The Body Shop Founder Anita Roddick Dies at Age 64

Photo: thebodyshop.com

I am so deeply saddened after hearing the news that Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, passed away yesterday after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

Anita Roddick’s respect for the environment, support of Community Trade, and commitment to protecting both human and animal rights powered her vision for the The Body Shop.

By combining her sense of social awareness with her knowledge and development of effective beauty products, Roddick cultivated what was once just one small store in Brighton England into an internationally successful cosmetic brand.

Anita Roddick’s vision for The Body Shop made a deep and immediate impression on me even as a young girl. I remember being so excited every time I got a Body Shop catalog in the mail. In those days, the catalog was chock-full of information and it felt as if it was written by Mrs. Roddick herself.

I use to pore over the catalog and study it from cover-to-cover and it really helped shape my current perspective that something as seemingly superficial as beauty products can also be inextricably intertwined with social responsibility, a sense of personal empowerment, and a celebration of “non-traditional”, non-Western-centric conceptions of physical beauty.

I wish I could have met Dame Anita Roddick (Queen Elizabeth granted her damehood in 2003).

I wish I could have thanked her — for her compassion, for sharing her knowledge, for making women feel beautiful and for helping people live better lives. I wish I could thank her for all her hard work, for caring, and for her commitment to do good. I wish I could just thank her for being an inspiration.

Dame Anita Roddick is survived by her husband and two daughters. My deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched. She will truly be missed.