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The Natural From the Body Shop's products to world-saving projects, an environmental conscience is second nature to Anita Roddick.

By Carla Goodman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Anita Roddick insists she never went into business to makemillions. She simply wanted to earn a living for her family. Asfounder and chief executive of The Body Shop International Inc.,the 54-year-old entrepreneur has done both on a very grandscale.

In two decades, Roddick and her husband, Gordon, have created acosmetic empire of more than 1,400 retail stores selling naturalskin- and hair-care products in 45 countries. Sales last yearreached more than $950 million.

What's more, Roddick has expanded her concept of"family" to include the world's population. Whethershe's using The Body Shop's profits to renovate orphanagesin Romania, develop a domestic-violence helpline in England, orhelp clean up the world's polluted air and water, Roddick isadamant about The Body Shop doing its part to make the world abetter place. For this hippie-activist-turned-entrepreneur,that's exactly what a corporation with a social conscienceshould do. "We work to narrow the gap between principle andpractice," Roddick says, "while making fun, passion andcare part of our daily lives."