The Body Shop
Posted by Lenorre on Jan 25, 2007 · Member since Sep 2005 · 77 posts
Hey everyone,
So I'm in the process of changing both my makeup and household things/cleaners into non-animal and earth friendly stuffs. Today, I'm hoping to pick up some new mascara before work. I work in the Eaton Centre in TOronto so I was just thinking I would pop by The Body Shop. I know they're all for no animal testing...but I was wondering, does anyone know if they use animal IN their products? I would assume not but I'm learning day by day never to assume anything about anything. I did check out their site but am having trouble finding out if they use animal in their products. Does anyone know or can anyone direct me somewhere that might be able to help me?
Thanks for your time.
Warmth,
Lenorre
I don't know about body shop but do be careful lots of companies that are very proud to claim that they don't test on animals still use them in their products.
The Body Shop does use animal products. I was similarly enraptured by the whole, fair-trade, no animal testing, etc., and was quite surprised. Some of the lotion does list lanolin and I think one other kind of animal-derived substance. :(
aaawww man, shitty deal. but thanks for the posts guys.
no bad luck i got the best shampoo at bath and body works i check no anmial products in there cucumber melon shampoo
I made the mistake of buying from bath and body works previously.
You can strongly assume that they test on animals for 2 reasons:
1) They are not listed in PETA's list of "non-animal testers" found here http://www.caringconsumer.com/
2) They specifically say on each item: "Finished product not tested on Animals".
In legalese, this means that every step up until the finished product, can include testing on animals. As long as the finished product is not, ie. after they know it's safe, they can safely and legally print "Finished product not tested on Animals". Thus lulling consumers into buying what they believe is an animal-friendly product.
I was severely disappointed by that since the closest Body Works was over an hour away at that time. :(
In the Eaton Centre, the Aveda store will have some vegan makeup, as will Sephora (a lot of the Urban Decay stuff is vegan- marked with a pawprint).. i think there is a Sephora there, right? Neither of them have a vegan mascara, as far as i know, though- there aren't a huge number of brands that make vegan mascaras around.
But.... i do know where you can get one, in Toronto- though its not in the Eaton Centre. Take a trip across town, and go to The Big Carrot, when you next get a chance: http://www.thebigcarrot.ca/ I don't know if you're familiar with the store, but its very cool- like a giant hippy grocery store, lol. they'll have vegan mascaras there- they probably have the Ecco Bella brand one, and perhaps a Beauty Without Cruelty one, perhaps a few more too.
Body shop sold out to LOreal.
Body shop sold out to LOreal.
That may explain it. TBS arrived in Spain in about 1990. At first it was a fun place with lots of selection, but over the last few years their range has gotten smaller and smaller (at least here)--no more "perfume your own" massage oils, no more essential oils, etc. And the staff that was once helpful and friendly and eager to talk about their products has gotten frankly snotty. The last time I went in and bought some cocoa butter handcreme (and that was several years ago), it looked like they were selling off what was left to close up shop...no signs to that effect, but a definite sense of shopworn abandonment. And the female on duty couldn't have cared less if I had spent my money there or not. I have since passed by other branches and they are in very small mini-shops in malls etc. and the selection isn't much.
I have to say TBS lost cred here about 5 yrs back when the founder gave an interview to the BBC in which she actually said that she got interested in using natural ingredients because they were "very cheap" and gave a nice fat profit margin! No talk of ethics, fair trade, or kindness to animals. She didn't quite say it in so many words, but the gist was definitely she was out to make all the money she could while selling a "green" image.
I got into the habit of going to the body shop here just cause I could read the labels and I knew that product. I think the company started out with good intentions but as it grew I think the good intentions slipped down the list being replaced by the mighty dollar. Well that's my theory anyway. I used to use their foundation but gave up after having to replace it so often. If the company was so "earth friendly" then why do they use so much packaging?
I wrote to them twice recently. Firstly I asked them why they didn't have the free trade logo on their products they say are helping the communities from where they are from. The reply was that they have their own system which I interpreted as they didn't meet the standards of the fair trade association. But again that's just my theory.
