How did you spend your Saturdays in the 90s? If you’re anything like the GH beauty team, you’d hop on a bus to your local high street and, after a quick sweep of the Woolworths pick and mix counter, be enveloped in a cloud of White Musk and Dewberry body mist at The Body Shop. That evening’s bath would be made all the sweeter (not to mention more slippery) by way of a cocktail of colourful bath pearls, followed by a liberal application of cocoa body butter, beloved by GH Beauty Director Eve Cameron, and finished with a spritz of Fuzzy Peach EDP (GH beauty editor Lynne’s teenage signature scent). If the festive season beckoned, you might even push the boat out and purchase a wicker hamper of animal shaped soaps and fruity shower gels, or perhaps you’d treat your mum to a few select items from the more subtly packaged vitamin E skincare range.
There’s no denying that in its heyday during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, The Body Shop was not only booming but changing the beauty landscape, which makes this week’s news that its UK business has entered into administration even more sad. The original green brand in more ways than one, The Body Shop was the first beauty company to take a strong stance against animal testing, endorse fairtrade, establish recycling schemes and celebrate natural beauty both in terms of formulations and aesthetics. Everyone could enjoy The Body Shop’s wares and founder Dame Anita Roddick was a true maverick, drawing attention to issues previously swept under the rug and making shoppers feel positive, empowered and informed. She galvanized young people in particular, hence our collective nostalgia, and the sustainable brands of today arguably stand on The Body Shop’s shoulders.
Roddick parted ways with The Body Shop when she sold it to L’Oréal in 2006, the year before she died, and after later sales to other conglomerates, the brand’s impact and fortunes unfortunately suffered a steep decline. While The Body Shop without doubt needs to modernise and innovate to survive, there remains some true beauty gems on its shelves, with a few products reaching coveted ‘trending on TikTok’ status. Given that its original sustainable aims are more pertinent than ever, we hope that the great Body Shop revival is yet to come. For now, seek some our favourites out.
Fresh and wistful all at once, White Musk endures, but this eau de parfum format makes it both longer lasting and altogether more grown-up. Jasmine, musk and lily of valley make for a sensual floral scent that’s warm, evocative and instantly recognisable.
This classic moisturiser was one the first products launched by Roddick in the 70s and was recently doubled in size from 50ml to 100ml, giving you more hyaluronic acid induced bounce for your buck. Antioxidant vitamin E hydrates skin and helps to combat free-radical damage and the lightweight cream absorbs in a flash.
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Gardening fan? Chances are you’ve dabbled in this hardworking hand cream at least once over the years. Renowned in both beauty and horticultural circles for its reparative powers, the hemp seed oil rich lotion replenishes lost lipids and helps to heal and prevent chapping.
Praised on TikTok and revered on Reddit threads, this refreshingly tingly shampoo gently exfoliates the scalp to sweep away dead skin cells and product build-up, leaving hair feeling light and fresh. Ethiopian honey and vitamin B5 give lengths gorgeous shine too.
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Gentle, affordable and enriched with soothing camomile oil and unctuous fairtrade shea butter, add this to your basket for a thorough PM cleanse that whisks away waterproof eye makeup, sunscreen, makeup and general gunk.
A seriously underrated silky-limb maker that’s loaded with fairtrade almond milk and shea butter yet feels light as a feather. The gel-cream texture is soothing and cooling; apply it to slightly damp skin for maximum moisture payoff.
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GH Beauty Editor Anna Lao-Kaim was a previous devotee of The Body Shop Honey Bronze, and while that deliciously scented matte bronzer appears to have vanished, this fairtrade and organic coconut oil-based complexion warmer is just as enlivening. The three shades create a convincing sunkissed glow and the sturdy tin prevents it from turning to dust in your makeup bag.