Bath & Body Works reformulates hand soaps, offers refills

Dive Brief:

All hand soaps made by Bath & Body Works are now free of sulfates, parabens or dyes; made with natural essential oils, vitamin E, shea extract and aloe; and sold in bottles that are least 50% recycled plastic, the company announced Thursday.
The retailer also now offers hand soap refills for its “Gentle and Clean Foaming” formula in six fragrances, packaged in a 100% recyclable carton that provides up to 3.6 refills, and is selling a refillable glass decanter.
The reformulated hand soaps and refills are available at stores, online and through the Bath & Body Works loyalty app, according to a company press release.

Dive Insight:

Bath & Body Works slumped last year, after surging through the height of the pandemic, thanks to high demand for cleansers, hand sanitizers, its popular candles and other consumer products. Since the arrival in December of former Unilever executive Gina Boswell as CEO, the retailer has been revitalizing its offer.

The latest is the reformulation of its hand soap to accommodate the growing consumer preference for chemical-free options.

"Delivering quality products has always been our priority, and we're responding to customer demands by giving them hand soaps that offer same efficacious results but are made without sulfates, parabens and dyes in our unmatched breadth of fragrance choice," Chief Merchandising Officer Betsy Schumacher said in a statement.

Earlier this year the retailer also announced it will begin selling hair care and laundry products and expand its selection for men.

Boswell’s tenure so far has also meant some upheaval in the C-suite. Chief Financial Officer Wendy Arlin will be replaced soon. In April, Thilina Gunasinghe was named chief digital and technology officer, and in May former Target marketing executive Maurice Cooper became the company’s first-ever chief customer officer.

Bath & Body Works runs more than 1,800 locations in the U.S. and Canada, and franchises more than 425 locations abroad. Its stores are mostly based in malls, although it has been closing mall-based stores in favor of operating more off-mall locations.