Clearasil

Is Clearasil a good brand? Is Clearasil an ethical skincare brand?

The skincare brand, Clearasil has been independently researched by The Good Shopping Guide for our Ethical Skincare Ratings Table. Unfortunately, Clearasil has not received a high Good Shopping Guide score, due, in part, to the unethical business activity of its parent company, Reckitt Benckiser. Clearasil and its parent company have some way to go and a lot of business activities to reconsider if this brand is to gain Ethical Accreditation.

Is Clearasil Cruelty-Free?

Clearasil is not Cruelty-Free and has not gained any Cruelty-Free accreditation. Sadly, Reckitt Benckiser, the parent company of Clearasil, is also not Cruelty-Free. Anyone concerned about Animal Welfare may want to avoid this brand.

In fact, Reckitt Benckiser has released a statement admitting to permitting animal testing in countries where this is required by law, such as in-store in mainland China.

“Animal studies are on occasion mandated by law for the safety assessment of novel ingredients and products to protect the safety of humans. The health and safety of our consumers and the environment is an absolute priority for Reckitt. If animal testing is mandated and if no scientifically validated alternative test is available, we seek to minimise the number of animals used and ensure we only use accredited and certified facilities that fully comply with animal welfare guidelines.”

Is Clearasil Vegan?

Clearasil has not gained any Vegan-certification, and it is not a Cruelty-Free brand, therefore this brand is not suitable for vegans.

Clearasil, Reckitt Benckiser and Putin’s attack on Ukraine

A number of businesses are coming under increasing pressure to terminate their residual relationships with Russia as the conflict in Ukraine rages, including two of the largest consumer products corporations in Britain. Businesses with operations in Russia include Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever, which analysts claim “have blood on their hands.” Despite calls to remove goods from store shelves, such as Dove soap, Knorr stock, and Magnum and Carte D’Or ice cream, Unilever CEO Alan Jope said the war is a “brutal and mindless act” by Russia. The manufacturer of Durex condoms and Strepsils lozenges, Reckitt, emphasised a “responsibility of care” to its 1,300 employees in Russia as well as the need for its hygiene and medical supplies.

It reduced its advertising and capital spending there, but it has resisted making a complete exit. Critics claim that continuing to help Russia economically amounts to indirectly supporting murder by failing to condemn the Putin regime’s violations of human rights in favour of protecting Russian profits.

Reckitt Benckiser, child labour and palm oil farm fatalities

In its latest research, “The true price of palm oil,” Global Witness explores the mounting danger that palm oil firms, who are responsible for massive deforestation and human rights violations, pose to the communities and tropical forests of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Three of PNG’s newest palm oil producers are accused in this inquiry of what looks to be severe crimes and other wrongdoings, including unreasonably ignoring frequent and preventable worker fatalities and injuries on palm oil farms.

Additionally, executives and senior staff from the palm oil industry admitted to undercover Global Witness investigators that they used child labour, paid police to abuse villagers, and engaged in what appeared to be a tax evasion scheme in addition to bribing officials, including a minister of the Papua New Guinean government. From Papua New Guinea plantations, tainted palm oil and its derivatives were sold to well-known large companies like Kellogg’s, Nestlé, Colgate, Danone, Hershey, PZ Cussons, and Reckitt Benckiser.

So, is Clearasil a good, ethical brand?

Unfortunately, due to Reckitt Benckiser’s involvement in animal testing, deforestation and human rights abuses, Clearasil cannot be said to be an ethical or sustainable skincare brand. In order to improve and aim for our Ethical Accreditation, Clearasil should consider gaining Vegan and Cruelty-Free accreditation, and properly interrogating its supply chain, particularly when it comes to palm oil.