The popular skincare brand Body Shop was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick in Brighton, England. It is recognised for its ethical stance in the beauty industry as well as for its distinctive logo. The range of products produced by the company includes perfumes, body care, and cosmetics. Over nearly five decades, the logo and its various iterations of The Body Shop have symbolised the brand’s commitment to natural beauty, sustainability, and social activism. The article describes the various logo changes, among other details of the company.
The Genesis of The Body Shop Logo (1980s – 1990s)
The original Body Shop logo was introduced at the inception of the brand. It featured a combination mark – a unique circular design paired with a prominent wordmark. The logo’s colour palette was chosen to be white and green to reflect the company’s dedication to purity, nature, and sustainability. The green, in particular, has always symbolised the brand’s eco-friendly ethos.
The logo displayed the brand name on two levels, with “The” centred above “Body Shop” in a bold, three-dimensional serif font with glyphs. Between the words “Body” and “Shop” was placed the brand’s iconic emblem. It showed a simplified laurel wreath in yellow. This circular emblem evoked ideas of community, compassion, and inclusion—values that were central to the mission of Body Shop. The emblem and the wordmark were placed against a green rectangular background for better visual effect.
(1990s – 2004)
In the 1990s, The Body Shop updated its logo to align with the minimalist trends of the era. The design became more streamlined, and the brand name was now split across three lines. In every line, the brand name showed a consistent serif typeface, while the emblem adopted a deep forest green colour. In fact, the brand name, across three levels, appeared between the ends of the feathers. This reinforced the brand’s association with natural products and ethical sourcing.
(2004 – 2017)
By the early 2000s, The Body Shop sought to modernise its visual identity. The circular emblem was refined, wherein the three feathered elements at the top gave way to two. The wordmark moved to the centre of the roundel and was rendered in a sleek, sans-serif font for greater legibility. The green became even deeper, which added a sense of sophistication and modernity.
(2017 – 2020)
In 2017, The Body Shop logo underwent only minor changes. The green shade was softened slightly, and the traditional sans-serif typeface was subtly elongated and narrowed. These tweaks maintained the logo’s recognisability while giving it a fresher and more contemporary feel.
(2020 – Present)
The most recent logo update for The Body Shop came in 2020. Here, the logo was reimagined to blend elements from both its original and more recent iterations. The roundel became more elegant and feminine. It shows thinner lines and the return of the three feathered components. However, these are now separated at the bottom for a lighter and more open look. The wordmark is moved outside the roundel and placed beneath in all capital letters using a clean, sans-serif font. This design emphasised clarity, inclusiveness, and modernity while retaining the brand’s heritage.
The Elements of The Body Shop Logo
Font
The minimalist logotype for The Body Shop uses a simple sans-serif typeface, which adds a sense of professionalism and stability. The font is similar to Ricaro Bold and FF Yoga Sans Pro Medium.
Colour
The Body Shop logo uses a forest green and white colour palette to symbolise nature and its power. Additionally, the colour palette also evokes a sense of life and health, besides protection and reliability.
The History of The Body Shop
The Body Shop was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick in Brighton, England. She was inspired by a belief that business could be a force for good. So, she opened a small green-painted shop with just 25 products, which focused on ethically sourced, cruelty-free, and naturally based ingredients. The unique approach of the shop included refillable bottles and handwritten labels. Besides, it did not adopt the route of traditional advertising and instead relied on word of mouth and local press.
The brand quickly distinguished itself from conventional cosmetics companies by promoting products and beauty rituals for everybody. It prioritised how customers felt in their skin rather than promising beauty standards that are unattainable. In 1977, Roddick expanded by selling a stake in the business, and by 1978, The Body Shop opened its first international kiosk in Brussels.
By 1984, The Body Shop had grown to 138 stores, 87 of which were outside the UK. It also went public on London’s Unlisted Securities Market, which led to the shares of the company growing. This reflected investor confidence in its ethical business model and rapid expansion.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, The Body Shop became synonymous with social activism. It launched campaigns such as “Trade Not Aid” in 1987, which sourced ingredients directly from native communities. It also forged alliances with organisations like Greenpeace and Amnesty International.
