We also look at toxic chemicals, animal testing, shine a spotlight on the ethics of Boots and give our recommended buys.
This is a product guide from Ethical Consumer, the UK's leading alternative consumer organisation. Since 1989 we've been researching and recording the social and environmental records of companies, and making the results available to you in a simple format.
What to look for when buying perfume:
Does it sell vegan perfumes? There are many animal welfare issues with perfume, so look out for shops that stock vegan perfumes. Keep an eye out for the Vegan Society logo.
Does it sell toxic-free or organic perfumes? Potentially hazardous chemicals are used in the secret 'fragrance' part of the perfume, making it very difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are spraying on themselves. Look out for organic certification logos such as the Soil Association.
What to avoid when buying perfume:
Is the company avoiding tax? Don't buy from retailers that avoid corporation tax. For more information visit our Boycott Amazon campaign.
Does it sell animal tested perfumes? Testing on animals for cosmetic purposes has been banned in the EU, but many companies still test on animals to sell into markets outside Europe e.g. China where animal testing is mandatory. Look out for the leaping bunny logo from Cruelty Free International.
We suggest avoiding these companies that received a worst rating for likely use of tax avoidance:
| Brand | Score(out of 20) | Ratings Categories | Positive Scores |
|---|---|---|---|
Animal Aid shopCompany Profile: Animal Abuse Injustice and Defence Society |
14.5
|
||
Green Valley Trading CompanyCompany Profile: Green Valley Trading Company |
13.5
|
||
HonestyCompany Profile: Honesty Cosmetics |
13.5
|
||
shopvegan.co.ukCompany Profile: Green Valley Trading Company |
13.5
|
||
veganhealthandbeauty.comCompany Profile: Green Valley Trading Company |
13.5
|
||
John LewisCompany Profile: John Lewis Plc |
5
|
||
House of FraserCompany Profile: House of Fraser Plc |
4.5
|
|
|
SelfridgesCompany Profile: Selfridges Retail Limited |
4.5
|
|
|
DebenhamsCompany Profile: Debenhams plc |
3
|
|
|
SuperdrugCompany Profile: Superdrug Stores Plc |
1.5
|
|
|
The Perfume ShopCompany Profile: The Perfume Shop |
1.5
|
|
|
BootsCompany Profile: Boots UK Ltd |
1
|
|
|
AmazonCompany Profile: Amazon.com Inc |
0
|
|
This guide looks at who sells vegan, organic and animal friendly perfumes. It is also part of our Amazon boycott campaign and our Alternatives to Amazon series, so in addition it includes tax avoidance rankings for all the companies featured.
The shops listed in the guide all sell a range of perfumes. For a guide to individual perfume brands please see our guide to perfume and aftershave.
Many perfumes use animal products. This fact is often hidden as they are included in the fragrance element of the ingredient list for each perfume. The fragrance element is subject to copyright laws and therefore companies do not need to publicly disclose the constituent parts. In the UK it is usually listed in the ingredients as, 'Perfume' or 'Parfum'.
Many of these have now been replaced with synthetic alternatives but without independent verification (such as the Vegan Society ethical label) it is impossible to know.
Some of the animal products potentially used include:
Of the brands on the table the following sell perfume marketed as vegan:
Toxic chemicals are a notable issue in the perfume sector. As with the use of animal products potentially hazardous chemicals are used in the fragrance part of the perfume making it very difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are spraying on themselves.
We have rated companies on their toxics policies and expect companies to have policies that at least covers the use of use of the following two ingredients:
Here's which companies on the table scored a negative mark for their policy (or lack of) on toxics:
The Perfume Shop, Superdrug, Amazon, Boots, Debenhams, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Selfridges, Honesty Cosmetics, Green Valley Trading, shopvegan.co.uk, and veganhealthandbeauty.com.
More on how we rate companies for their toxic chemicals policies >
The following shops featured on the table sell a selection of organic perfumes
Animal testing is also a big issue in the perfume market. Despite testing on animals for cosmetic purposes being banned in the EU, many companies still test on animals to sell into markets outside the EU e.g. China where animal testing is mandatory.
We would therefore expect all the companies in this market have an animal testing policy.
Here's how the companies scored on Animal Testing (from our table):
Ethical Consumer's best rating: Animal Aid, shopvegan.co.uk, Green Valley Trading Company veganhealthandbeauty.com, Honesty
Ethical Consumer's middle rating: Superdrug, Debenhams
Ethical Consumer's worst rating: Amazon, The Perfume Shop, Boots, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Selfridges
Of the companies featured on the table the following sell BUAV/Leaping Bunny accredited perfume:
Amazon has been the subject of a boycott call from Ethical Consumer for over two years due to its tax avoidance.
Below you can see how each company on the table rated for likely use of tax avoidance strategies:
Best Ethical Consumer rating: John Lewis, House of Fraser, Honesty, Animal Aid, shopvegan.co.uk, Green Valley Trading Company, veganhealthandbeauty.com
Middle Ethical Consumer rating: Debenhams
Worst Ethical Consumer rating: Amazon, Superdrug, The Perfume Store, Boots, Selfridges
Boots sells over a third of all perfume bought in the UK. The company is owned by the US company Walgreens Boots Alliance. Its scores badly across the board, scoring a worst Ethical Consumer rating for all it's policies. It also has subsidiaries in Thailand and Russia, which are (at the time of writing) considered oppressive regimes by Ethical Consumer.
Want to know more?
If you want to find out detailed information about a company and more about its ethical rating, then click on a brand name in the Score table.
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