So then I wrote to them again asking them about the label "against animal testing" as I'm sure I remember years ago the label used to say "Not tested on animals" and was told that they changed it cause now they would buy from suppliers that tested on animals but they just preferred not to. So I asked them about that and the fact that they were now owned buy L'oreal and I have yet to hear back from them. This was weeks ago and the first reply came within days. So I have decided to boycott the company and tell anyone who will listen to do the same.
There is a new post about on here about vegan beauty products that you might want to check out
They used to have a collection box where you could recycle their bottles etc and they would give you a few cents off your next purchase, but that disappeared too...sad.
Hi Everyone, I'm a new girl to this - however I came across this thread and felt that I must write and add my 'twopennysworth' !! If you are interested in buying cruelty free cosmetics and toiletries you should visit www.naturewatch.org They produce a fantastic booklet called the 'Compassionate Shopping Guide' . It's an 80pp booklet that highlights those companies that adhere to cruelty free policies, as well as highlighting those companies that don't. There's lots of additional information in the guide as well, for example letter writing to companies to express your concerns about their products, as well as information on where to buy products. At £2.50 - which includes P & P, it's probably the best £2.50 you'll spend and will prove invaluable.
With regard to the Body Shop, they were bought out by L'Oreal in March of 2006, so, whilst they still boast that they have not changed their policies, the fact remains that any money you spend in their shops, will ultimately end up in L'Oreal's coffers, and could therefore end up financing ingredients that necessitate animal testing. L'Oreal will try to tell you that they do not conduct animal testing on their products, however, with the hundred's of 'innovative new ingredients' that they patent each year, they can't say this. Under EU legislation ALL NEW INGREDIENTS must be tested for safety, and as there are currently only 4 out of 12 of the required tests that have animal alternatives, animal testing of these ingredients will be going on!
With this in mind, I urge you all to use the power of your pound and BOYCOTT THE BODY SHOP AND L'OREAL - because the animals are worth it! :)
You can also checkout some health food store cosmetic sections. I have products that are labelled cruelty-free from health food stores, and many of these products are vegan.
The founder died, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20718339/?GT1=10357 and an excerpt says:
The Body Shop opposed animal testing and tried to encourage Third World development by purchasing materials from small communities in poorer countries. It founded a human rights award and invested in a wind farm in Wales as part of its campaign to promote renewable energy.
“Before Body Shop you could only find cruelty-free products in hippie shops — now they are everywhere,” said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals vice president Dan Mathews, who worked with Roddick on campaigns in the 1980s, when Body Shop became a global brand.
At least she did some good in her lifetime. :-)
no bad luck i got the best shampoo at bath and body works i check no anmial products in there cucumber melon shampoo
Be careful. Bath and Body works tests on animals, but on the packaging it says "Final product not tested on animals."
Hi Everyone, I'm a new girl to this - however I came across this thread and felt that I must write and add my 'twopennysworth' !! If you are interested in buying cruelty free cosmetics and toiletries you should visit www.naturewatch.org They produce a fantastic booklet called the 'Compassionate Shopping Guide' . It's an 80pp booklet that highlights those companies that adhere to cruelty free policies, as well as highlighting those companies that don't. There's lots of additional information in the guide as well, for example letter writing to companies to express your concerns about their products, as well as information on where to buy products. At £2.50 - which includes P & P, it's probably the best £2.50 you'll spend and will prove invaluable.
With regard to the Body Shop, they were bought out by L'Oreal in March of 2006, so, whilst they still boast that they have not changed their policies, the fact remains that any money you spend in their shops, will ultimately end up in L'Oreal's coffers, and could therefore end up financing ingredients that necessitate animal testing. L'Oreal will try to tell you that they do not conduct animal testing on their products, however, with the hundred's of 'innovative new ingredients' that they patent each year, they can't say this. Under EU legislation ALL NEW INGREDIENTS must be tested for safety, and as there are currently only 4 out of 12 of the required tests that have animal alternatives, animal testing of these ingredients will be going on!
With this in mind, I urge you all to use the power of your pound and BOYCOTT THE BODY SHOP AND L'OREAL - because the animals are worth it! :)
Thank you for letting me know.
I didn't know about the The Body Shop and L'oreal marriage and am very disappointed in The Body Shop for selling out and partnering with a corporate company that still tests on animals. Unbelievable since most beauty product comnpanies don't support the unnecessary cruelty and death of animals. I understand Lancome products are also owned by the same folks who put out L'oreal.