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Early History
The roots of this industry could be traced back to 1909, when Eugene Schueller2 set up the French
Harmless Hair Coloring Co. which went on to become the industry leader L’Oréal3 in the twentyfirst
century. In 1911, Paul Beiersdorf4 created the first cream to bind water and oil in Hamburg,
Germany. This was the beginning of the brand Nivea, another best-selling global personal care
brand...
Trends in the Twenty-first Century
By 2003, the beauty industry was a $160 billion global industry that, included products such as
make-up, skin and hair care, fragrances, cosmetic surgery, health clubs and diet pills. In 2003,
the annual growth rate of the global beauty industry (skin care $24 billion, make-up $18 billion,
$38 billion hair-care and $15 billion perfumes) was estimated to be about 7%...
The Body Shop: The Ethical Cosmetics Retailer
In 2004, the Body Shop International PLC was a retailer of ethical cosmetics. It had a
global presence with about 2000 outlets spread across 50 countries. The company was a pioneer
in the natural personal care market and employed about 5900 people across the world. The Body
Shop introduced natural beauty products such as jojoba oil21, aloe vera22, rhassoul mud23 and
cocoa butter24, which were hitherto unheard of in the cosmetic world. Customers found the
natural ingredients good for the skin, liked its new aromas and textures, and also appreciated the
green, honest and relaxed environment in the shops...
The Body Shop Greenwash?
In 1994, Body Shop received a big blow to its ‘green’ image and its claims of being a socially
responsible business. Anita was accused of stealing the concept from stores in the US, not
treating the US franchisees fairly and for false claims regarding the nature of her products...
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