We can’t ignore that sustainability, responsible formulas and low impact materials are becoming part and parcel of our beauty shopping list. It’s almost inconceivable that this wasn’t always the way, but the possibilities to create products from head to foot in ways that benefit others without harming our environment are only just beginning.
Of course, The Body Shop is at the forefront of ethical retailing and always has been. Anita Roddick saw the future well before anyone else – vehemently against animal testing from the very start and a pioneer of the fair trade concept. You can spread good intentions far and wide with the right attitude and resolve.
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So, the relaunch of The Body Shop’s iconic body butters is a celebration of the brand’s roots, a signal to self-love, and their on-going commitment to lead the way for ethically engaged consumers. Body Butters are a continual best seller for a reason – they’re a mark of quality and performance without compromise. There are 13 Body Butters in all with each one containing at least 95% natural origin ingredients such as Community Fair Trade shea butter, which I’m sure you all know, but other Community Fair Trade ingredients include moringa, mango, almond milk, coconut and olive oil. When ingredients are Community Fair Trade, it means that workers will be paid a fair wage for the work that they do and allows producers access to global markets so they can invest in projects that benefit their community.
Self-esteem is the most elusive characteristic – it can disappear without warning and appear at the most surprising times. The past year has been hard on everyone – it’s difficult to prioritise paying attention to yourself when it feels as though the world is on its side. But, the time you spend with and on yourself is so important to reconnect with your skin, your body and your shape. I am mildly berating myself for the predictable lock-down stone – but feel a whole lot happier when my skin is clean, soft and smooth. I feel more buoyed for making the effort – there’s something utterly lovely about soft skinned arms regardless of shape or form. We are all different shapes and sizes – there’s no one ‘ideal’ for anyone – but we can waste a lot of time thinking there is. Learning to love what you have and who you are is a work in progress all of our lives I think – if it takes a slather with beautifully more-ish body butter to help you reconnect with your contours and pay them respect, all to the good. This is how beauty, when it’s at its best, can be more than the sum of its parts. When it’s there to make you feel nourished and soft, to help you enjoy the touch sensation and speak to your olfactory senses, there is so much value in those moments of self-love.
Self-love is never about being conventionally ‘beautiful’ – it’s about respecting yourself with hairy armpits, bumpy skin, flaky legs, whiskery toes… all that stuff that, according to convention, we’re not supposed to have. Sometimes there is just absolute glory in acceptance – the perfect time then, to relish your skin and body without the need to improve or perfect – even for just a little while. Beauty is many things, something Anita proved time and time again.
So, in terms of facts, The Body Shop Body Butter sells at the rate of one every three seconds globally. They’re certified by The Vegan Society, and the tub is made from 100% recycled plastic (benefitting Indian waste-pickers and their families). The lid is recyclable so once you are done, the whole thing can be popped into your recycling bin. In the UK, The Body Shop is donating 10p for every Body Butter purchase (between 12th April and 30th September) to help finance a new health fund for End Youth Homelessness, addressing mental health and its surrounding issues. The Body Shop is aiming to fund the entire first year of the initiative.
You can find them HERE for £18 each.
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