Podcast “important today”
TikTok trend rose quartz: why beauty rollers shouldn’t be under the Christmas tree
“We roll around with the rose quartz rollers on our faces because we don’t want to age visibly. And elsewhere the starting material is degraded under these blatant conditions,” says Nadja Mitzkat, reporter at NDR.
© xMARCxTRANx / Imago Images
Cosmetics are at the forefront of Christmas presents every year. Thanks to TikTok and Co. this year also rose quartz – an alleged beauty roller that is supposed to simply roll away wrinkles. But the trend product is manufactured under the most adverse conditions in Madagascar.
Celebrated as an “anti-aging booster”, embedded in a necklace as a piece of jewelery or stored as an energy-giving stone in drinking water – many influencers advertise with rose quartz on social networks such as TikTok or Instagram. Often in roller form in a subtle pastel pink or as a Gua Sha stone for facial care. Cosmetics are a popular gift at Christmas, and these two products should also be under some Christmas trees this year. A nice thing if you want to do something good for your loved ones. But: “It is always advertised with: It’s all 100 percent organic, without chemicals, completely natural. Of course, as a consumer, you think that’s great. But of course everyone is silent about the working conditions.” The journalist and NDR reporter Nadja Mitzkat criticizes this in the 425th episode of “today important”.
Rose quartz: Children also work in mines for the beautiful scooter
The origin of the rose quartz is usually not obvious. Unlike gold, for example, there is no Fairtrade seal for the pink mineral. One of the reasons why the manufacturing conditions are still poor today. Nadja Mitzkat traveled to Madagascar herself and met children working in the mines there: “In Madagascar, you are only allowed to work in the mines from the age of 18 because it is dangerous because mines keep collapsing. […] But that was a family that had a lot of children and was very poor.” The working conditions are very difficult overall, there is no occupational safety, work is done in flip-flops, says Mitzkat: “I was afraid of slipping because it was clear if I slipped , I cut my hands open. You saw that with the men too.” But many families are economically dependent on working in the mines, even though the workers earn only about 10 cents per kilo of rose quartz mined. According to Welthungerhilfe, the approximately 28 million inhabitants make their living about 81 percent below the poverty line Observations that give Nadja Mitzkat food for thought after her research: “No one has a smartphone there. Maybe someone has a button phone. You’re fine if you have a bike. Nobody actually has a car.” A stark contrast to Germany, where the rose quartz mined in Madagascar is primarily associated with beauty and positive energy.
© TVNOW / Andreas Friese
Podcast “important today”
Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “today important” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with attitude and sometimes uncomfortable. Host Michel Abdollahi and his team speak out for this star– and RTL reporters with the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, both the quiet and the loud. Anyone who hears “important today” starts the day well informed and can have a well-founded say.
Over 80 percent of the population in Madagascar is poor
Not buying or giving away the beauty scooters is not an alternative either, the journalist believes: “That doesn’t help the local people either. The problem is that there is no transparency in the supply chains and there is not enough political will either to do something about it.” From 2023, a new supply chain law will come into force. A start, but the law was planned to be more powerful: “Originally, as a German company, you should also have to pay attention to human rights and environmental protection in the mining country. But then it was weakened so much by the business lobby and the then Minister for Economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier, that it is now only in force until have to look at the first suppliers,” explains Mitzkat. In the case of rose quartz, this is usually China, where the stones are processed into rollers and the like. In this way, German companies can pull themselves out of the affair more easily. Although consumers cannot pay attention to everything, they can, for example, ask about the origin of the rose quartz products when buying them. Also to create awareness of where this “miracle stone” comes from, which some influencers even advertise as promoting compassion and strength.
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