The noted R&D thinktank of The Body Shop has lately turned into an intensive care unit for vegetables, and they’re rescuing the not-so-pretty picks of fresh produce — carrots, bananas, ginger and so on that might be deemed unworthy for supermarket alleys, but serve just as well as in the form of ingredients.
The idea extends to a new line of anti-pollution products, which keeps up the ‘100 per cent Vegetarian and Cruelty Free’ tag of the British cosmetics, skin care and perfume company, while making strides towards going completely vegan.
Antara Kundu, Head of Marketing, The Body Shop — Asia South, explains that they are consciously breaking new ground when it comes to designing new product lines, and creating premium segments for the market.
“We believe every ingredient is beautiful, irrespective of its shape,” offers Kundu. “To help reduce food waste, we are sourcing organic carrots that are rejected by the food or supermarket industry due to their shapes.” The Carrot Skincare range reveals your skin’s natural healthy glow, while fortifying it against pollution and the other ill-effects of city living, she explains. “100 per cent vegan, with over 90 per cent ingredients of natural origin and in 100 per cent recyclable packaging,” this is one of their most sustainable ranges ever. “The organic carrots are extremely high in beta-carotene in addition to vitamin A, skin nutrients and antioxidants.
The Carrot range consists of a simple two-step regimen of cleansing and moisturising that helps your skin recover and stay protected against urban pollution. To create a daily anti-pollution skincare routine, we recommend the use of an easy-to-use SPF product like our SPF30 Skin Defence Face Mist, with the addition of some of our Vitamin C products, on a nightly or weekly basis.”
And, exactly what does it mean to go from ‘100 per cent Vegetarian and Cruelty Free’ to being completely vegan as well. “Simply put, while vegetarian products are free of any animal-derived ingredients obtained as a result of animal slaughter, vegan products are free of all animal-derived ingredients. So, a product containing honey is vegetarian but not vegan.
Ingredients like honey and beeswax are often used in beauty products for their skin benefits,” says Kundu. “In our case, they also come from our Community Trade partners: our honey is from Ethiopia and beeswax is from Cameroon. Both are organic, wild-harvested and from sustainably managed sources,” she adds.
“The push towards veganism is happening globally, and we have seen consumers becoming more conscious of animal-derived ingredients. Demand is on the rise, especially when it comes to finding quality vegan make-up and skincare brands.”
The Body Shop is thus looking to dial up the number of vegan products in their portfolio and all of their new launches are 100 per cent vegan. “We will continue to invest in vegan product development with an eye on the future, as we see it as an investment for consumers,” assures Kundu.Meanwhile, the new range celebrates all manner of ingredients.