Dove

How ethical is Dove?

Dove is a brand of soap and shower products which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soap & Shower Gel Ratings Table. Although Dove has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ethical Soap & Shower Gel sector.

What does Dove do?

Dove is a personal care brand owned by Unilever. It was launched in 1957 and includes ranges aimed at women, men and children.

In which areas does Dove perform poorly?

Dove was marked down under our criteria for Organic due to a lack of certification. It was also marked down for Genetic Modification, as its parent company, Unilever, openly admits its GMO usage, claiming it believes that GM ingredients are safe to use. Unilever also states that it does allow Animal Testing where required by law.

Dove also scored poorly under our Irresponsible Marketing criteria. Its parent company, Unilever, had to rename ‘Fair & Lovely’, its skin-lightening cream, after petitions attracted almost 20,000 signatures of people shocked by its promotion of negative stereotypes around dark skin tones. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

In which areas does Dove score well for its ethics?

Dove’s parent company, Unilever, has an Annual Report and Accounts 2023, which contains a wide range of environmental targets across different areas giving them a good score for Environmental Report.

We found no criticisms relating to Nuclear Power, Fossil Fuels or Armaments so Dove scores well for these criteria.

How can Dove improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Dove is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soap & Shower Gel Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Dove has several issues to resolve, including its use of animal testing and GMOs.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our ethical mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.