Why we do NOT enter beauty industry competitions
In the world of beauty, many brands proudly display "award winning" labels as a testament to their products. However, at Viva La Body, we’ve made a conscious decision to steer clear of such competitions, and here’s why.
Our philosophy is rooted in authenticity, sustainability, and ethical practices. We are a zero waste brand, ethically manufacturing all of our body products without palm oil. Our products are cruelty free, made with natural ingredients and handcrafted in small, fresh batches. These are principles we uphold with integrity and we believe that true quality speaks for itself.
In the early years of our business, we participated in a few business competitions and were fortunate enough to win several awards. At the time, these accolades seemed like a promising way to validate our hard work and boost our brand’s visibility. We entered these competitions with optimism, believing that they were judged fairly and based on merit. Winning felt like a step forward, giving us confidence that our brand’s values and commitment to ethical, sustainable beauty were being recognized.
However, over time, we began to see the cracks in the system. One particular experience stood out: we submitted the same application for the same award three years in a row, only changing the first paragraph and the font each time. Despite this minimal effort, we won the award each time. This opened our eyes to the reality that these competitions were not as rigorous or as meaningful as they appeared. The process often seemed more about filling quotas or generating participation fees than genuinely evaluating the businesses and products. This experience left us disillusioned with the credibility of such awards, and it’s a key reason why we’ve distanced ourselves from these types of competitions today.
While many beauty competitions may seem like a mark of excellence, we find that they often prioritise profit over genuine merit. Once the award has been announced it just becomes a gigantic advertisement for both the brands and the retailers encouraging more needless spending. Many of these contests are run by organisations whose primary goal is to generate revenue. One particular natural beauty award currently making its rounds, requires entrants to pay $250 per product submission plus free products posted to all the judges (all of this really adds up, especially for a small brand).
Most alarming is that there is a seeming blind-eye to the inclusion of palm oil derived ingredients in products entered in eco conscious beauty awards. To be truly cruelty free, zero waste and eco friendly, there can be no palm oil derived ingredients in beauty products.
The judging panels frequently consist of celebrities, business owners with a vested interest in promoting the brands that win green/eco awards - especially brands they stock (just watch the promos after these awards), and influencers who may not have the scientific expertise to evaluate the efficacy or purity of natural products. Instead, there is often an underlying agenda - whether it's promoting a certain brand or boosting personal profiles or businesses virtue signaling within the green space.
That said, should the landscape of beauty competitions shift toward more ethical practices—where judging panels are made up of genuinely qualified experts who specialise in their respective categories—we may reconsider entering our products. A fair, science backed evaluation process would allow us to compete on a level playing field, ensuring that natural, ethically produced products like ours receive the recognition they truly deserve.
For us, quality isn’t about winning a contest—it’s about staying true to our values and delivering the best to you.
