The Body Shop reply

Well, after a few days the Body Shop did reply (reinstilling my faith in customer care).
Some excerpts:
We would like to reassure our customers that The Body Shop takes the safety of the products it sells very seriously. All formulations developed for The Body Shop are subject to careful evaluation by independent external safety assessors. In fact, The Body Shop has already voluntarily restricted its use of certain preservatives because of concerns about their possible skin sensitisation effects and because of its stance on animal testing.

...we have a responsible approach to the use of chemicals in our products. We proactively assess the chemicals we use against criteria of health and safety, environmental impact and our Against Animal Testing policy. As a result, we prohibit the use of a range of common chemicals in our products.

Although the markets that sell our products make the decision of setting the price, we believe that the excellent quality of the products and the Community Trade programme that sources high grade ingredients from all over the world is set at a fair and reasonable price.

We do encourage all our customers to try the products in-store before making a purchase. Moreover, our trained staff is always on hand to demonstrate the product usage and answer any questions that you may have.

Due to the different skin characteristics of the skin on different parts of the body, The Body Shop has actually developed different product categories to cater to the relevant needs of the different parts of the body. For example, the Bath & Body category, which is meant to be used for the body has ranges for different skin types (eg. normal or dry skin) and different products within the range such as shower gels, body lotions and body butters. These products can be used all over the body depending on skin type or need. They are not recommended for use on the face as the skin on the face is actually thinner than the skin on the rest of the body, thus having
a different set of needs.

Although we do try to include as much relevant information as possible on the product packaging, sometimes the ingredient information, which is a legal requirement, takes up much of the copy space. However, if you ever have any questions about product usage or anything else about the product, please do feel free to approach any of our friendly store staff or write in
to us again.

So, if I go by their mail, I am supposed to try the shower gel in the store, use a separate range for my thin face skin and just continue to be their valuable customer. Amazing how I develop a thick skin for other soaps in the market.. which don't even promise to moisturise.

The Body Shop "Moisturising" shower gel

I recently bought an Olive shower gel and not the other shower gels from Body shop because it specifically said "moisturising". I had an unpleasant sensation of skin tightening and a whitish dryness all over my body after bathing with it. Shock is a mild word for what I felt. Body Shop and all it stands for seemed like just another marketing farce. I felt cheated and foolishly foolish. I have of course, read the labels and they scream chemicals... but at least they should do what they say they will!

I mean, even an ordinary cheap soap does not dry skin like that. And to clarify, I do not suffer from dry skin, it's merely not oily. Where is the organic olive oil from the farmers' co-operative? Has it been completely overpowered by "necessary" chemicals to make the gel lather? Soap free gel lather, let me be precise.

I feel that I and people like me, who are natural beauty conscious are complete suckers for their propaganda. I have been using Body Shop for some time now. Been happy so far. So, very confidently I bought a big bottle of the gel, not a small one.

I am surprised that I wrote them a letter...I know what happens at "customer care". But I guess I was too upset. Incidentally the Tea Tree shower gel for oily skin does not dry my skin at all!

And wanna hear a joke? When I mentioned the dryness to the store lady, she tells me "Ma'am, you're not supposed to use the shower gel on your face." !!!!????? So now shower gels are only for specific body parts? Err... can they make that clear on their bottle?

The last time I fell for this natural product thing was at the famous "Khadi"... a ritha and honey shampoo for dry hair. The only use I could find for it, was to clean my bathroom... really, it was that bad. But the Body Shop would be too costly a floor cleaner.

My good sense always knows that it's only fresh homemade stuff that's guaranteed... besan followed by sesame oil is best for bathing and moisturising; simple and effective.... but as I said, I am a sucker for these empty promises.

Well, I'll tell you if I hear from the "ethical" company with "values".

Learning Space

Whooshing winds lash around
This oasis where kids abound.
Chameleon hills turn green to brown
Miles away from any town.

Smiling, howling, pondering, scowling
Melodies play hide and seek
Naughty faces in corridors peek.
There's cheer that erodes any fear.

Feel the air that with laughter tinkles,
See the open faces with joy crinkle.
Sobs, gossip, squabbles galore
Little souls create their own folklore.

Who is the teacher?
Who is the student?
Drama, dance, games, music, art,
Of these we all are a part.

Bubbles of energy, questioning minds
Sensitive, easy answers how to find?
Minions of change will you be?
Your difference for all to see?

Me, English teacher!

Life has this strange way of giving you what you really want, if you're patient enough. Many times you don't even see it coming. Sometimes that longing has been buried under so many layers of “given up” that it doesn't hit you till you're deep into it. I took some time to realise that I am living out my childhood fantasies of teaching. No more was I teaching imaginary students in my room using the black rusted trunk as my blackboard with precious chalks bought out of pocket money. No more was I creating fantastic theories of Maths or Science. No more was I correcting reams of make believe answer sheets of real paper, signing good, very good, poor, satisfactory with a red flourish (several red pens have been sacrificed on the altar of pretend playing).

