COOLA

How ethical is COOLA?

COOLA is a brand of self tan products which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Self Tan Ratings Table. Although COOLA has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in COOLA if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ethical Self Tan sector.

What does COOLA do?

COOLA is a brand of self tan founded in California by Chris, whose parents had both been diagnosed with melanoma. COOLA is now owned by SC Johnson.

In which areas does COOLA perform poorly?

COOLA was marked down under our criteria for Animal Welfare, as SC Johnson confirms that it does test on animals when required, and for Political Donations, as in recent election cycles, COOLA’s parent company SC Johnson & Son has donated over $1.7 million.

The brand also gets a bottom rating for Organic and Vegetarian due to lack of certification, and for its Environmental Report, as its parent company, SC Johnson & Son has several sustainability pages on its website but these are not detailed or up to date.

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

Past Criticisms of COOLA’s record

COOLA’s parent company, SC Johnson, paid $2.25m to settle a lawsuit claiming that products from the Method brand were falsely marketed as ‘non-toxic’ despite having the capacity to harm humans or the environment.

In which areas does COOLA score well for its ethics?

We found no criticisms of COOLA relating to; GM, Nuclear Power, Fossil Fuels, Armaments or Irresponsible Marketing, so it scores well for these criteria. It also gets a top rating for Organic due to having products certified by ECOCERT.

How can COOLA improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that COOLA is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Self Tan Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, COOLA has some issues to resolve, including its use of animal testing and lack of Organic certification. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give COOLA some guidance to improve on these areas.

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.