Everything old is new again body treatments

Everything old is new again body treatments

SUKABUMI, West Java (JP): Life seems more hectic than ever.
More and more people are balancing careers, family and friends in
a seemingly constant juggling act.

One of the consequences of stressful modern life, often played
out in a heavily polluted environment, is damaged skin. While
many people place an emphasis on physical health and beauty, it
seems that their skin is still not being properly cared for.

Maybe the key is to look to the past and the ancient
traditions developed for healthier and younger looking skin.

Cleopatra nourished her skin by taking milk and honey baths
and, according to mythology, ancient Romans and Greeks used olive
oil for suppler skin. Meanwhile, the Chinese believed in the
beneficial properties of soya beans.

These ancient traditions inspired researcher John Milligan,
who works with organic cosmetics manufacturer The Body Shop, to
come up with a body treatment series with organic honey, olive
and soya as the basic ingredients.

"Organic ingredients are the best nutrition for our body and
skin because they are in their natural forms, without pesticides,
herbicides or genetically modified material," said Milligan.

That is why organic materials can be the answer for healthy
and environmentally conscious living, he added.

The Body Shop's new body treatment series was launched in
March 2001 in the UK and more recently in the U.S. and Asian
countries. The products have reportedly been very well received
in these countries.

One of Milligan's challenges was creating products that could
be used by people with different skin types. "Asian skin is
different to European and African skin, but these product ranges
can accommodate them all," said Milligan, who is also a member of
the UK Committee for the Society of Cosmetic Scientists.

The organic materials used by the company are purchased from
farmers in developing countries, where traditional techniques for
planting and harvesting crops are still practiced.

"We know the field and ensure that the ingredients are
harvested without chemicals," Milligan said.

Tests are conducted on harvested materials to look for any
genetically modified content, especially for soya which is the
most genetically modified ingredient in the world.

The company established a cooperation scheme, called the
community trade program, with traditional farmers in 26
countries. It procures its organic olive oil from farmers in
Campania, soya oil from Brazil, honey from Zambia, sugar from
Paraguay, bergamot from Calabria, shea nuts from northern Ghana
and cocoa beans from Ghana.

"We plan to widen our community trade program to Asian
countries but we're still trying to find the right groups that
can ensure quality and sustainability," Milligan explained.

Suzy D. Hutomo, the director of PT Monica Hijau Lestari, which
operates The Body Shop in Indonesia, expressed hope that,
combined with an increasing number of people living lifestyles
more in harmony with nature, the public would become more
involved in efforts to preserve the environment.

"Nature has given so much and we have to be consistent in
preserving it," she said. (lup)