NEW YORK, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Body Shop, the original ethical beauty brand, announces its new eco-conscious range of Shower Gels for Earth Lovers and kicks off its Earth Lovers Three-Minute Shower Challenge. The campaign will raise awareness about water conservation and challenge consumers to take a more eco-friendly shower. By pledging to take the Earth Lovers Three-Minute Shower Challenge, the average person would save nearly 50 gallons of water with each shower or 18,000 gallons a year. A typical showerhead uses roughly 7 gallons of water per minute (Source: Michigan State Government Water Conservation Website).

A recent national survey conducted by The Body Shop reveals some stark findings. Did you know that the average person uses 70 gallons of water in their 10-minute shower? That's 1,120 8 oz bottles of water.

Consumer Shower Habits Revealed

• 34% of consumers polled think that a 10-minute long shower wastes only 10 gallons of water
• 67% of consumers polled admit to spending a maximum of 10 minutes in the shower
• 44% of consumers polled would be willing to cut their shower times by 1-4 minutes
• 53% of consumers polled believe that they could get clean in a three-minute shower

The Earth Lovers Three-Minute Shower Challenge urges consumers to cut down their shower time to three minutes, thereby drastically reducing their environmental footprint. The campaign coincides with the launch of The Body Shop Shower Gels for Earth Lovers, a 100% biodegradable shower gel range infused with a blend of herb and fruit extracts and containing Community Fair Trade organic aloe vera from Guatemala. Through this exciting new initiative, The Body Shop promotes a more environmentally sensitive shower experience.

Everyone is encouraged to pledge to take The Body Shop Earth Lovers Three-Minute Shower Challenge by tweeting @thebodyshopusa or visiting The Body Shop USA Facebook page.

"We know that taking a shower in just three minutes sounds challenging, but our goal in launching this campaign is to start a discussion.  Even if three minutes seems unlikely, why not try and reduce your daily shower by three minutes – you can save up to 21 gallons of water per shower! For those who are up to the challenge, one fun approach is to lather, rinse and repeat to your favorite three-minute tune. The challenge is making sure you're all rinsed off before the song ends. Ultimately, we want everyone to play their part in water conservation and these are some easy ways to make a difference," stated Shelley Simmons, Director of Brand Communications and Values, The Body Shop. "At The Body Shop we strive to protect our planet and encourage our consumers to do the same."

The Earth Lovers Three-Minute Shower Challenge officially launches on April 21, 2011 at Columbia University with host Amy Smart (Shameless, Just Friends) and Tika Sumpter (Gossip Girl).

Notes To Editors:

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About The Body Shop

The Body Shop International plc is the original, ethical beauty brand, with over 2,500 stores in over 60 markets worldwide. The Body Shop seeks out wonderful natural ingredients from all four corners of the globe to deliver products bursting with effectiveness, to enhance your natural beauty. By striving to use the planet's resources wisely, The Body Shop searches for outstanding natural materials and ingredients from across the globe to include in its range of products. The Body Shop is proud to have been the first beauty brand to have brought the benefits of fair trade to the beauty industry through its own unique Community Trade program, to have introduced sustainable palm oil into its soaps, 100% recycled packaging, and to raise funds and awareness on key issues of the day, including the sex trafficking of the most vulnerable in our society, children and young people.

Community Fair Trade

A purchase from our Community Fair Trade program can put a smile on faces as far away as Ghana, Nicaragua, Italy and Guatemala - improving the financial security, comfort and health resources available to farmers, producers and their families in more than 20 countries.

In 1987 we launched our pioneering Community Fair Trade program which now directly benefits over 25,000 people, as we seek to provide a fair income, for work in fair conditions, for all those involved in this unique program. Our commitment to Community Fair Trade continues to grow, with over 65% of our products including the benefits of Community Trade.

The Body Shop around the clock

We've got all your favorite products to help enhance your natural beauty for 24/7 shopping, delivered direct to your door. Shopping with The Body Shop® online couldn't be any easier. www.thebodyshop-usa.com

SOURCE The Body Shop