To get straight to the point: since March 27, 2023, Food for Skin can call itself a B Corp. Whoehee! But you may wonder what this actually is and why Food for Skin considers this so important. That is why in this blog we explain why we think it is important for companies to become B Corp (benefit corporations) and what the benefits are for people, nature, animals and the planet.
What is B Corp?
B Corp is an abbreviation for Benefit Corporation and refers to companies that are committed to achieving positive social and environmental performance in addition to financial profit. This means that B Corps do not only focus on maximizing profit for their shareholders, but go beyond self-interest and focus on making a positive impact on the world and thus take care of all stakeholders within and outside the company (stakeholders). ) and not just the shareholders (financial gain). The earth, the people, the animals, the plants are also a stakeholder, just like suppliers, employees, customers and actually your entire ecosystem. That's what you work for, not for your shareholders.
Which companies are B corps?
Food for Skin has been a proud B Corp since March 2023! Food for Skin is now one of 6,500 global B corp companies. We believe it is important to create responsible and sustainable products that benefit skin health and the environment.
A growing number of companies around the world are choosing to become B Corp. Some well-known Dutch B Corps are Tony's Chocolonely, Dopper, Fairphone and Seepje. These companies are committed to creating a positive impact on society and the environment.
How do you become a B corp?
But how do you actually become a B Corp? Well, that wasn't so bad. We have been working on it for exactly 1 year! First, you must pass a rigorous assessment conducted by B Lab, a nonprofit organization that grants B Corp certifications. The assessment measures performance in governance, employees, community, environment and customers. To obtain B Corp certification, a company must achieve a minimum score and meet B Lab requirements. A company must score at least 80 points to become a B corp. You have to prove that you are doing 'good' in all areas: from purchasing to customer service, from ingredients to waste processing.
Food for Skin passed with flying colors with 89.5 points!
In a world where companies must take increasing responsibility for their impact on society and the environment, B Corp certification can be a valuable tool in helping companies achieve their sustainability and social responsibility goals. By obtaining this certification, companies can not only show that they take their responsibility seriously, but also contribute to a better world for us all. And that's exactly what we want!
How do you choose between B corp or another certification?
Food for Skin has consciously chosen to opt for the B Corp holistic certification. There are many cosmetic certifications, such as Ecocert and Natrue. Natrue is one of the strictest cosmetic certifications and it is good to know that our products meet the Natrue requirements, but we have not chosen to be certified because this is very expensive. B corp is also not free, but because it goes much further than just natural or organic ingredients, we have chosen this quality mark. B corp also checks how you treat your employees, whether you take customer feedback seriously, whether you know where and how your products are manufactured, whether you have an eye for inclusivity and diversity and much more. That holistic thing suits us!
What does Food for Skin do as a B corp?
As a B corp you go further, you do more. In English: companies who go beyond!
What does that mean for Food for Skin? We promise 'to go beyond':
1. To provide the best quality in products
2. To ensure that our products do not contain any toxic ingredients that may be harmful to humans, plants or animals
3. To protect people, animals and nature
4. To keep our footprint as low as possible
5. To use as few 'virgin' resources as possible and as much as possible from ' upcycling '
6. To be as transparent and honest as possible
7. To teach as many people as possible about what they use
8. To treat everyone with respect
9. To provide the best possible service to customers
10. To make the beauty industry beautiful again!
What does a B corp certification mean for the future?
It is not easy to become certified, but it is certainly not easy to maintain it either. During your assessment you will be given points that you need to work on over the next 3 years. We will be reassessed again in 3 years.
In other words: no time to sit still, we continue to make the right decisions every day and seek the balance between people, planet & profit! You can read more about our mission here .
