Lucy Bee Social Responsibility Statement

At Lucy Bee, our commitment to ethical business practices extends beyond our products. From sustainable ingredient sourcing to fair labour practices, we hold ourselves accountable for the impact we have on people and the planet.

Our Ethical Framework

Our approach to social and environmental responsibility is informed by internationally recognised principles, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Core Labour Standards. As a small independent business, we continually review our policies and practices to ensure they remain aligned with evolving best practice.

1. Energy Usage & Sustainability

We recognise the environmental impact of business operations and continuously work to minimise our carbon footprint.

  • Renewable Energy: Our office is powered by solar panels, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and lowering our carbon emissions.
  • Carbon Reduction Initiatives: We monitor and work to reduce our Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions through our participation in M2030 which helps us measure, manage and reduce our carbon footprint, focusing on transportation efficiency, energy usage, and sustainable sourcing. We are not involved in developing new extraction fossil fuel projects, building new fossil fired power stations or involved in doing anything with coal.
  • Eco-Friendly Packaging: We use FSC-certified cardboard, glass containers, aluminium lids, and biodegradable packing materials to reduce plastic waste. Our commitment to sustainability means we regularly review environmental goals to reduce our impact and regularly review all viable formulations and packaging options and new developments to identify and implement new, more sustainable practices and ingredients.
  • Palm Oil: The majority of our collection is 100% palm oil-free, including all its derivatives, and we remain committed to avoiding palm oil wherever technically feasible. Caring for the environment is at the heart of everything we do, and avoiding palm oil wherever possible has been one of our proudest achievements. In a few select formulations, we now use RSPO-certified (Responsibly Sourced Palm Oil) ingredients. As a small, independent brand, this allows us to maintain product performance and stability while ensuring that any palm oil we do use supports sustainable and ethical production practices. Our goal remains the same, to create effective, environmentally responsible skincare with complete transparency. 

2. Modern Slavery & Ethical Labour Practices

We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and forced labour.

  • Supplier Code of Conduct: All suppliers are vetted to ensure they comply with applicable labour and internationally recognised labour standards, including prohibition of forced labour, child labour, discrimination and unsafe working conditions.
  • Audits & Transparency: Our supply chain is regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with human rights standards, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and voluntary labour. 
  • No Child or Forced Labour: We ensure that none of our raw ingredients involve exploitative labour practices, particularly in high-risk industries such as coconut production.
  • Living Wage Commitment: All Lucy Bee employees are paid at least the Real Living Wage.

The majority of our products are manufactured in the UK, with the exception of our Lip Balms, which are manufactured in Italy. All of our manufacturing partners operate to and hold Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, and we hold their certificates on file.

We choose to manufacture predominantly in the UK because it enables us to work closely with our manufacturing partners, maintain high standards of quality and product consistency, and have greater oversight throughout the production process. It also allows for more efficient collaboration during product development and helps reduce transport distances compared with manufacturing further afield.

Our Lip Balms are produced in Italy by a specialist manufacturer with expertise in this type of formulation, while maintaining the same high standards of quality and regulatory compliance that we expect across our entire range.

3. Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

As a brand rooted in fairness, we actively support Fair Trade and ethical farming practices.

  • Fair Trade Ingredients: Our Coconut oil is Fair Trade ensuring that farmers receive fair wages and safe working conditions.
  • Supporting Local Communities: A percentage of our proceeds goes towards community development programmes in farming regions, including freshwater well installations and educational initiatives. We invest in training and resources for suppliers to help them improve their social and environmental performance.
  • No Exploitation of Wildlife: We guarantee that no monkeys are used for coconut harvesting, and we ensure sustainable farming practices that do not threaten biodiversity. All of the skincare products are certified Cruelty Free and Vegan to ensure no animal products, by-products or derivatives are used, as well as the individual ingredients and final product have not been tested on animals. 

4. Community & Charitable Initiatives

We believe in giving back and making a positive impact beyond our business.

