The Body Shop Quandary

Gray Matters are those issues that aren’t as black and white as they may appear.

The Body Shop was sold to L’Oreal, which still tests on animals. Tom’s of Maine was sold to Colgate Palmolive, which still tests on animals.

PETA urges members to keep buying, to let the parent company know that there is a huge market for products that have an underlying ethic.

Gray Matter: When I buy from The Body Shop, I am now essentially supporting (investing in) L’Oreal. My money goes to a company I wouldn’t support otherwise. Technically, it doesn’t go to The Body Shop because there is no Body Shop; it has been consumed by the parent company.

However, I do that all the time, as Oscar Meyer now owns Boca Burgers, and General Electric owns, well, more than I care to think about.

So do I support the diversification of multi-nationals, or try my best not to?

Is Patagonia the only company I can comfortably buy from?

That . . . is my quandary.