From age-old B-Corp The Body Shop to new additions Elemis and UpCircle, the B-Corp Beauty Coalition has doubled in its first 12 months
B-Beauty first launched on January 10th 2022, with the support of 26 leading beauty brands including Davines Group, Dr. Bronner’s, Aromatherapy Associates, and Rituals Cosmetics. The working group set out with the simple, yet mean feat, of working together to improve the sustainability standards of the beauty industry.
The beauty coalition follows the missions intrinsic to the original B-Corp manifestio, all of the certified brands:
- Transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.
- Lead economic systems change that will realise our vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
- Create standards, policies, tools, and programmes that shift the behaviour, culture, and structure of capitalism.
- Build a movement of people using business as a force for good.
- Won’t stop until all business is a force for good.
- Change the rules of the game so that all businesses have to balance profit and purpose.
A year on from the formation of the B-Corp Beauty Coalition, there are now 59 certified members, along with an organisational structure including Supervisory Board, Steering Committee, and multiple internal task forces to reflect this broad membership. Just two weeks after the anniversary, global British brand Elemis announced that it had earned the accolade.
Oriele Frank, Sustainable Beauty Coalition steering committee member and Co-Founder at the brand said: ‘We wholeheartedly believe that this certification is just the beginning for a B Corp business – we will use this as our baseline – if we do not measure, we cannot improve. We, as part of L’Occitane Group, are on a journey with the ambition to become the most sustainable premium British skincare brand and we plan to accomplish more action-based commitments in 2023 making continuous improvements to our positive impact mission, in fact, the only impact we intend to make is positive.’
Elemis joins numerous other Patrons of the British Beauty Council that are members of the B-Corp Beauty Coalition, below are just a few:
Weleda
Earning its B-Corp certification in November 2021, Weleda was one of the founding brands of the specified beauty coalition. The brand scored a whopping 106.8 points for its contribution to ecological and social sustainability measures – that’s 26 marks above the limit for certification.
Upon receiving its stamp, Managing Director Jayn Sterland, current Chair of the Sustainable Beauty Coalition, commented: ‘Working sustainably, in harmony with nature, comes naturally to Weleda because it has been our purpose since 1921, but that does not mean it comes easily! It takes determination, commitment, and investment – and an increasing need to substantiate and verify our progress, which is why I am so pleased we are now B Corp certified. Consumers are understandably wary of sustainability claims, with so much ‘greenwashing’ in our industry, but together with fellow members of the Sustainable Beauty Coalition we are working hard to help consumers make greener, more confident planet-positive choices.’
Orean
B-lab certified the private label cosmetics manufacturer in January 2023, scoring the supplier 81.1, just above the lower band for the certification. However, this is 30 points above the average brand which is currently being assessed for B-Corp. The company had to answer more than 300 questions on governance, workers, communities, and impact on the environment in order to be considered, and the team will continue to work hard to ensure they maintain the status.
Dan Williams, Managing Director at Orean, said: ‘The team at Orean has worked tirelessly to achieve this and we’re now pleased to announce that we are officially B Corp certified. B Corp is a natural fit for us at Orean and so many of the brands that we work with and support. It’s aligned with our mission, our values, and the foundations we have set.’
By Sarah London
The indie skincare brand was certified after its first attempt at fulfilling the criteria. From its recyclable glass bottles and minimal packaging to a commitment to exceptional customer service, the team have been dedicated to making its entire supply chain planet-friendly since day one. On the announcement, the founders said: ‘To have the B-Corp seal of approval validates everything we’ve been saying for many years – and gives you the extra confidence in our commitment to making the world a better place.’
