Organic Products - The Present Scenario
"Going Organic" seems to be the new buzzword. Whether its Hollywood celebrities or The National Geographic, everyone is talking about how to go green and switch to organic products. So, while you are browsing the endless brands of lotions and creams on the supermarket shelf, you choose only the ones that say 'organic' or 'natural.' You go home in peace thinking you did your job, you choose right and you have nothing to worry about. Right? Well, we suggest, think again. Hundreds of organic skin care products are flooding the global skin care market every day. The credibility definitely becomes questionable.
The Organic Catch
Many of us become the target to the shrewd marketing gimmicks of skincare products manufacturing companies that mislead consumers by claiming to be organic, while the truth is harshly far from it. Most skin care products that declare themselves as being Organic, in reality may merely have a few organic ingredients blended with preservatives and chemical agents. Unfortunately, the loophole is in the system, since there is no rule what so ever, restricting companies from labeling their products as 'Natural' or 'Organic.'
Organic Skin Care Products - The Concept
The basic difference between an ordinary skincare product and an organic skincare product is that the organic products are made with organically grown ingredients. Therefore, unlike conventionally cultivated materials, which are exposed to harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides, organically grown materials are toxin free.
Organic Skin Care Products - Some Facts
When a skin care product is certified as 'Organic,' it generally contains 95% organic ingredients and 5% of inorganic materials, which belong to an approved National List.
When a product is certified as 'Made from Organic Ingredients,' it means it contains only 70% of organic ingredients and the other 30% contains inorganic materials from the approved National List.
Organic Purchase - The Pre-requisites
Taking into consideration all the facts it can be said that 100% pure organic products may not really exist. Still, we can definitely find the next best things for us. A few things to keep in mind before buying any organic products:
Read the Ingredients Carefully - If you cannot even pronounce a chemical's name, it maybe that it should not be there. If you are unsure about the ingredients, browse through the internet to find more information on them. Fact sheets on most chemicals can be found easily, online.
No Additives - True organic products should not contain any artificial colors, synthetic dyes, artificial fragrances, or preservatives.
Check Certification - Check for USDA (United States Departments of Agriculture) seal or ACO (Australian Certified Organic) logo on the products.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Do 100% Organic Skin Care Products Exist?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Top 5 Solutions to Problems with HOA Boards
So, you have a problem with your home owner association (HOA) or its board members. The general rule which seems to apply to most people's feelings as it relates to HOAs are follow the rules or its time to move. What happens when you feel your HOA has outdated policies or you have been treated unfairly? The following at 10 things you can do for solutions with your HOA board.
You do have to keep in mind that you singed a contract as it states with your home owner association so these solutions don't work if you simply are made you can't have a gazebo in your backyard. Those issues and others like it are policies that you would need to have your board members approve. The solutions we are mentioning below are for when you feel that the HOA has acted capricious or in a vindictive manner.
5 Solutions to Problems with HOA Board
1. If you read newspaper columns for advice they will tell you to work it out with your HOA board members. You do have to keep in mind that these columns are typically written by lawyers who represent HOA boards so they are not the best source of info for the home owner themselves. It is still important to attempt to work any issues out directly before taking further course of action.
2. You need to know your bylaws. If you want a state official to help you solve your issue you need to know exactly what you are talking about. Many people don't get far with their cases against HOA boards as their information is filled with emotion more than facts on how HOA bylaws were broken.
3. If there are board members who are apathetic to your situation you can use them to hold special meetings and replace vindictive board of directors. It is important that all policies on these proceedings are followed for them to work.
4. You need to keep all documentation with correspondences between you and the HOA or the HOA's attorneys. You want to get to proof of your violations though you have to realize you will also need proof of your innocence. Just as you want the HOA to have all the documentation, so will you if you are to win your case. If you ever need your own lawyer, the lawyer will need proof to be able to defend your interest.
5. Most issues with home owner associations are consistent courses of action that are in violation or patterns of now working with home owners. You can recommend professional community services take over your HOA's management services which is usually better for both the HOA board members themselves and the individual home owners. Professional community management services are experts in how to handle home owner concerns so that both parties understand and win in the end.
Monday, January 18, 2010
What is the Market Prices of Gold Per Ounce
The market price of an ounce of gold is most commonly expressed in the "spot price" of gold.
The spot price of gold is the price of a troy ounce of gold. The spot price is the price a buyer should expect to pay for an ounce of gold for immediate delivery.
It should be noted that individual buyers cannot generally obtain gold at the spot price. This is because gold is available to buyers in various forms, such as coins and bars, which require fabrication and transport. The added cost of fabrication and transport, plus mark ups for dealer profits result in a price greater than the spot price.
The spot price of gold is available to individuals in a wide variety of media. It has been quoted in newspapers, from The Wall Street Journal to your local business section, each day for decades. It is reported on various business television news networks, such as Bloomberg, CNBC and Fox Business Channel. The spot price is also reported occasionally on radio news programs.
And, of course, the price of gold is available from many sources on the internet, including ITM Trading's web site at ITMTrading.com. ITM Trading provides free current price indications for Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium. In addition to current price indications, ITM Trading shows the change from the previous New York market close and the Afternoon London market "fix" ("PM Fix).
Note that the gold market never sleeps. Gold is truly a currency without a country in that it trades somewhere 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Active gold markets exist in Chicago, New York, London, Zurich, Istanbul, Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and elsewhere. Gold is usually priced in US dollars in most quotes published in the media, but it is often quoted in the local currency in these various locales and, due to changes in the relative value of international currencies, the value, and even direction of movement, of the price of gold can vary from locale to locale.
For instance, during the "Asian Contagion" of 1997-98, the price of gold in many Asian currencies rose sharply, even while it hit multiyear lows in terms of the US dollar.
Still, for most Americans, the spot price of gold expressed in US dollars is the ideal gauge of activity in the gold market.
At this point, one might be wondering about the "PM Fix," sometimes referred to as the "London fix."
London has historically been one of the world's financial centers of gravity. This was especially true of the gold market during the height of the British Empire. Not only did the sun never set on the British Empire, but the sun never set on the gold market either.
For that reason, the price of gold in London has always been an important benchmark for the gold market. Starting way back in 1919, the five major members of the London gold exchange met to settle the price of gold at the open and close of the market.
The fixing was suspended between 1939 and 1954 due to World War II and post-war government controls on the price of gold as a result of the Bretton Woods agreement.
Even today, the price of gold is fixed in London at the open of the market (AM Fix) and the close of the market (PM Fix) by the five largest members of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA). Those members are Scotia-Mocatta, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Societe Generale. This London fixing is still the primary guide off of which the other gold markets around the world guide.