Imperial Leather

How ethical is Imperial Leather?

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

We would have extra confidence in Imperial Leather 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 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. It also received only a middle rating for our Animal Welfare criteria, as it does have an Animal Testing Policy but no certification. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Imperial Leather’s  record

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.

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

Imperial Leather scores well for its Environmental Report, as its parent company, PZ Cussons, has an Annual Report 2022 containing numerous targets including 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.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Imperial Leather has some issues to resolve, including its lack of certification for Organic products or for its Animal Testing Policy. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Imperial Leather 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.