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HONI GOES GREEN!
When both of my sons as well as my husband began to develop skin irritation, I wanted answers and I was not satisfied by my physician's suggestion to use steroid meds to treat their effected area. I began to look to the possibility of products being used that may cause the sensitivity we were seeing. I was shocked to find out that industrial chemical that is used to wash floors was an active ingredient in my children's bubble bath, shampoo and conditioner. I was numb. I could not believe what I had learned. How could they do that and get away with it? Our children's health is at risk and there is no regulations??? How crazy is that? I decided to save my anger but make a whole new change. I began to educate myself on toxins used in our everyday product as preservatives and their harmful affects on our body. I also changed my children's bath products to Organic and chemical free and I was so pleased to see their skin irritation improve. My husband's dermatitis under his armpit also cleared when I made the switch to a chemical free deodorant. Thus, my experience sparkled a new path within my line of work.
HONI's MISSION ON BECOMING GREEN
Due to personal aspiration and passion for my clients, I have decided to take a dramatic approach by introducing Organic World to the field of Medical Aesthetics, which currently is a non existent practice in the US. I am the first to pioneer AN ORGANIC APPROACH TO THE MEDICAL AESTHETICS FIELD as a new way of thinking and was recognized by Co-op America in April 2007 as a socially responsible GREEN company.
My GREEN mission is to provide aesthetic treatments from a holistic perspective without harming one's health, while keeping environement in mind. I want to build the bridge of understanding that one's diet/nutrition is the single most important factor in achieving beauty from the inside out. This explains the network of holistic practioners that I work with to help raise one's level of awareness. All products that I carrying in my salon & on the website, is mostly 100% Organic, synthetic free, vegan and as natural as possible. I also use recycled & biodegradable material whenever possible to further achieve my goal with respect to environment. The reality is the nature of my business (medical aesthetics) is far from being organic, but who said I cannot be socially responsible, environmentally conscious and ethical while providing beauty treatments.
HONI's ADDITIONAL GREEN STEPS
To be a GREEN business, I feel responsible to take all necessary measures possible to bring the message sustainability to public awareness. Once my company became recognized as a socially responsible company thru Co-op America in 2007, I wanted to take additional steps to get closer to my goal. I switched my credit card processing to All American Merchant Financial Services www.aamfs.com, which generously gives 25% of the total gross revenue to the charity of my choice. Earth Conservation Corp
, located right here in Washington DC and I am thrilled to be working with them at www.ecc1.org. My next step was to purchase renewable energy to offset the green prints for my business and I would not have chosen anyone other company other than 3 Degrees Energy Services www.3degrees.com. I have also chosen to work with BetterWorld Telecom, for my telecommunication services www.betterworldtelecom.com. Other measures include, all marketing materials being printed on post consumer recylced paper with the FSC certification & an eco-audit table via a woman owned local company called Artlitho www.artlitho.com. The webhosting was another measure that I wanted to take before setting up my shopping cart and I chose Go Green Host www.gogreenhosting.com . At last, but certainly not the least, to be a part of any GREEN event, I wanted stay true to my mission and have the exhibit display be from a complete green source. The material used in my popup display is made out of recycled soda bottles and the company is called Absolute Exhibits
that manufactures from www.ecosystemsdisplay.com.
HOW TRUE IS A GREEN SPA?
According to the Spa Trend Magazine January 2007, the spa's mantra of body/mind/spirit is extending past the "self" to include others - and also the planet. Consumers are now factoring in a spa's green commitment when they choose a spa, and they're looking for a spa that does more than just recycle and offer organic food. And it's as much about respecting people as it is about respecting nature. Spa guests are rewarding a spa's efforts to incorporate authentic indigenous treatments, hire local staff, and contribute to the community. They're also welcoming education about local cultures and healing traditions and looking for holistic commitment on the part of spa personnel to contribute to sustainability and the health of guests, themselves and the planet at large. In short, spas and spa consumers are getting serious about terms like "natural," "organic," " holistic," "green," "eco-friendly," and "sustainable." And that's a good thing - naturally.
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