There are many things you can do to help end human trafficking, but one key way is to educate yourself about the different forms of human trafficking and what to look for. In the video below, Apple Rose Beauty's founder discusses some signs to look out for. You can forward to timestamp 3:30 in the video below for the myths and signs of human trafficking.
Apple Rose Beauty is an anti-human trafficking social enterprise that creates and delivers high-performance, luxurious, natural and organic face care and beauty products that work for the most sensitive skin and supports organizations involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of victims. Click here to learn more about our story.
Human Trafficking Awareness Day is an annual event that is observed on January 11th. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about human trafficking, which is a global issue that affects millions of people around the world.
People around the world wear blue to bring attention to this issue and to encourage individuals and organizations to take action to combat human trafficking. It is a day to remember the victims of this crime and to honor the work of those who are fighting to end human trafficking.
We live in a very stressful world that can be toxic for our mind, body, and even skin. As a result we are less focused and burned out. As we enter the Spring season and embrace renewal, I urge you to commit yourself to recognizing when you need a mental break. Here are 3 simple ways to manage stress and relax.
Breathing: You may be unknowingly holding tension in your chest. Stress shows up differently in everyone. Never underestimate the power of proper breathing. Breathing techniques are one of the easiest and most powerful ways to relieve stress. Harness the power of deliberate breathing, including deep breaths, and slow inhales / exhales to help you feel calm and in control.
Relaxing Playlist: Music is healing to the soul and it can shape our moods and thought processes. Music can promote relaxation of tense muscles when coupled with relaxing exercises like yoga. Music is a simple and fun way to promote spiritual healing. It is also great for meditating or getting into a spirit of worship.
Take a Walk: When things get to be overwhelming for me I like to go for walks out in fresh air. Any sort of movement like short walks or jogs are natural stress relievers. Sometimes you have to force yourself to get out of the office and get moving. Walking also promotes blood flow to your brain and it can reset your mind and thought processes. While walking you can also practice the breathing techniques we discussed earlier.
What are some techniques you use to relieve stress?
Spa's and Skincare Clinics are growing in popularity as people especially women are aiming to get better looking skin. Women spend billions of dollars a year on skincare but are facial treatments really worth it? Spa treatments and facials can be beneficial and actually make your products work better and deeper penetrate the skin. However, they can be quite expensive especially if done on a regular basis. If you want the spa results without going to an actual skin care spa, here are some tips on how to create a spa treatment experience at home.
2019 has officially started and most of us have already made our resolutions for the new year. This year I encourage you to set some skincare resolutions.
Just like the seasons change our skincare routine may also need a change. You should always pay attention to your skin's needs not just seasonally but all year round. The colder months bring low temperatures and rough winds which can bring about dry air and dry skin.
In order to have a healthy glowing complexion your diet should be rich in fresh whole foods such as leafy greens, berries, and antioxidants. Your body relies on nutrients to function.
Did you know that you can save a life this Summer, even while you're on vacation?
“You just enter your hotel room, and your room number. You take four pictures, and you submit them to the website,” Washington University Researcher and TraffickCam developer Abby Stylianou said. “And then those become part of the pipeline that law enforcement can use to track down where the victims are being trafficked.”
TraffickCam has built a database of more than 1.5 million images of hotel rooms across the world that police can query to determine where pictures of trafficking victims might have been taken, thanks to photographs submitted by travelers. The police can upload an image to the app and compare it against photographs uploaded by the traveling public, then use that information to narrow down a list of possible locations where the trafficker took the picture of a child being sold for sex. READ MORE
Even before I officially launched Apple Rose Beauty I knew I would have to write this blog. But like a root canal you keep delaying I tried to put it out of my mind. I tried to avoid facing the pain it would bring to the surface of my mind and heart. But, now … I think it’s time.
I’ve shared with you the story of how I met Apple and Rose. I’ve shared with you that my encounter with them inspired me to create my organic skin care company, Apple Rose Beauty. I’ve shared with you that Apple and Rose were victims of human trafficking and our vision for this company, named after them, is to create employment and choice for those trapped in the same horrible system of exploitation.
