Body Shop fans are selling vintage 1990s fragrances on eBay after the chain went bankrupt – including used perfume oil for £230

The Body Shop went bankrupt just 24 hours ago, but savvy eBay sellers are already profiting from its demise.

Founded in 1976, founder Dame Anita Roddick went from selling just 25 products in her home town of Brighton to supplying beauty products to teenagers around the world and sitting on a multi-millionaire empire.

But yesterday the brand introduced the FRP Advisory to deal with the insolvency process, which has affected its UK staff and stores.

However, as shops prepare for a possible closure, eBay sellers have prepared to sell their vintage items from The Body Shop to those mourning the loss on the high street.

And values ​​have soared as sellers trade their '90s fragrances at premium prices, including a retro perfume oil for £230 and an old make-up bag for £69.99.

A range of innovative items put The Body Shop in the spotlight, from fruit soaps to body butter in scents so delicious you'd be tempted to eat them.

However, the store has gradually phased out quirky items in favor of more conventional products, leaving fans disappointed.

Astute eBay sellers have picked up on the public's desire for old-fashioned items and have been unearthing their vintage goods to sell on eBay.

A quick search in the thrift store will show hundreds of The Body Shop items for sale, many of which are from the 1990s.

But the items come with eye-watering prices, meaning The Body Shop fans will have to spend a small fortune to smell like White Musk for a while longer.

For example, one retailer has priced Dewberry perfume at a whopping £160, with an additional £40 if you want the gift bag included.

Elsewhere, another seller has listed a vintage 'ultra rare' perfume oil from the brand for as much as £231, and it has been used.

Meanwhile, a bar of soap in the much-loved White Musk scent will set shoppers back £40.

Another eBay seller managed to snag a bundle of items and has priced a body butter, two miniature perfume oils and a shampoo for £100.

And if you want the merchandise to be kept inside, shoppers can get their hands on a vintage make-up bag from the brand for £69.99, along with a few badges to decorate it with.

It comes after the chain released a statement responding to the recent news, i.eIt said that 'administrators will now consider all options to find a way forward for the company and will inform creditors and employees in due course'.

The company will continue to do business both in-store and online as plans are made for the future of the much-loved high street brand.

The struggling chain – which has faced stiff competition from the likes of millennials and Gen Z-friendly bath bomb purveyors Lush and luxury brand Rituals – had also just shuttered its Avon-style home business division, The Body Shop At Home.

FRP said: 'The Body Shop has suffered an extended period of financial challenges under previous owners, coinciding with a difficult trading environment for the wider retail sector.

'After taking swift action over the past month, including the closure of The Body Shop At Home and the sale of our business in most of Europe and parts of Asia, focusing on the UK business is the next important step in the restructuring of The Body Shop.'

The administrators added: 'The Body Shop continues to be guided by its ambition to be a modern, dynamic beauty brand, relevant to customers and able to compete for the long term.

'Creating a more agile and financially stable UK business is an important step in achieving this.'

As well as threatening thousands of jobs, the news could also spell trouble for the many suppliers of Body Shop goods around the world, which have been carefully sourced by the ethically minded company for decades.

The company was founded in 1976 by the late Dame Anita Roddick and became famous for its no-nonsense ethical trading ethos and refusal to test products on animals.

Popular products that helped establish the brand include bath bombs, White Musk fragrance and hemp hand cream.

However, recent years have seen its popularity with shoppers in Britain decline due to the rise of rivals Lush, Holland and Barrett, and a growing online market of cheaper alternatives.

The company also fell out of favor with some buyers after it was sold to L'Oréal by Dame Anita for £675 million in 2006 – a move that stunned many who saw the sale to a major company as contrary to the company's values .

The Body Shop changed hands again in 2017 when the French cosmetics giant sold it to Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura&Co for €1 billion.

It was then bought by private equity firm Aurelius for £207 million just weeks ago.

Following the purchase of the brand, Aurelius said that 'despite the challenging retail market, there is an opportunity to reinvigorate the business so that it can benefit from positive trends in the fast-growing beauty market.'

But the move to keep pace with the likes of Lush and Rituals has also seen the company seemingly move away from its roots as a benefactor.