The book includes many tips for natural body care, and also this startling statistic:
The average woman uses 15 personal care products a day. Up to 60% of the chemicals you put on your skin can end up in your bloodstream so you could be absorbing as much as 2kg (4.4lb) of man-made chemicals every year.
That’s why I like using Green People‘s all-organic products. There is no point spending extra money to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat if I then undo the good work by rubbing toxins into my skin. Especially given the large quantities of sun cream that I will need to use during my Pacific crossing, I want to know that I am not slowly poisoning myself!
It’s refreshing to find a company that does not stint on the quality of their ingredients. At the risk of mentioning a possible competitor to Green People, I have just finished reading Body and Soul: Profits with Principles by Anita Roddick, the amazing and inspirational founder of The Body Shop. She saw her business as a way of effecting environmental, ethical and cultural change, inseparable from her own personal values. Shop windows became showcases for the issues that concerned her, and through their campaigns The Body Shop raised awareness and money for all kinds of good causes. Until her death in September last year she was a true pioneer of a different way of doing business – and the profitability of The Body Shop shows that this business paradigm actually works.
The book left me very inspired. It may not be the best-written, but she is passionate and persuasive and really made me believe that strong principles and a successful business are entirely compatible – as also demonstrated by Charlotte Vohtz and Green People. Recommended.