. Make others part of this campaign. Social media platforms are easily accessible to all and having wide reach. It has an immense potential to create a huge impact. You need not insist or force someone to believe your ideas…Instead make them go through the same research you have done. And help those who need more information.

Your Money Matters

Be responsible for the money you spend. The Companies are thinking of making profits and the consumer has the power to create increased demand for safe products.

Have you heard of circular economy? This entails designing products and systems that can be fully reused and/or repurposed, thus reducing the wastage throughout the manufacturing. This strategy is gaining popularity and showing that it can be done.

The point is that a Company can be ethical while still generating exponential net profits, and we should applaud those who are doing so. It's not a notion; it's a reality.

As we already discussed,

It All Starts With YOU…& WE, PALLAVA assures you the best of Chemical free, 100 % organic Cosmos certified Natural products. Let’s move together towards a Sustainable Future….