I’ve shared with you that I met Apple and Rose during a month I spent in Bangkok, Thailand where I worked with Samaritan Creations and lived in their safe house with women who were rescued from human trafficking. But there is something that I did NOT share with you. I have not had the strength to, until now.
Her Name Was Puu
Her name was Puu. I met her and her 1-year-old daughter the first night we spent at the Samaritan Creations safe house in Bangkok, Thailand. It was about 8pm Thai time and even though I had eaten dinner a couple hours before, I was famished. I went down stairs to the café where many of the survivors worked and began making my way to the kitchen. I saw the toddler first. She was sucking on a chicken wing and it smelled scrumptious! She was the cutest little girl I had ever seen and having the tremendous soft spot for babies that I do, I was immediately drawn to her and kind of forgot that I was hungry. Then I saw her mom. She was sitting on the floor next to her, texting on her phone. She spoke very little English and I spoke even less Thai but after asking permission with gestures she allowed me to hold her baby. We communicated through lots of smiles, pointing, giggles and one word sentences. I learned that her name was Puu and I immediately felt a bond with her.
In the weeks following this first encounter Puu and I spent lots of time together. At 18, Puu was the youngest woman staying in the safe house. She became a little sister to me. I taught her Thai and she taught me English. She celebrated her 19th birthday that month and to celebrate I went with her to the nearby mall where we got manicures and iced coffee, walked around and practiced our broken English and broken Thai. At the end of the month before my team and I left Thailand, Puu gave me a heartfelt note and pampered me with a shoulder massage. The next day we said tearful goodbyes. We later connected on Facebook and occasionally each shared simple pleasantries that we mastered in the other’s language.
A little knot began to develop in my stomach
As the months went by I started seeing fewer and fewer Facebook posts from Puu. A little knot began to develop in my stomach. Not long after, the woman who runs the safe house reached out to me and told me that Puu had run away, leaving her now 2-year-old daughter, and was re-trafficked. It’s hard to describe the pain news like that brings. It’s hard to describe the feeling of being punched in the stomach and all the fear and doubts that flood your mind. But even in the midst of all that pain I knew that Puu’s pain was so much deeper and greater than mine could ever be. The desperate search for love and acceptance and deep self-esteem issues that would drive someone back into the pain of selling their body for another’s profit is hard to fathom. Only as you dig deeper into their story and life experiences can you even begin to understand the void and grasping-for-love that has defined their existence from the moment they were born.
The hard truth is that when someone experiences deep trauma it takes a lot and often multiple attempts before they are truly free, not just physically but psychologically and emotionally as well.
Puu's Story (video)
I would like to invite you into Puu’s story. Not for the purpose of creating sympathy but as a way to hopefully allow us all, for a moment, to put ourselves in her place and find empathy to continue in the fight for her and all the other Puu’s out there waiting to be truly free. Watch the video below to learn about Puu’s story. Please pray for her and others like her whose lives we hope to impact by your Apple Rose Beauty Organic Skin Care purchases. Thank you for your Big Beautiful Heart!
P.S.: To support Samaritan Creations directly, visit their website at http://www.samaritancreations.org/
In a recent article on Essence.com, Gabrielle Union talks about the fact that the "majority of identified [human] trafficking victims are girls and young women but it goes deeper than that. We have to call attention to an aspect of this issue that is seldom discussed, and that is the fact girls of color, particularly African-American girls, are especially vulnerable to human trafficking."
She goes on to say that "
To create REAL change, we’ve got to be willing to have REAL, uncomfortable, and challenging conversations."
It's July 2016 and it's our birthday month! That's right. Apple Rose Beauty turns 1 year old on July 7th!
What better way to celebrate than to give gifts ;) This month your purchases will go even further as proceeds will be directly donated to non-profits fighting human trafficking, rescuing and rehabilitating victims.
Each week for the next few weeks we will be highlighting one of our freedom partners, sharing what they do and donating $5 from each full-size product purchased and $1 from each sample kit purchased, directly to them.
Also when you use the code for that week during checkout, you will receive a $5 coupon for future use in the mail with your purchase. Below is a list of the non-profits we are partnering with this month, the dates proceeds from your purchase will be donated to them and the code to use for the $5 coupon in the mail.
