Anita Roddick, the founder of Body Shop, is one of my heroes. And this is mainly because unlike other businesspersons, she makes no false claims but calls a spade a spade. I am reading her autobiography “Body and Soul” and some of her revelations about the cosmetic industry are shocking to say the least.
She is particularly bitter about the way in which 'miracle beauty products' are being sold. She writes:
“The essential dilemma for the cosmetics industry can be easily explained. The big growth area is not in fragrance or make-up, but in skin care products, yet the simple truth is that such products can do nothing more than cleanse, polish and protect the skin and hair. That's it. Amen. End of story. There are no magic potions, no miracle cures, no rejuvenating creams. That is all hype and lies.”
And this is not a random claim. Roddick goes on to explain:
“The skin is made up of three layers – under the outer (the stratum corneum) is the epidermis, and under that lies the dermis, largely made up of collagen fibres, a fibrous protein which gives it support. When you age, these fibres are not replaced as rapidly and become damaged by the cumulative effect of sunlight, pollution, and an assortment of urban and environmental stresses. As a result, the dermis gets thinner and so the outer skin sags and wrinkles appear – in other words, you start to age visibly.
Some cosmetic companies endeavour to persuade you that they manufacture products that can supplement your skin' natural collagen supply, thus hitting the ageing process where it hurts.
No such luck...collagen molecules are simply too big to penetrate the outer layers of the skin...The plain truth is that no cosmetic product can prevent the ageing process. Nor, indeed, would one even be allowed under existing consumer legislation. Any product that could do that would not be a cosmetic, it would be a drug.”
But perhaps the most memorable lines of all are the ones in which she attacks her own industry for promoting insecurity among women:
“It is immoral to trade on fear. It is immoral constantly to make women feel dissatisfied with their bodies. It is immoral to deceive a customer by making miracle claims for a product. It is immoral to use a photograph of a glowing sixteen-year-old to sell a cream aimed at preventing wrinkles in a forty-year-old.”
Needless to say, the likes of Revlon and Ponds have been less than pleased with La Roddick. But that has not changed her in the least. She remains as outspoken as ever, backing up her claims with evidence that the cosmetic majors find hard to deny.
God bless her for that.
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