Nature and Beauty Meet Big Hearts — human trafficking

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.

Click here to see why Apple Rose Beauty cares.

Did you know that human trafficking is NOT the same as human smuggling? Watch the video below to see the difference.

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? 

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. 

“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.”

Me (Kristy), Puu and her daughter

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.

Your purchase of our Freedom Skin Care Essentials Set provides 3 hours of meaningful work for a human trafficking survivor.

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/

Apple Rose Beauty is a Premium Organic Skincare company that uses proceeds to fight human trafficking.

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.

Rethreaded – July 6th -13th – Code: “5forFreedom”

Wipe Every Tear – July 14th - 20th – Code: “Wipe5”

Samaritan Creations – July 21st - 27th – Code: “Samaritan5”

Show these organizations some love while you love your skin! #beautyforfreedom

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"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.

When I read this Huffington post article about Religious Sisters posing as prostitutes to rescue human trafficking victims from brothels it reminded me of the fact that true love requires risk. Love is an action word and once we are moved to love by our actions we risk hurt or failure. But we also risk success! We also risk seeing lives transformed by unconditional love! I am reminded of that Peter McWilliams quote:

"It is a risk to love. But what if it doesn't work out? Ah, but what if it does."

Yes. What if it does!

Click here to read the Huffington post article: Religious Sisters Pose As Prostitutes To Rescue Trafficking Victims From Brothels