The beauty industry now has its first B Corp Beauty Coalition aimed at improving ethical and sustainability standards across the category.
The world’s first B Corp Beauty Coalition was formed by more than two dozen brands across eight countries and three continents is eager to change the beauty industry. Founding members include The Body Shop, Davines Group, Dr. Bronner’s, Aromatherapy Associates, and Rituals Cosmetics, which just earned its B Corp status this month.
“As Certified B Corporations meeting the highest standards of social and environmental impact, we have become increasingly uncomfortable with the social and environmental footprint of the beauty industry and concluded our respective solo efforts to enable positive change can be enhanced through a partnership of mutual commitment,” Davide Bollati, President of Davines and founding member of the B Corp Beauty Coalition, said in a statement.
“So, we have decided to form a coalition to leverage our combined strengths and deliver tangible benefits to beauty customers, communities, and the planet we share.”
A collaborative beauty industry
The group says it will work to foster collaboration between companies to help identify and share best practices, improve actions and make outcomes public, as well it will work to support beauty customers seeking to support brands doing better and influence those lagging behind.
“Specifically, we commit to invest our time and efforts to improve four key issues that affect everyone and everything: ingredient sourcing and sustainability; greener logistics; packaging responsibility; consistent and clear external messaging that customers can understand and trust. Work has already started, and we will be welcoming more certified B Corps to add their talent and contribution as we gather momentum.” said Shaun Russell, founder of
Skandinavisk.
The news comes on the heels of Rituals Cosmetics earning B Corp status.
“I’m beyond proud to have earned the B Corp Certification as a brand that truly fosters a sustainable future,” Raymond Cloosterman, Owner & Founder of Rituals, said in a statement.
“At Rituals we strive to keep doing more and going further for people and planet, so we are truly honoured to join a global movement of responsible organisations that want to accelerate progress on the shared challenges we face,” he said.
B Corp certification
B Corp status is no small task. Currently, only about 4,000 companies have earned B Corp certification out of the more than 100,000 applicants. The criteria are vetted by the nonprofit B Lab. Brands must satisfy efforts on both social and economical sides of their business.
French luxury label Chloé made headlines last year when it became the first luxury brand to earn B Corp status. Likewise, French resale platform the Vestiaire Collective also earned its B Corp status last year. In the U.S., Khloé Kardashian’s Good American announced its B Corp status last fall.
B Lab applauded the formation of the new coalition.
“With the business sector uniquely culpable for much of the negative impacts of climate change and the systemic inequities we face today, this kind of pre-competitive industry-wide collaboration is needed now more than ever,” Kim Coupounas, global ambassador for B Lab, said in a statement. “The work of the Coalition is going to greatly accelerate the beauty and personal care industry’s—and our economy’s—shift to a just, regenerative, zero carbon future.”
Katie Hill, Executive Director at B Lab Europe, added: “The B Corp Beauty Coalition brings together B Corps from all across the globe in the beauty and cosmetics industries to tackle common challenges, such as responsible packaging and green supply chains.
“B Lab Europe sees this proactive leadership of the individuals in B Corps as paving the way for many others in different industries to follow suit. The B Corp movement is built on the premise that changing the way business operates to benefit people and planet is achievable when working together.”
According to the B Corp Beauty Coalition, the group envisions a “new approach” to beauty that “prioritizes soil as much as skin, nature as much as natural, evidence as much as ego, and impact as much as performance.”
The coalition says it’s committed to working together to share knowledge and best practices, and to “spark exploration and responsible innovation, and to speak consistently and clearly, to deliver genuine benefits to our customers, our communities, and our planet.”
The coalition membership currently includes:
- Skandinavisk
- Davines Group
- The Body Shop
- Prose
- Natural Is Better
- Cha Tzu Tang
- Dr. Bronner’s
- Rudolph Care
- Expanscience Laboratoires
- Greenvines
- Arbonne
- Rituals
- Herbatint
- Beauty Kitchen
- Made for Life Organics
- Badger
- Green Circle Salons
- MaCher
- Oneka
- Dermo Phisiologique
- Aromatherapy Associates London
- Koa + Roy
- Melanin Essentials
- Juliart
- Aromase
- Lafe’s
