Imperial Leather

How ethical is Imperial Leather?

Imperial Leather is a brand of personal cleansing products which has an above-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soap & Shower Gel Ratings Table. This means that Imperial Leather has met our ethical benchmark and is therefore considered an ethical brand.

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

What does Imperial Leather do?

Imperial Leather has been making soap and shower products for over 10 years, and is now owned by PZ Cussons.

In which areas does Imperial Leather perform poorly?

Imperial Leather was marked down under our criteria for Organic due to a lack of certification.

Additionally, in 2022, Imperial Leather’s parent company, PZ Cussons, was given Ethical Consumer’s worst rating for its use of uncertified palm oil. In the same year, Cussons was named as one of the companies sourcing palm oil from producers alleged to have withheld plasma or profits from plasma, from local communities.

As a result of PZ Cussons’ unethical activities, Imperial Leather receives a bottom rating for Public Record Criticisms.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

In which areas does Imperial Leather score well for its ethics?

Imperial Leather scores well in the Environmental Report criterion. This is because its parent company, PZ Cussons, has a Sustainability page containing numerous targets, including on carbon emissions and packaging. It also scores highly for our Vegetarian criteria as it has products certified by The Vegan Society.

We found no criticisms of Imperial Leather relating to; GM, Nuclear Power, Fossil Fuels, Political Donations, Armaments or Irresponsible Marketing, so it scores well for these criteria.

How can Imperial Leather improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Imperial Leather 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.

Although Imperial Leather is already eligible Ethical Accreditation, the brand has some issues to resolve, including its lack of Organic products. By addressing these issues, Imperial Leather could achieve a higher overall GSG score.

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.