To get straight to the point: since March 27, 2023, Food for Skin can call itself a Bcorp. Whohee! But you may be wondering what this actually is and why Food for Skin considers it so important. That is why in this blog we take you along why we think it is important that companies become Bcorp (benefit corporation) and what the benefit is for people, nature, animals and 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 gain. This means that B Corps not only focus on maximizing profit for their shareholders, but go beyond self-interest and on making a positive impact on the world, taking care of all stakeholders inside 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 corp?
Food for Skin is a proud B Corp since March 2023! Food for Skin is now 1 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 easy. We've been working on it for exactly 1 year! First, you must pass a rigorous assessment conducted by B Lab, a non-profit organization that grants B Corp certifications. The rating measures governance, employee, community, environmental and customer performance. 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 do 'good' in all areas: from purchasing to customer service, from ingredients to waste disposal.
Food for Skin passed with flying colors with 89.5 points!
In a world where companies must increasingly take responsibility for their impact on society and the environment, B Corp certification can be a valuable tool to help 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 all of us. And that is exactly what we want!
How do you choose between B corp or another certification?
Food for Skin has consciously chosen to go for the holistic certification of B corp. There are many cosmetic certifications, such as Ecocert and Natrue. Natrue is one of the strictest cosmetics 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 inclusion and diversity and much, much more. That holistic, that suits us!
So 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 there are no toxic ingredients in our products 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 what they use to lubricate
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's not easy to get certified, but it's certainly not easy to keep it either. You will receive points during your assessment that you will have to work on for 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 considerations every day and seek the balance between people, planet & profit! You can read more about our mission here .
