The Body Shop ends 100% vegan status with reintroduction of animal-derived ingredients
The move aligns with a “new chapter” under Aurelius ownership, emphasizing product enjoyment over ideological purity.
UK – The Body Shop has quietly abandoned its 100% vegan status, reintroducing animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax and honey into select products, less than two years after achieving full certification from The Vegan Society in 2023.
This pivot, first exposed by vegan blogger Nicole Whittle in early 2026, unfolded without public announcement, sparking outrage among ethical consumers.
In 2021, The Body Shop pledged to eliminate all non-vegan ingredients, such as beeswax, honey, lanolin, and gelatin, across its global range by 2023, culminating in a celebrated milestone as the first major beauty retailer to earn universal Vegan Society certification.
By December 2023, the reformulation succeeded, with fanfare highlighting cruelty-free innovation.
However, in August 2025, amid financial restructuring following the private equity firm Aurelius’s post-acquisition, the company informed The Vegan Society of its intent to restore these ingredients in response to customer feedback seeking “original formulas they loved and missed.”
The Body Shop spokesperson stated, “Please rest assured that any product labelled as vegan on our packaging has been thoroughly checked and is completely 100% vegan.” “We take this verification process very seriously to ensure transparency and trust in what we offer.”
Affected items include the Spa of the World Kukui Body Cream, now containing beeswax, and the Hemp Hand Protector Cream with honey.
The Body Shop insists all products remain vegetarian, with explicitly vegan-labelled ones still certified and most of the range unaffected.
Yet, online stores perpetuate confusion through outdated “vegan” imagery and incomplete ingredient lists, eroding transparency.
Vegan communities decried the stealthy shift as a betrayal, especially given the brand’s activist heritage and recent vegan triumph.
Social media erupted with accusations of greenwashing, as posts on platforms like Instagram and Facebook amplified Whittle’s revelations.
Critics argue this prioritizes profit over principles during a vulnerable period, following the chain’s UK administration and global store closures in 2024-2025.
While the brand reaffirms its ethical roots, cruelty-free testing, and sustainability, the partial retreat challenges vegan loyalty in a competitive market that favours plant-based innovation.
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