When looking at the environmental and political turmoil around us it can be tempting to simply do nothing. After all, what difference can one person make when the problems are so large? Because our busy lives make it difficult to go out and join protests, form groups with like-minded activists and fundraise for causes, many of us have taken to joining campaigns through social media. Sometimes, though, a click on the keyboard feels insufficient. A powerful alternative is to carry out a quiet revolution using our wallets. Simply by spending our money on products that do not take an enormous toll on the environment and do not exploit the world’s poorest people, we can create our own quiet revolution. It may involve supporting the local farmer’s market and organic grocery store instead of the supermarket. Riding your bike more, not accepting plastic bags, and making more of your own food from scratch is another. Buying fair trade and ethically-made clothing and toys, and frequenting the op-shop rather than buying the sweat shop-made ones. It might take time to find businesses that are trying to do the right thing – because, like ours, most of them are small and not very noticeable. But the up side is that lots of people making choices in the right direction will make a difference.
Many of these businesses carry far lower profit margins than those that are less ethical. This is because costs of production are higher, but prices cannot reflect this since they need to remain competitive. At Mokosh, we’re proud of our products – we believe they’re not only the best skin care on the planet, but also the safest, most ethical and most environmentally friendly skin care you can buy. But we can’t afford a massive marketing campaign, or a fancy website upgrade every year. However, when you buy Mokosh products, you are voting for certified organic agriculture, fair trade, palm oil free, preservative free, and virtually plastic free skin care products.
Ethical businesses can thrive, but they need customer support – more support than a mainstream business taking the easier, more profitable road. We’re grateful that so many of our customers spread the word about Mokosh by buying gifts or a sample pack for their friends. This is the kind of activism a business such as ours needs to survive. Please, if you can, consider doing so for other ethical businesses you’d like to see thriving in our community. Remember that whatever you buy will be replaced with the same product – so buy only what you want to see more of. And never underestimate the power of your wallet – it is a world changer.
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