  • Soap Donations: We have donated over 30,000 bars of soap to healthcare workers, care homes, and people in need.
  • Coconut Water Donations: We have donated 11,700 cartons of Lucy Bee Fair Trade Coconut Water to 8 organisations who distributed these to the vulnerable, homeless and those struggling to afford food. 
  • Soap Donation to Tilinanu Orphanage, Malawi: We sponsored soaps for the 81 girls at the Tilinanu orphanage in secondary school by donating 820 of our Fragrance Free Soap Bars, this gives them access to a year’s worth of soap. Previously we have sponsored an additional 940 soap bars to the Tilinanu Orphanage. 
  • Coconut Oil Donation: We donated our 300ml Coconut Oil to FareShare (a food distribution charity), The coconut oil was shared amongst their sites in the UK and passed on to their network of over almost 11,000 charities that use it for meals within their communities. These include the homeless, soup kitchens, women’s refuge centres, the elderly, and schools.
  • Partnerships with Charities: We work with organisations that support sustainable development, education, and health initiatives in communities worldwide, such as FareShare, women’s refuge centres, soup kitchens, Tilinanu Orphanage in Malawi.
  • Education & Awareness: We actively share knowledge on ethical consumerism, sustainability, and healthy living through our blog, social media, and educational resources. We also engage in advocacy for broader systemic changes that promote environmental sustainability and social justice.

5. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

  • Equal Opportunity Employer: We do not tolerate discrimination based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or background.
  • Workplace Wellbeing: We promote a supportive and flexible working environment to ensure employee satisfaction and mental well-being.
  • Diverse Supply Chain: We actively seek partnerships with diverse-owned businesses and suppliers.

6. Waste Reduction & Recyclability

We are dedicated to minimising waste and encouraging recyclability.

  • Plastic-Free Commitment: We avoid plastic wherever possible and we aim to eliminate virgin plastic from our packaging wherever viable alternatives exist. Where plastic is used, we source post-consumer recycled plastic of up to 100%.
  • Recycling & Refill Programmes: Our packaging is designed to be recyclable, reusable, or biodegradable, and we encourage customers to repurpose our jars and containers.
  • Sustainable Manufacturing: We work closely with suppliers to minimise production waste and responsibly manage resources.

7. Animal Welfare & Vegan Commitment

We uphold the highest standards of animal welfare in our products and operations.

  • Cruelty-Free Certification: Our range is 100% certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and do not involve animal testing at any stage of production.
  • Certified Vegan: Certified by The Vegan Society, our skincare range is  certified vegan and ensures clear labelling for consumers seeking ethical and plant-based alternatives. This means that no animal products, by-products or derivatives are used in our products.

8. Financial Transparency & Fair Tax Practices

We believe in ethical financial practices and full transparency.

  • Lucy Bee is an independently owned, UK-based family business.
  • Fair Tax Commitment: We are committed to paying the appropriate amount of tax in the jurisdictions in which we operate and do not use artificial tax avoidance structures.

9. Our Approach to Ingredients

At Lucy Bee, we are committed to formulating products that are effective, safe and as environmentally responsible as possible. We continually review our formulations in line with the latest scientific evidence, regulatory developments and advances in cosmetic ingredient technology.

Across our skincare range:

  • We do not use parabens.
  • We do not use formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.
  • We do not intentionally add PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to our formulations.
  • We do not intentionally use phthalates as ingredients in our products.
  • We do not use plastic microbeads or intentionally added solid microplastics.

Many of our products are certified COSMOS Organic or COSMOS Natural by the Soil Association, which places strict requirements on ingredient selection and environmental considerations.

We also recognise the growing concern surrounding certain synthetic polymers that may persist in the environment. Where functional alternatives are available that meet our standards for product performance, stability and safety, we are committed to reviewing and, where appropriate, replacing ingredients with more readily biodegradable alternatives as formulations are developed and improved.

Our formulations are continuously reviewed as new scientific evidence, sustainable innovations and regulatory guidance become available. Our aim is to create products that combine efficacy with responsible ingredient choices while minimising our impact on people and the environment.

We are committed to ensuring that any new formulations are developed in line with this policy and we will continue to review existing formulations as more sustainable and readily biodegradable alternative become available.

Our Commitment

We are always evolving and welcome feedback from our customers and partners on how we can improve our social responsibility efforts. 

For enquiries about our ethical policies, please contact us at: ethics@lucybee.com  

Updated: 2026/07/09