Turn over a bottle of shampoo, a bag of coffee or a box of tea, and you may spot it: a small capital B inside a circle. It is easy to miss. But for a growing number of businesses, it has become one of the most important things on the pack.

That B stands for B Corporation, or B Corp, and the movement behind it has grown from a handful of companies into a global community of more than 10,000 businesses in over 100 countries.

What a B Corp actually is

B Corp is a certification, awarded by the non-profit B Lab. To earn it, a business has to show that it meets standards on how it treats its workers, its community, its customers and the environment, and that it is open about how it does so.

It also has to change its legal foundations. A B Corp commits, in its own governing documents, to consider the impact of its decisions on people and the planet, not just on its shareholders.

And it is not a one-off. Businesses have to recertify every three years.

Why it matters now

In 2025, B Lab published new standards, described as the biggest overhaul in the certification’s history. They set minimum requirements across seven impact topics, including climate action and human rights, checked by independent auditors, and ask companies to keep improving over time.

The timing matters. Many shoppers have grown wary of vague claims such as “natural”, “clean” and “eco”. A certification that has to be earned, checked and renewed gives them something more solid to go on.

Why it fits wellness so well

Wellness has always been about more than the product. People want to know what is in it, where it came from and who made it. They want to feel good about what they buy, not just how it makes them feel.

B Corp speaks to exactly that. It turns values into something a customer can see and a business has to prove.

The other side

B Corp is not without its critics. Certification takes time and money, and for very small businesses the process can be a real stretch. Some people also question whether very large companies should carry the same mark as small independents.

It is also worth remembering that many good businesses are not certified at all. A B Corp logo is one sign of a business with values, not the only one.

What it means for founders

For founders, B Corp is less a badge than a way of building a business. The process asks hard questions about suppliers, staff, packaging and purpose, and the questions can be as valuable as the certificate itself.

As customers ask more of the brands they buy from, the businesses that can show their values, not just state them, are likely to be the ones that last.