The information in this review was sourced in late 2019.
When it comes to The Body Shop there are a lot of positives about this company, they are cruelty-free and a force for change. Over their 43 years in business they have helped change animal testing laws in the UK & Europe, and more recently started a campaign to end animal testing worldwide forever, which received over 8 million signatures and was presented to the U.N. in hopes of creating a world without animal testing on cosmetics. They have been advocating along with Cruelty-free International since 1989.
The Body Shop isn’t without its controversies though, like being purchased by L’Oreal in 2006, the discovery of their products being sold in China in 2014 and their MLM program, among other things. In 2017 they were purchased from L’Oreal by a Brazilian cosmetics company called Natura & Co Group (Natura Cosmetics) and after Natura’s acquisition of The Body Shop, they were pulled out of China for good, regaining their Cruelty-free status again.
Natura is a cruelty-free company that promotes its self as being a company that wants to create change through transparency, sustainability and wellbeing. They work with local communities in the Amazon region to help them develop sustainability models & were the first public trading company to become B-Corp certified. Which aligns itself with The Body Shops original values; In 2019 The Body Shop also became B-Corp certified which is great. (B-Corp certifies businesses that ethically consider their impact on their workers, customers, community and environment. Businesses that want to help build a global movement that uses business as a force for good – find out more about B-Corp here.
Recently The Body Shop has made moves to start changing their packaging from virgin plastic to 75% recycled plastic by 2022, with the help of their community trade partnerships with Plastics For Change, who work with local non-government organizations Hasiru Dala and Hasiru Dala Innovations that provide waste pickers from Bengaluru , India with stable Income and new opportunities. And their new in-store Recycling Program. Find out more via The Body Shop website.
I’ve been a big fan of The Body Shop for a long time and more recently I’ve been trying out a few of their skincare products like the ’Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing’ & ‘Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing’ Face Masks, both of which I’ll be reviewing in this post.
The Body Shop ’Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing’ Mask 75ml $35
The Matcha Tea Mask is enriched with Japanese Matcha green tea, Dandelion extract and Fair trade Aloe Vera from Mexico. It contains 100% vegan ingredients and claims to purify, gently exfoliate and remove pollutants & impurities.
Unlike other masks I’ve used previously this one only needs to be worn for 10 minutes though I often leave it on for longer. I found this mask quite enjoyable and relaxing to use, the green tea scent from the Matcha is both delicious and soothing. I found it was purifying and it gave my skin a nice detox from everyday pollutants while the exfoliating particles gave my skin a gentle exfoliation when I removed the mask.
It might sound Boujee but I love doing some full on relaxation when I do a face mask like this, I pop on some meditation music and sit in a chair and just relax. The green tea in this mask is quite soothing and defiantly helps with creating a calming mood.
This mask is 75ml for $35 so it’s up there in price compared to say one from Sukin Naturals in which you get about 100ml for $16.99 but it’s defiantly worth it. The Body Shop masks also come in a glass jar with the only plastic being in the lid, meaning that you are paying for both better ingredients and packaging.
Washing off this mask is fairly easy, the packaging encourages you to wash it off with water while massaging in to your skin to help give your face a gentle exfoliation.
The Body Shop ‘Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing’ Mask 75ml $35
The ‘Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing’ mask combines Community Trade honey from Ethiopia as well as Community Trade marula oil from Nambia and organic (Community Trade ) olive oil for Italy to create a delectable and indulgent face mask experience. Inspired by Africa healing and soothing rituals, this mask brings the sense of absolute luxury to your at home pampering experience. This mask is not vegan like the Matcha Tea Mask because it contains honey, so If you prefer vegan products this one is probably not for you however there are plently of nourishing face masks on the market that are, I’m sure.
While I have oily/combo skin as I’m getting older I find myself preferring more nourishing and hydrating skincare products. Having never tried this mask before purchasing I didn’t know what to expect, so I was surprised when I first opened the packaging that it literally looks like a jar of honey. The first experience felt strange because I literally felt like I was putting honey on my face.
This mask does give that essence of luxury, I felt very boujee everytime I put it on my face. It defiantly lives up to its claims, it’s very nourishing and helps give my skin added hydration. A little goes along way, it very much has that honey texture so it can drip everywhere if you put too much on. I suggest wearing a headband or putting your hair up to keep it off of your face because this is a bit sticky and like a lot of other hydrating masks this doesn’t dry down so keep that in mind.
Like the Matcha Tea mask this also only need to be worn for 10 minutes but like that one I often leave it for longer.
Removal takes a bit longer than other masks I have used before, I find that using a cloth to remove this one is the quickest way, otherwise you may be standing at your sink for a while. Once you remove the mask it leaves your skin feeling plump, soft and hydrated.
This mask is also 75ml for $35 but it will defiantly last you a while because you only need a small amount. Again the packaging is a glass jar with a plastic lid.
While these masks are a bit more expensive they were very joyful to use and inspire me to try more from The Body Shops face mask and extended skincare ranges. I will continue to support The Body Shop because I like their message and it’s nice to see a brand advocating for change in so many ways. I’m defiantly looking forward to watching what further changes this brand makes in the future.
Information sources:
The Body Shop Official Website https://www.thebodyshop.com/ (information about products, recycling programs.)
Natura & Co – naturaeco.com (information on Natura & Co/ Natura Cosmtetics)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Body_Shop (not the best resource I know. Information on The Body Shops History)
https://www.freethebunnies.com/is-the-body-shop-cruelty-free/ (information on their current Cruelty-Free Status and current parent company Natura & Co.)
https://www.choice.com.au/health-and-body/beauty-and-personal-care/skin-care-and-cosmetics/articles/body-shop-sells-out-on-animal-testing (information on controversy about The Body Shop)
Disclaimer – This post is not sponsored and doesn’t contain any affiliate links, links included are for reference only in case your interest in purchasing the reviewed product. Read full Disclaimer here.
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