If you happened to come of age in the 90’s, there’s a good chance you were obsessed with The Body Shop. For many teenagers and twenty-somethings, their introduction to the world of beauty and skincare was via The Body Shop’s scented bath gels, perfumes and pots of lip balm – remember White Musk perfume and Mango Lip Butter? While those two products are still for sale today, the Body Shop’s products have evolved since it first debuted in 1976 while its ethos has remained the same. Here’s a look at what The Body Shop sells and are its products right for you?
What’s Inside The Body Shop Products?
Here’s a closer look at the active ingredients commonly used in The Body Shop skincare products. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Aloe Vera make up the core ingredients for The Body Shop skincare line.
Vitamin C
We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn’t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.
It’s in The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Revealing Serum.
But our favorite Vitamin C serum is Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum. It contains 3 distinct types of Vitamin C that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.
Vitamin E
The Body Shop has an entire vitamin E range because this vitamin provides powerful antioxidant properties and natural skin-conditioning effects.
As an antioxidant, vitamin E has the ability to stop harmful free radicals right in their tracks, which is important because free radicals contribute to signs of aging, damaged cells, and mutated DNA.
According to a 2016 publication in Dermatology News by Dr. Leslie Baumann, MD, vitamin E can protect the skin from both acute UV-induced damage as well as responses to chronic UVA and UVB exposure, including skin wrinkling and skin cancer.
In addition to functioning as an antioxidant, tocopheryl acetate can help the skin retain moisture by strengthening the skin’s barrier function.
We recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Cream for dry skin because it combines vitamin E with probiotics and soothing plant extracts to keep the microbiome balanced and skin looking hydrated.
Aloe Vera
The Body Shop Aloe range includes moisturizers, a toner, and a soothing gel specifically formulated for those with sensitive skin.
Aloe vera contains a rich supply of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a class of sugar molecules that help bind moisture to the skin. The extract also contains antioxidants like beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Antioxidants limit oxidative damage caused by free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
We recommend Carrot & Stick The Concentrate because it contains aloe vera and plenty more antioxidant-rich extracts that help combat the effects of environmental stress for a smooth, glowing complexion.
What Is The Body Shop?
The Body Shop was created in 1976 by the late Anita Roddick. She opened the first Body Shop in Brighton, England selling just 25 products. What made her products different was that they were not tested on animals, and ingredients were sourced directly from global farmers. She also encouraged customers to reuse packaging. As The Body Shop grew and expanded into a global company, Roddick became more vocal about her political activism, championing for social change, fair trade and ethical consumption. The Body Shop had partnerships with Amnesty International to promote human rights, and worked with Greenpeace to help save whales. As Roddick once said, “The business of business should not be about money. It should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed.”
In 2006 The Body Shop was sold to L’Oréal, which owned it until 2017, when it was sold to Natura, a Brazil-based company which also owns Aesop.
What Is the Concept Behind The Body Shop?
The Body Shop was a pioneer in embracing ethical beauty – and ethical consumption. As the company explains on its website, “We aim to be the world’s most ethical and sustainable global business. Our Enrich Not Exploit Commitment includes 14 targets for The Body Shop to achieve by 2020. The targets are the clearest manifestation of who we are and what we stand for as a business. Our story started with Anita Roddick’s belief in something revolutionary; that business could be a force for good.”
The Body Shop is a certified B Corp, and its manifesto touches on ideas including: rejecting beauty stereotypes; creating uplifting products but never making false promises; reducing the company’s environmental footprint and never testing on animals.
Manifesto aside, The Body Shop products are infused with a sense of fun and playfulness, are known for their scents, including pink grapefruit, vanilla and tea tree.
What Does The Body Shop Sell?
The Body Shop sells skincare and makeup products, as well as fragrance and hair care. Here’s a breakdown.
The Body Shop Moisturizers
Vitamin E Moisture Cream – Designed for all skin types, this moisturizer is formulated with nourishing ingredients like vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and wheat germ oil.
Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalizing Facial Oil – This facial oil can be applied on its own to the face, or added into moisturizer. The key ingredients include black cumin seed oil from Egypt, camellia seed oil, rosehip oil and community trade organic olive oil.
The Body Shop Masks and Exfoliators
Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask – Infused with bamboo charcoal, green tea leaves and organic tea tree oil, this vegan mask helps draw out impurities from the skin. It is a best-seller.
Vitamin C Glow Revealing Liquid Peel – Whisk away dead skin cells with this gel-to-peel formula. The vitamin C is sourced from the camu berry, which The Body Shop says has 60 times more vitamin C than an orange.
The Body Shop Lip Balms
Mango Lip Butter- This cult favorite classic comes in a little pot. The mango seed oil is sourced from India and also contains vitamins A and E to help soften and hydrate lips.
