Phorest is proud to announce that we are now a Certified B Corporation, joining a global community of businesses committed to creating a positive impact for people, communities, and the planet.
Since Phorest was founded in 2003, we’ve wanted to build a business that genuinely cares about and supports the hair, beauty, and wellness industry – not just today, but long into the future. That ambition has shaped thousands of decisions over the years. Now, it’s brought us to an important milestone: Phorest is officially a Certified B Corporation.
We’re incredibly proud to receive this certification. However, for us, the real significance lies in the commitments behind it… and the kind of company we’re continuing to grow into.
What Does It Mean to Be a Certified B Corporation?
B Corp certification is awarded by B Lab, an independent non-profit organisation. It recognises businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
The assessment looks at how a company affects all of its stakeholders across five key areas:
- Governance
- Employees
- Customers
- Communities
- The environment
At its heart, the B Corp movement is based on a simple but powerful belief: businesses should create value for everyone they affect, not only their stakeholders. That belief is already deeply rooted in Phorest.
Building a Stronger Industry, Together
Our mission is to work together with our community, to build a stronger industry. To us, the word “together” has always mattered.
No business grows in isolation. The success of a salon, spa, or clinic is connected to the success of its team, clients, local community, and the wider world. The same is true for Phorest. That’s why we’ve always tried to put our mission into practice.
Over the years, we have:
- Built our products and features around feedback from the businesses that use them
- Stood alongside industry professionals to lobby governments for greater support
- Made 25% of Phorest employee-owned, because we believe the people building the company should share in its success
- Expanded that environmental commitment through the creation of the Phorest Forest
These aren’t standalone initiatives. They’re branches of the same idea: that decisions we make today should help our clients, employees, industry, and planet thrive tomorrow.
Discover more about the Phorest Forest and our journey to becoming a B Corp.
Turning Our Values Into a Legal Commitment
One of the most important parts of becoming a B Corp isn’t the certification itself. It’s the legal commitment that comes with it. Phorest’s constitution has been amended to formally include all of our stakeholders:
- Our clients
- Our employees
- The hair, beauty, and wellness industry
- The environment
- Our shareholders
This means we’re legally required to consider the impact of our decisions on every one of these groups – not only when circumstances are favourable, but when times are challenging, too. In a world where businesses are often under pressure to prioritise short-term results, this helps protect our long-term purpose. Our commitment to balancing people, planet, and profit is now embedded in the foundation of Phorest, ensuring it can’t simply be set aside when circumstances change.
Learning From Leaders in the B Corp Movement
Our journey towards B Corp certification was strengthened by the guidance of Paolo Braguzzi, who joined the Phorest Board several years ago. As the former CEO of Davines, Paolo helped make the company one of the first Certified B Corporations in the beauty industry. Paolo has since become a leading voice in the global B Corp movement, and co-founded the B Corp Beauty Coalition.
Seeing this philosophy brought to life helped reinforce our belief that B Corp certification was the right path for Phorest; one grounded in accountability, collaboration, and meaningful long-term action.
Joining the B Corp Beauty Coalition
As part of this next chapter, Phorest is also joining the B Corp Beauty Coalition, a group of Certified B Corporations working together to improve the beauty industry’s social and environmental impact. Joining the coalition gives us an opportunity to learn from like-minded businesses, share knowledge, and contribute to positive change across the global beauty community.
Because lasting progress doesn’t happen when one company acts alone. It takes businesses across the industry putting down roots, sharing ideas, and raising the bar together.
Certification Is a Milestone, Not the Finish Line
Becoming a Certified B Corporation is an important moment for Phorest, but it isn’t the end of the journey. B Corp certification doesn’t mean a company is perfect. It means it’s committed to measuring its impact, being accountable for its decisions and continuing to improve.
And while we’re proud to be part of this movement, we hope this level of responsibility won’t remain a differentiator forever. Our ambition is to see long-term thinking, stakeholder accountability, and positive impact become the standard across the entire hair, beauty, and wellness industry.
There’s always more work to do and more room to grow. We’re ready to keep learning, improving, and turning our commitments into action.
Growing a Better Future Together
This milestone belongs to the entire Phorest community: our clients, employees, partners, and everyone who has helped shape our journey since 2003.
Thank you for your feedback, trust, and partnership. You’ve helped Phorest become the company it is today, and you’ll continue to play an important role in where we go next.
We’re proud to be taking this step as a Certified B Corporation – and even more excited about what we can grow together.
