Q: "When I bought my honey from you it was dark in color and liquid. Now it's much lighter in color, cloudy, and solid. I know this is not normal."

A: It is normal; honey does not go bad. Your honey has crystallized, which is a normal process that happens to all honey. It means that your honey is actually honey and not adulterated with a fructose syrup. The pollen in honey also contributes to this process. The bits of pollen remaining provide a platform for the crystals to begin forming. But pollen is important and is prevalent in 100% pure honey. While it might mean less shelf appeal because the honey looks solid, keeping pollen in honey means you’re getting a real product made by bees.

Q: "I love the cocoa butter lip balm. I'm wondering if you could explain what Organic & Fair Trade means. Are all the ingredients made in the US? Is the paper tube made in the US?"

A: Not to be confusing but I'm going to add an explanation of what Non-GMO means as well because it's so often confused with Organic. A product can be labeled Non-GMO but it doesn't mean that it's Organic unless it's labeled Organic; and to be labeled USDA Certified Organic it has to be Non-GMO. The Organic certification indicates and guarantees that a product is made, grown or created using only organic ingredients that are not treated or aided in growth by the use of chemicals. Most of the ingredients in our products are USDA Certified Organic whenever possible, and that is solely dependent on availability at the wholesale level during purchase. Non-GMO is exactly what it says it is: non genetically modified organisms - a product produced without genetic engineering and its ingredients are not derived from GMOs.

Certified Fair-Trade is a world recognized trade standard that supports responsible companies who guarantee safe and fair employment, wages and work practices. It ensures that farmers and laborers are not exploited in the growing and harvesting of plants. Since many of MSB's ingredients are raised in third world countries that do not often offer safe working environments we feel we have an ethical and moral obligation to uphold these humane values.

That being said, the only ingredients we use that are produced in the US are beeswax and sunflower oil. All of the other ingredients listed on our products are not able to be produced in our country: shea oil, shea butter, jojoba, cocoa butter and coconut oil, most of these are grown in Africa and Central America. And unfortunately, the paperboard tubes we love so much are currently only manufactured in China.