We've all heard of clean, vegan and cruelty-free... but have you heard the term "fair trade" or seen the logo on your beauty must-haves? What does fair trade mean? Why are fair trade products so pricey? We're here to let you know what it is, and why we've joined the movement.

Ensures Fair Wages 

Fair trade ensures the producers of the goods we purchase are given fair compensation, guaranteed safety, and makes certain they use ethical farming and production practices.

The fair trade product is assigned a minimum price that must always be upheld, even if the market price drops below this minimum. On the flipside, if the market price goes up, the producer benefits from this increase!

The cost of fair trade is worth the expense since more of your $$$ is actually going to the farmers who produce the ingredients! It's worth paying the extra penny when you know you're giving back to help the producers better support themselves, their families, and the land they work on. 

Ethical Working Conditions 

Something that has (finally) gained more attention in recent years - especially in the beauty and fashion industries - is the working condition of the employees producing the goods. Working in an agricultural setting can subject workers to a plethora of health and safety hazards every single day. Fair trade certification protects workers from these harsh conditions, providing access to healthcare, safe employee housing and a clean/non-toxic work environment.

While it may not be the first thought we have when buying a face oil or an eye shadow, buying fair trade products has a direct impact on people's livelihood all around the world. 

Fair Trade and Briogeo 

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💟 . . . Today’s post is all about Briogeo’s new B. Well Organic + Cold-Pressed 100% Organic Castor Oil! #ad 💜 . Castor oil has been used for centuries. It has endless uses from anti-inflammatory to digestion. I am currently using it on my lashes and cuticles for extra hydration and growth. 💜 . Briogeo partnered with the fair for life organization to source only the highest quality oil from farms that practice fair labor standards, protect the local ecosystem, and give back to the community. 💜 . The process of extracting this oil is cold-pressing, which maintains the highest level of nutrients including omega fatty acids. . This product is organic, cruelty free, gluten free, vegan and ethically-sourced! Do you use castor oil? If so, what for? 💜 . . . #briogeo #castoroil #bwell #sephora #sephorafinds

A post shared by AMBER ♥ (@worldofcolorx) on Jan 17, 2019 at 9:31am PST

We're proud to say that our new B. Well organic + cold-pressed 100% castor oil has been fair trade certified and ethically sourced from India. Here at Briogeo, we believe that a fair wage and good working conditions are not privileges but are necessities.

Ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients mean a lot to us, even if it costs more. The organic castor oil selected for B. Well organic + cold-pressed castor oil is certified fair-trade and Fair For Life, meaning our investment here is placed directly back into the community of India's Kutch district. Recent improvements include building more schools that allow children education beyond primary level, supporting infrastructure by building ponds on local farms, repairing wells and helping the environment by planting more trees. Clean, Conscious Ingredients. We like that!

Join the fair trade movement with us to ensure the well-being of farmers and environmental sustainability all around the world.