"Remember that great love and great achievements involve risk" - Dalai Lama
People often ask me how I could leave a successful, decade long career in engineering and management to embark on a risky venture to serve survivors of human trafficking through Apple Rose Beauty. To be honest, in my low moments of doubt the question fleetingly crosses my own mind.
The answer is always the same, though. I was and am "compelled by love". For me it has always been a question of "how could I not do everything I know how to do to help save even a few?"
From the moment my heart was broken for the cause of human trafficking in Thailand when I met Apple, a young woman trapped in human trafficking, and where I lived for a month, teaching survivors English, I knew I would spend the rest of my life serving them and fighting for them.
I’ve been using Apple Rose for years and when I run out and try others, I notice the difference. I just setup auto renew just to make sure I keep a supply of products. I use the moisturizer but ordered the Freedom Essentials kit so I can have all I need.
Today I used the mask, lip scrub, cleanser, shower gel, eye gel, clarifying elixir, hand & cuticle cream, lip repair. So many great products from an amazing gift box! This was beyond a steal of a deal.Love it!
Right now I am working on developing a facial care regime in tandem with more regular sleeping habits. Late night working interspersed with binge watching Netflix shows has taken a toll on my face and skin care (- compliments of Covid sponsored work at home routines.) I love the Apple Rose products, having tried several of them in the past, they are in my recovery arsenal. I have great expectations for the squalene and sugarcane night cream in particular. I have been using it to get rid of those tiny age-related vertical neck-wrinkles and it seems to be working. I'll have to get back with you on the rest of my routine. Until then, Be Blessed !
I began using the Apple Rose Beauty products in early January. The eye gel is so smooth, and feels so refreshing around my eyes. I am heading toward the 60th birthday milestone in less than a year, and I am concerned about wrinkles, and sagging skin around my eyes. Having used this product for several months to date, I am happy to report the skin around my eyes looks fresh, tight, and bright. I am happy with the use of this product.
I've been using Apple Rose Beauty exclusively since 2017. I first bought samples to support a mission to combat human sex trafficking. Two weeks later I bought samples again because I liked the product. Two weeks later I was hooked on the trio of Cayenne & Coconut cleanser, Turmeric & Aloe moisturizer, and Vitamin C & Hyaluronic acid serum. At 57, I couldn't be more delighted with how my skin looks and feels to the touch. It is never greasy or unnatural as if I've "applied" anything. I feel fabulous and feel like I look fabulous. That's a feeling of confidence I want for the rest of my life.
Since 2017, I have added the newer Apple Rose products to my regimen (yes, I now have a regimen). The easy routine is perfect for me. I keep an extra bottle of Cayenne & Coconut cleanser in my shower. The rest sit on a shelf at my vanity because the packaging is so pretty.
For much of my life skin care was not that important to me, in fact, often I would sleep in my makeup and I didn't take care to wear SPF anything in the sun. Now that I've been using Apple Rose Beauty, I cannot imagine cleansing, moisturizing and caring for my skin any other way. I love these products!
These are amazing products. They make a visible improvement in my looks. They might seem expensive, but a little goes a very long way. The charcoal mask easily does more than ten applications, and the moisturizing cream never seems to empty. I've used many of these products for a few years and can say they make a difference. And this is from someone with very sensitive skin.
Love this set! From personalized packaging to clean, luxurious products. It makes for an easy but effective skin care routine. All while supporting a great cause. Win, win!
I often purchase this as a cute little gift pack for my daughters and friends. I have tried to hang on to at least one for myself, but my youngest daughter found my extras and ... well, you know the rest. My favorite item in the pack is the Nourish Naturally Moisturizer lotion which I now buy in the regular size and use for both day and night facial application. The light texture and mild scent is just right, never overwhelming. I Love it !
C
Charcoal Beauty Bar Carla R.
I've been using the Apple Rose Charcoal soap exclusively for several months now and don't anticipate going back to commercial soaps. Before Apple Rose, I had used various liquid soaps and brand name soap bars and always found myself itching somewhere on my body through the day. Since I've been using Apple Rose Charcoal, my skin doesn't itch anymore. I am a happy camper with Apple Rose :-)