British beauty and skincare brand The Body Shop has confirmed it is no longer vegan after reintroducing animal‑derived ingredients into some products, just two years after celebrating Vegan Society certification across its global range. The company says all its products remain vegetarian, which means that it does not see any problem in exploiting bees, cows, chickens or sheeps, and considers it acceptable to add honey, pollen, beeswax, whey, eggs, or lanolin to any product it sees fit.
The Body Shop did not make an official announcement regarding the change, but Nicole Whittle (Vegan Beauty Girl) found out after contacting the brand to enquire.
A spokesperson for The Body Shop explained that only a limited number of items now contain ingredients taken from other animals, such as beeswax and honey, introduced in response to customers who wanted the return of older formulas they were familiar with. According to information shared with vegan campaigners, the affected products include the Spa of the World Kukui Body Cream, which now lists beeswax on its ingredients panel, and the Hemp Hand Protector Cream, which has also lost its vegan status. However, the company may now add any other animal ingredient to any of its ingredients without announcing it, as it no longer follows the restrictions of a vegan company.
The company also said it has updated its marketing and online descriptions so it no longer promotes itself as a 100% vegan brand, while maintaining that any product still labelled vegan has been thoroughly checked. The development marks a sharp reversal from 2023, when The Body Shop removed ingredients such as honey and lanolin (derived from wool) from its formulations and became certified as vegan by The Vegan Society. Records from the charity indicate that in August 2025, the company notified it of a plan to bring back non‑vegan substances in what it called a “carefully considered” selection of lines.