It's all real. Except for the technicalities. I don't comment good or poor, there are no marksheets and the subject is English. There is an endless supply of white and coloured chalk (dustless) and huge blackboards on which I can write for however long I want. (I know that little Tania's heart would have leapt with delight at such a prospect!) There are real, eager souls looking up at me with their sparkling eyes, asking incessant questions. Someday, twenty years hence, some child may remember his first class teacher at Sahyadri. And if we meet, may narrate some tiny incident that only the sponge like mind of a child can absorb and retain.

And who would have thought that being a teacher would in a strange way reopen my beloved world of words! To dig into and savour. And write. It had seemed to me that I had lost forever my ability to write. But slowly, the words are trickling out... hotch potch sometimes...but with a glimmer of hope that I will once again regain the fluency that I once had and enjoyed. I've been able to make up a little bit for years of not reading. (No, I do not consider Stoner and Freeman, Luthans, Kotler or Economic Times “reading” material. Only Ricardo Semler maybe.) The lost world of literature is being found. I have begun to look at poems too, in a new way.

I, the English teacher am learning so much...

Poem: Dilemma

What sort of person shall I be?
I am made of clay
To be molded in any way
So many things within
Make up the raw material that's me

What for do I aspire?
What do I desire?
Love for words, love for birds,
Love for trees and the seas
I'm so full of dreams!

Creative juices must flow
To flood conventions of long ago
Let the mind not build roadblocks
Time's hands run faster than clocks!

Apprehension, fear, I have to lose
At some point I have to choose
To live life as I know it
Or to die slowly, bit by bit

Poem: The bottomless pit

I would like people around me not to judge
me or the things around.
That's a dream i can't fudge
none of them will ever budge.

Things like this will always abound
so what should I do?
can only poison spew?
I don't know ... it's confusing
it needs a lot of musing.

It all boils down to this -
will you live life according to the world miss?
Sorrow is yours for the asking
in glory there will be no basking.
Matters you have to take in your own hand...
how much will you simply rant?

But I wonder,
do I have the power?
Really?
Is it all that will take
a better life to make?

What about my self doubts?
of which I have several bouts...
how can I change that?
that's the question of the hour
I don't think the solution is only power.

How much can I SWOT analyse?
I seem to have no choice...
in circles I go round and round
no solution can be found.

Books and books have I read
(should have fooled around instead)
Things seem more complicated
Oh! this journey seems ill fated!

What is wrong and what is right?
I don't know any more
try, try, try as I might.
Things seemed simple before
and now I can't see the light.

My whole value system lies shaken,
my very foundation seems broken.
How do I rebuild it from scratch?
Where will I find what will match?

But...but...but and but...
that doesn't make the cut.
The who, where, what of it all
is enough to make one want to bawl.

So again we come to where we started.
The answer is not from me parted.
How do I find it... how do I find it...
This is such a bottomless pit!

-Written without a pause at a time when I was terribly lost. Being usually stuck at rhymes, I surprised myself that it flowed at a time like this.

Legalised Live-in realtionships

Err... what's the whole point of not marrying if you are going to be anyways saddled with a "legal" partner... isn't that what a wife or husband is? I don't know why the debate is whether we are ready for live-in relationships. I mean - if it's legal, then it's ok?

Live ins have been happening for a long time now. Those who are in such relations are in social circles where it is okay and don't care about what others say AND others don't really care about it so much now. Who has the time???? People, especially in cosmopolitan cities have become more accepting and open about such things. Perhaps it's also easier for the live in couples because family most of the times are not in the same city - so there aren't any pressures etc. Many times it just makes economic sense.

But why legalise it? I have not understood the whole point. To protect women from domestic violence? But that doesn't apply only to a wife. Anyone with whom you share your living space and beats you up will be booked under the Domestic Violence Act. Think about it : is it okay for your bro or sis (let's be fair) to beat you up?

There's this story of a woman who was in a 5 year live in relationship. Then she accuses the man of rape and violence. Now she has a case against him and is demanding Rs. 10,000 as monthly upkeep. What shit is this man? Is this the point of legal live ins? Why didn't she just walk away from the man? And why does she want him to pay for her upkeep? What sort of regressive bullshit are we talking about?

Are feminists seriously okay with this sort of assumption about "the weaker sex". Is a live in woman, who has anyways broken traditional boundaries unable to take care of herself? The relationship ends and now she is this sniveling sore woman who has nowhere to go? Who will take care of her? Boo hoo hoo....

The next argument: There are people who have two wives. Oh well, maybe it makes sense in the case of an innocent, naive woman who is so blissfully unaware of her husband's dual life. Yes, she definitely is a pitiable creature and can be protected thanks to this legal "status". If she knew all along, and was okay with it, then why should anyone meddle? That's her way of saying, I can manage on my own. Why don't we let her? Why does society insist on keeping her dependant?

But the argument that makes most sense is this: If we split, who gets to keep what? Aaaahh... now we're talking. It seems that things always boil down to the moolah. Yes, yes, definitely get a court to decide this part for us immature babies - who thought we were real smart in avoiding the complications of married life.... Baaahhhh!