Neal’s Yard Remedies

How ethical is Neal’s Yard Remedies?

Neal’s Yard Remedies, a pioneering ethical skincare and cosmetics brand, is one of The Good Shopping Guide’s top-rated ethical brands and is featured on our list of the Top 200 Ethical Businesses.

The brand receives an excellent Good Shopping Guide ethical score of 100 in our Ethical Make Up Ratings Table and therefore successfully passes our ethical benchmark.

We encourage other companies in the Make Up sector to follow Neal’s Yard Remedies’ example and adopt more ethical policies and practices.

All about Neal’s Yard Remedies

Romy Fraser, a proponent of natural medicine, launched Neal’s Yard Remedies in Covent Garden in 1981. The Kindersleys, who also embrace organic products, acquired Neal’s Yard Remedies in 2006 and strengthened its all-encompassing approach to health and beauty.

The Ethical Company Organisation (that’s us, The Good Shopping Guide!) awarded Neal’s Yard 100/100 for its ethics in 2014, making it the first health and beauty company to achieve this.

The North Dorset countryside is home to a factory, offices, and a store for Neal’s Yard.

The company produces its goods in modest quantities. The award-winning building design of Neal’s Yard guarantees that the brand’s carbon footprint is reduced to a minimal with features like energy-efficient air management, rainwater and greywater recycling in its bathrooms, air-source heat pump systems, and solar panels.

Neal’s Yard headquarters are surrounded by acres of organic farms, meadows, and gardens. The organic calendula, St. John’s wort, verbena, and lemon balm used in many of our favourite products are grown there by Head Gardener Fraser and his team.

In which areas do Neal’s Yard Remedies perform well?

With a perfect Good Shopping Guide score of 100, Neal’s Yard Remedies performs well across all criteria in our Make Up assessment.

Notably, Neal’s Yard has several organic products certified by the Soil Association, and therefore receives a top rating in our Organic category.

Neal’s Yard is also Leaping Bunny certified by Cruelty-Free International, which confirms no animal testing, and has products certified by The Vegetarian Society. 

This means Neal’s Yard receives a top rating for Animal Welfare and Vegetarian/Vegan, thus achieving full marks in the Animals category.

What makes Neal’s Yard Remedies so sustainable?

Neal’s Yard Remedies has a wide range of sustainable initiatives that further the brand’s ethical status. The brand was set up to provide natural, organic, and cruelty-free skincare and beauty products to ethically conscious consumers.

Moreover, Neal’s Yard Remedies demonstrates a clear commitment to environmental progress through its targets to reduce carbon emissions by 47% by 2025, as well as introduce fully recycled plastic bottles. 

Neal’s Yard is also involved in charitable activities. This includes working with the Bee Lovely campaign to fundraise for bee conservation and supporting The World Land Trust in protecting the world’s forests.

As a result of its pioneering ethical commitments and environmental achievements, Neal’s Yard has been awarded a top rating in the Ethical Innovator category.

How did Neal’s Yard Remedies attain Ethical Accreditation?

Neal’s Yard Remedies has attained Ethical Accreditation from The Good Shopping Guide. This involved an application process and a full review of the brand’s ethical policies and practices. Neal’s Yard is subject to an annual review to ensure the company maintains high ethical standards.

As a result, Neal’s Yard Remedies is permitted to use our Good Shopping Guide Ethical logo, which certifies the brand’s ethical status and allows consumers to recognise Neal’s Yard as an ethical brand.