Wella

How ethical is Wella?

Wella is a brand of hair care products which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Shampoo & Conditioner Ratings Table. Although Wella has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Wella 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 Shampoo & Conditioner sector.

What does Wella do?

Wella was founded originally in Germany in the 1890s around the design and creation of wig bases.

In which areas does Wella perform poorly?

Wella gets a bottom score for GM as its parent company led a round of funding for Replay, a genome writing company. It also gets a bottom rating for Fossil Fuels, as parent company KKR invests in several oil and gas companies. Wella does use animal testing when required by law, so is given a bottom score for Animal Welfare. It also gets a bottom rating for Political Donations as KKR & Co donated over $6.9m in recent cycles which is above our threshold.

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

Past Criticisms of Wella’s record

Wella’s parent company, KKR & Co., has been ranked near the bottom in several reports regarding the sustainability and ethics of companies. It has also been criticised for exposing investors to the risk of fossil fuels as well as for harming indigenous communities in Canada and Colorado.

In which areas does Wella score well for its ethics?

We found no criticisms relating to Nuclear Power or Irresponsible Marketing so Wella scores well for these criteria. The brand has an ESG Manifesto containing lots of targets, so Wella is given a top score for its Environmental Report.

How can Wella improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Wella is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Shampoo & Conditioner Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Wella has some issues to resolve, including its use of animal testing and support for GMOs. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Wella 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.