When you walk into a modern cosmetics store today and see labels that say “cruelty-free,” “sustainable,” or “fair-trade,” you may not realise it was made possible by Dame Anita Roddick. Long before “green beauty” became a catchphrase and ethical buying became popular, Anita was waging issues that most corporations were unaware existed.
Her life was about more than simply founding The Body Shop; it was about questioning the system, believing that business could be a force for good, and living evidence that passion, purpose, and profit could coexist. Let’s take a look at the incredible life of this powerful lady, whose effect can still be felt throughout the world today.
Humble Beginnings
Anita Roddick was born Anita Perilli on October 23, 1942, in the little beach town of Littlehampton, West Sussex, England. Her parents were Italian immigrants who had a modest café. Growing up in a hectic family business setting, Anita rapidly learnt the importance of hard work, tenacity, and expressing her opinion – skills that would later serve as the foundation of her entrepreneurial path.
Money wasn’t plentiful, but love and drive were. Anita wasn’t the type of kid to colour within the lines. She was interested about everything, including how things worked, why people behaved the way they did, and, most importantly, why injustice existed and what might be done to address it.
After attending Bath College of Education and working a few early jobs, including a term at the United Nations, Anita embarked on a backpacking trip throughout the world, which shaped her ideals, particularly on natural beauty and community-based economies.
The Accidental Entrepreneur
In 1976, Anita had no plans to develop a global empire. She was only trying to make ends meet. Her husband, Gordon Roddick, had decided to ride a horse from Buenos Aires to New York (yep, you read it correctly—on horseback), leaving Anita at home with two children and rising expenses.
With £4,000 in the money and a strong survival instinct, Anita launched a small shop in Brighton selling organically inspired beauty goods. She dubbed it The Body Shop.
At the time, beauty shops were frightening, opulent, and only for the rich. Anita’s business was the polar opposite: no flash or glamour, just honest goods in refillable containers with labels that explained precisely what you were putting on your skin.
Even the green-painted walls were a lucky accident—she chose the only colour that would hide the wet areas. People were drawn to the unrefined realism, nevertheless. Within six months, there were lineups outside the door.
Challenging beauty norms
From the start, The Body Shop was more than simply a lotion and shampoo store. It was about selling an idea: that beauty did not have to be at the price of animals, the environment, or human dignity.
Anita was a staunch opponent of animal experimentation at a time when few in the beauty business were concerned about it. She boldly sourced ingredients through community trade, long before the term “fair trade” became popular. She did not sell things by exploiting consumers’ insecurities; rather, she encouraged them to feel good about themselves.
Anita thought that business could and should be used to promote social change. “If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito,” she famously said.
The Growth of a Movement
The Body Shop saw exponential expansion. The firm went public in 1984, barely eight years after its inception, and quickly generated a sensation on the London Stock Exchange. Investors weren’t used to a company that cared so deeply about social problems, but Anita demonstrated that activism and revenue could coexist harmoniously.
By the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Body Shop had locations all around the globe. Anita’s advocacy did not slow down; in fact, it increased. She used her voice (and her brand’s platform) to advocate for causes such as rainforest conservation, domestic violence prevention, human rights protection, and global animal experimentation bans.
Each campaign was more than just marketing; it was personalised.
Anita believed that consumers weren’t just buyers; they were citizens, and businesses had a responsibility to inform, educate, and inspire.
Anita’s Leadership Style: Love & Rebellion
Anita was far from a normal CEO. She despised corporate language, refused to adapt to the suit-and-tie mentality, and conducted her business with a strong human touch.
She famously stated, “I want to work for a corporation that supports and is a part of the community. If not, it shouldn’t exist.”
Under her leadership, The Body Shop became noted for its unconventional working policies, such as offering flexible hours to parents, recruiting older staff when most firms discriminated based on age, and operating a corporation that publicly promoted diversity and uniqueness.
Was she difficult? Sometimes. Stubborn? Absolutely. But Anita’s zeal and passion were contagious. She wasn’t leading from a textbook; she was leading from her gut.
Recognition and Challenges
Anita’s pioneering attitude was not overlooked. She was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2003 for her contributions to retail, the environment, and philanthropy. She has garnered several accolades, including being named one of Forbes’ 100 most prominent women and winning the World Vision Award for Development Initiative.
However, not everything went smoothly. By the late 1990s, The Body Shop was facing increased competition from mainstream firms that had jumped on the ethical bandwagon. Critics have accused the corporation of “selling out” or failing to uphold its once-radical principles.
Anita, being Anita, did not back down from criticism. She was brutally honest about the difficulty of running a socially minded business in a cutthroat capitalist world.
Selling the Body Shop
Anita and Gordon sold The Body Shop to cosmetics giant L’Oréal for around £652 million in 2006, surprising many. Given L’Oréal’s problematic reputation on animal experimentation at the time, the sale sparked much condemnation from fans and campaigners.
Anita supported the decision, claiming that change needed to come from within large organisations, not from the outside. Whether you agreed with her or not, her determination to challenge the established quo never wavered.
Beyond Beauty: A Life of Activism
Anita continued to work hard even after she sold her firm. She immersed herself even more in activism, launching campaigns, sponsoring grassroot organisations, and producing books like “Business as Unusual,” which recounted her path combining business with activism.
Her heart remained entrenched in the topics she was most passionate about: environmental conservation, indigenous rights, ethical commerce, and women’s empowerment.
She never considered herself a “businesswoman” first. She was an activist who also ran a company, and she made sure no one forgot that.
A Sudden Goodbye
On September 10, 2007, Dame Anita Roddick died abruptly after a brain haemorrhage. She was just 64 years old.
The news of her death sparked an outpouring of condolences from all around the world, including international leaders, activists, employees, and millions of consumers whose lives she had touched in both great and little ways.
It was later discovered that Anita had Hepatitis C, which she received through a blood transfusion during delivery, and had spent her final years to spread awareness about the condition.
Even in death, Anita created a legacy that inspired people to care more, be braver, and imagine larger.
Legacy That Lives On
Anita Roddick’s fingerprints may be seen everywhere still, more than a decade after she died.
Anita’s spirit may be seen whenever a brand claims to be cruelty-free, when a company supports a social cause, or when customers want transparency and justice.
The Body Shop has changed dramatically since Anita’s time, but her audacious vision—that companies should make the world a better place—is more important than ever.
She previously stated: “Nobody talks about entrepreneurship as survival, but that’s exactly what it is.” Anita Roddick excelled at surviving with compassion and resistance, outperforming virtually everyone else.
She was never flawless. She was never polished. But it is precisely what made her human—and heroic.
And the world is incomparably better because she dared to think that one tiny business, one voice, and one brave woman could change everything.
Also read: Karren Brady: The Fearless Woman Who Changed the Face of Business and Football
