Our story started in 1976. It began with our founder, Anita Roddick, opening a little green shop in Brighton with a belief in something revolutionary: that business could be a force for good. We’ve never been your average cosmetics company, with over 40 years of campaigning, change-making and smashing beauty industry standards – and we’re still going strong. Welcome to The Body Shop.
The Body Shop exists to fight for a fairer, more beautiful world. This is our purpose, and it drives everything we do. Our beliefs are everything to us: that business is a force for good, the empowerment of women and girls and the belief that everyone is beautiful. Read our brand manifesto and discover how our purpose and beliefs are truly at the heart of everything we do.
When The Body Shop first opened its doors in 1976, it was a little green-painted shop in the streets of Brighton, England. Its approach to beauty was radically different to the big players in the beauty industry. It was simple – ethically sourced and naturally-based ingredients from around the world, in no-nonsense packaging you could easily refill.
When The Body Shop first started, the beauty industry had pretty set ideas on what girls and women should look like. But Anita had her own ideas, too. She believed that beauty was a person’s source of joy, comfort and self-esteem.
“Beauty is an outward expression of everything you like about yourself.”