Honestly I’ve been so preoccupied with BGLH this year that I didn’t hear the news that, back in March, The Body Shop declared bankruptcy and has since wound down operations in several countries.
Over the years, one thing I’ve heard on repeat is that customers switched over to BGLH from The Body Shop. Like this review from Antonio on our Cocoa Shea Blended Butter;
“For years I had been using coco butter body butter by The Body Shop, which I loved until they changed the formula. So I have been looking for something since then. A friend who lives in NY recommended this. As I put some on my arm…JACKPOT! My skin never felt this smooth, I couldn’t believe it. Not to mention the sheen it left. I immediately placed my order. I had a coworker feel my arm, she said it felt ‘as smooth as a baby’s bottom.’”
Based on reviews like this I always assumed The Body Shop was fairly mediocre in quality. But I had no idea how bad it was until I watched this mini documentary on YouTube.
It’s a good watch if you have the time. If not, the summary is that The Body Shop constantly lied to customers, from its founding almost up to the very end. Lied about the inspiration behind the brand, lied about its use of natural ingredients, lied about its ingredient sourcing, lied about animal testing, lied about its corporate giving. And, on top of the lies, often turned out to be less effective than competing brands. 😬😬😬
In an age where everyone assumes that ‘the big corporate guy always wins’, it’s a reminder that a lack of integrity absolutely can topple a corporate giant.
As a brand we’ve tried hard to be transparent – about our ingredients, about our pricing, about our sourcing and about what our products can and cannot do. And we’ve done that because we believe it’s what our customers, and potential customers deserve.
As The Body Shop’s era ends our hope is that the emerging era of bodycare is one of transparency, effectiveness and clean ingredients. Because that’s what we’re all about.
🌿
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