The Body Shop entered the US market in 1988, wherein it owned all its American stores directly. In 1987, Roddick acquired the exclusive rights to the Body Shop name from the original American store, which had opened in Berkeley, California. The company also faced legal challenges, which included a lawsuit against Bath & Body Works for allegedly copying its marketing, which was settled out of court.
In 2006, The Body Shop was acquired by French cosmetics giant L’Oréal, which marked an important shift as the brand became part of a global conglomerate. In 2017, L’Oréal sold The Body Shop to Brazil’s Natura & Co., and in 2023, it was acquired by Aurelius Private Equity. By September 2024, the ownership of Body Shop was transferred to the Auréa Group.
The Body Shop has faced key operational challenges in recent years. In early 2024, Aurelius put the UK business into administration, which led to the closure of up to half its UK stores and a reduction in head office staff. In March 2024, the company announced it would shutter its US operations and reorganise its Canadian business under bankruptcy protection.
Despite its chequered history, The Body Shop remains a pioneer in ethical beauty. It is known for its activism, commitment to sustainability, and innovative business practices. The brand’s core values—empowerment, inclusivity, and environmental stewardship—continue to influence the beauty industry and inspire consumers worldwide.
Interesting Facts About The Body Shop Company
- The Body Shop began as a small green-painted shop in Brighton, England, with just 25 products. The vision of its founder, Anita Roddick, was to create a cosmetics company that sourced ethically, was free of cruelty, and used natural ingredients, which was a radical idea at the time.
- Due to a shortage of bottles, Roddick initially used urine-sample bottles from a nearby hospital to package products. This necessity led to The Body Shop’s early adoption of refillable bottles. This promoted recycling long before it became mainstream.
- By 1984, The Body Shop had 138 stores, with 87 outside the UK. Most stores were franchises, and the company went public on the London Stock Exchange that year, with the value of shares increasing over 10,000% in eight years.
- The Body Shop launched the “Trade Not Aid” campaign in 1987. In doing so, it sourced ingredients directly from native communities to support sustainable livelihoods. The company also partnered with Greenpeace and Amnesty International, thereby embedding social responsibility into its brand.
- An earlier unrelated Body Shop existed in Berkeley, California. Anita Roddick bought exclusive rights to the name in the US in 1987 for $3.5 million. The original US store became Body Time and closed in 2018.
- Before the concept of home parties for cosmetics was popular, The Body Shop had a direct selling model where products were sold at parties and markets. It was facilitated by the founder’s husband, Gordon Roddick, who would mail the products to sellers.
- Recycling and refill policies were initially driven by practical constraints rather than environmentalism. However, it became core to the brand’s identity and later a model for sustainable business practices.
- The Body Shop was acquired by L’Oréal in 2006 for £652 million, sold to Brazilian group Natura & Co in 2017 for £880 million, and then bought by German private equity firm Aurelius in 2023 for £207 million. In 2024, it was acquired by the Auréa Group.
- In 2024, Aurelius put the UK business into administration, which led to store closures and job cuts. The company also ceased US operations and restructured in Canada under bankruptcy protection.
- The Body Shop was a rite of passage for many teenagers in the 1980s and 1990s and was known for iconic products like Dewberry and White Musk. It was also a pioneer in making beauty accessible and inclusive. It focused on how customers felt while using the products, instead of aiming to attain unrealistic beauty ideals.
- At one point, The Body Shop was the second largest UK purchaser of cosmetic raw materials and integrated renewable energy into its operations. These include charging electric vehicle batteries from wind power at its factory.
Finally
The logo variants of The Body Shop Company are a testament to its enduring values and adaptability. While the visual details have shifted to keep pace with design trends and consumer expectations, the core elements—circular motifs, green colours, and natural symbolism—did not change. This consistency has helped The Body Shop maintain a strong, recognisable identity as a pioneer of ethical beauty.