Dettol

How ethical is Dettol?

Dettol 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 Dettol has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Dettol 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 Soap & Shower Gel sector.

What does Dettol do?

Dettol is a well-known cleaning products brand owned by Reckitt Benckiser Group which also makes soap products.

In which areas does Dettol perform poorly?

Dettol gets a bottom score for Animal Welfare as its parent company states that it does test on animals when required to by law, and Dettol’s website confirms this. Dettol also scores poorly for Irresponsible Marketing, due to Reckitt Benckiser being fined a record $1.4 billion over the marketing of Suboxone, an opioid addiction treatment.

Dettol was also marked down under our criteria for Organic products and Vegetarian/Vegan products due to a lack of certification. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Dettol’s record

Dettol’s parent company, Reckitt Benckiser, has been named as one of the companies sourcing palm oil from producers responsible for deforestation and human rights abuses in Papua New Guinea. The company is also one of those sourcing palm oil from producers in Indonesia known to be withholding plasma and its profits from local communities.

In which areas does Dettol score well for its ethics?

We found no criticisms of Dettol relating to; GM, Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Power or Armaments, so it scores well for these criteria. It gets a middle score for Political Donations, as in recent election cycles, its parent company Reckitt Benckiser has donated over $45k. Dettol also gets a top score for its Environmental Report as Reckitt Benckiser’s Sustainability Insights Report 2022 contains plenty of targets in a number of areas.

How can Dettol improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Dettol 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, Dettol has some issues to resolve, including its use of animal testing and poor marketing practices. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Dettol 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.