Lip Exfoliator- The Lip Exfoliator is packaged in a lipstick sized tube and helps scuff away dry, dead skin. The key nourishing ingredient in marula from Namibia.
The Body Shop for Blemishes
Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash- Formulated for blemish prone skin, this vegan face wash is powered by community trade organic tea tree oil from Kenya. The gel formula helps give the skin a deep clean and removes excess oil.
Tea Tree Targeted Gel – This spot treatment, which is applied with a wand, is designed to help dry up blemishes.
How Much Do The Body Shop Products Cost?
The Body Shop products are reasonably priced, and in line with drugstore prices. The White Musk fragrance mist is $15, and a tub of Almond Milk and Honey Body Butter is $6. Shower gels and creams range from $6-15, while the Aloe Soothing Day Cream is $20. One of the most expensive products is the Drops of Youth Concentrate serum, at $54.
Is The Body Shop Cruelty Free?
Yes.
Where Can I Buy The Body Shop Products?
The Body Shop products are sold in its stand-alone stores and on its website, as well as Ulta and Amazon.
Do The Body Shop Products Work?
Beauty and skincare is never a one size fits all approach. A little trial and error is always necessary to find the right products for your skin, and it’s always helpful to look at customer reviews and editorial write ups as a starting point.
The Body Shop has been around for decades and received plenty of press write ups. A few products are cult favorites. According to the company, The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask is sold once every 15 seconds globally and the Drops of Youth Concentrate sells once every 26 seconds worldwide. Allure magazine named the Almond Milk and Honey Hand Cream a Best of Beauty winner in 2017, and the Coconut Oil Hair Shine was an editor favorite in 2016. British Good Housekeeping magazine tested the Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil in 2018. Their verdict? They gave it 83 out of 100, citing, “This oil went down extremely well with our testers for not being sticky or greasy on the skin. After four days of use, our testers noticed that their skin was nourished and felt softer. However more of the product was needed to cover the face than the recommended 1-2 drops, meaning the product wouldn’t last as long as they had hoped.”
But what do real people think? The Body Shop has over 82,000 reviews on Influenster, and one of the most reviewed products is the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner, which gets a 4.3 out of 5 star rating from more than 6,000 reviews. Lauren H. writes, “It surprisingly doesn’t dry my face out, and my skin responds well to it” and Kenya states, “Where do I begin?! This toner not only contains my acne and adult hormonal pimples but it penetrates to give a refreshing feeling to the skin.” Customers who didn’t like it said it was too drying or did nothing for them. “Worst. Bottle is almost never used. My face was on fire after a few times I tried to use this toner. Unfortunately doesn’t work,” wrote Valerie T.
The Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalizing Facial Oil has nearly 3,000 Influenster reviews, giving it a 4.2 rating. Fans found it to be hydrating without feeling greasy. “I love this one. This is the best face oil/ product ever I put on my face. It is intensely moisturizing and gives that super smooth and clean look,” wrote Charitha P. Some customers who gave it a low rating said it made their face burn or sting, or they just didn’t like how it felt. “It stung my face and I felt as though it did nothing for me. I used this two days ago now and my face still hurts to touch and while applying makeup – not happy,” wrote Ella R.
A Body Shop best-seller on Amazon is the Ginger Scalp Care Shampoo, which gets a 4.4 out of 5 star rating from around 400 reviews. Customers say it helped their dry, itchy scalp as well as dandruff. “This is the only shampoo that calms my dry, itchy scalp” and “It seems to help control oil in my scalp, I’ve seen minimal flaking, and it’s the first thing that I’ve used in a while that seems to completely curb itch.” Those that gave it low ratings say that it stopped working after a while or reacted badly with their color; “This shampoo smells amazing but strips my hair color markedly.”
The Olive Body Butter is also highly rated on Amazon with 4.2 stars from more than 900 reviews. Fans called it “My favorite body butter cream! “ while others didn’t like the smell.
What Are Some Alternatives to The Body Shop?
There’s no need to compromise when it comes to finding skincare that’s effective and safe.
If you’re looking for effective skincare products that skip harmful toxins, one brand we recommend is Carrot & Stick.
Carrot & Stick is committed to creating plant-derived formulas that deliver extraordinary results without relying on toxic chemicals or standard preservatives.
Carrot & Stick takes a tough love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the gentle nurturing of plants with innovative science.
Gracy Babu Jacob Original review: Feb 11, 2024.
I have been using Bodyshop beauty Products since 2013. At present I have noticed dark spots on my body and face. Oils of life also I used. Many bottles bought and used. Any remedy?
When my lip became black by using other products I used body shop product it came cured.