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How sustainable is Dermalogica ?

Dermalogica & sustainability


Dermalogica
First milestones, should be better Click here for score rapport: 5 out of 26

Sustainability summary

Dermalogica has achieved the D-label. Dermalogica has started to take sustainability into account. Still, a lot more can be done.

Brand owner: Unilever N.V.
Head office: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Sector: Cosmetics
Categories : 
Free Tags: Unilever

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Dermalogica sustainability score report

Last edited: 17 January 2017 by Mario
Last reviewed: 17 January 2017 by Mario

Questions about Climate Change/ Carbon Emissions

3 out of 4
1. Is there a policy for the brand to minimize, reduce or compensate carbon emissions? Unilever (brand owner of Dermalogica), implements several measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as using renewable energy sources, reducing truck mileage in transport and reducing employee travels. Source
2. Has the brand (company) disclosed the annual absolute carbon footprint of its 'own operations' (Scope 1 & 2) and has the brand already reduced or compensated 10% of these emissions in the last 5 years? Unilever has reduced its climate footprint (Scope 1 & 2, market based) from 2,491,971 of CO2e in 2011 to 1,858,924 tons of CO2e in 2015, which represents a reduction of around 25,5% (see link, "Climate Change 2016 Response” & “Investor 2012 Response"). Source
3. Has the brand (company) set a target to reduce its absolute ‘own operations’ carbon emissions by at least 20% within the next 5 years? Unilever has set a target to reduce 100% of its total greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, compared to base year 2008 – which makes on average about 4,5% per year, and about 22,7% over the next five years (see link, "Climate Change 2016 Response”). Source
4. Is at least 25% of the electricity used by the brand (company) generated from renewable resources, such as wind or solar energy? Unilever communicates that 28% of its energy requirements for manufacturing came from renewables, but does not clearly specify the share of its electricity use. Also, type, source and additionality of its renewable energy supply for electricity is largely not clear enough specified. Source

Questions about Environmental Policy

1 out of 18
1. Does the brand have a policy to phase out all possible harmful substances? Unilever (brand owner of Dermalogica) has disclosed a policy on the use and phase out of possible harmful substances. But, a general policy to phase out all possible harmful substances is not specified. Source
2. Does the brand refrain from using the high hazard (red coded) chemicals as listed in the Skin Deep database of the Environmental Working Group, and if still used, does the brand give scientific account for the safe use of it? Dermalogica is listed on the SkinDeep database using chemicals coded as ‘red’. Brand owner Unilever clarifies on some chemical (groups) such as parabens, but does not give a clarification on the full spectrum of possible hazardous substances used (like retinyl palmitate) (see also link, next question). Source
3. Does the brand strictly apply the precautionary principle (=banning) for all possible harmful substances such as parabens, also when the scientific evidence for possible harm is limited, unclear or debated? Unilever gives allergy information and other health and environmental information for the substances that are coded as orange and red by the EWG. However, they still use possible harmful substances like parabens. Source
4. Does the brand refrain from using any microplastics for all of its products? Unilever claims that the use of microbeads is completely banned from all products, since 2014 (see link, previous question). However, concerning its brand Dermalogica the use of Polyethylene (PE) was still identified (effective by July 2016). Source
5. Does the cosmetics brand completely refrain from animal testing including tests in the supply chain? Unilever communicates to refrain from animal testing, except when required by law. Source
6. Does the cosmetics brand refrain from using animal derived ingredients? Unilever does not specify to refrain using animal derived ingredients for its brand Dermalogica. Source
7. Does the brand have a policy to replace petroleum-based ingredients with renewable, biodegradable ingredients? For its brand Dermalogica, Unilever does not specify to replace petroleum-based ingredients with renewable, biodegradable ingredients. Source
8. Has the brand already achieved an overall ratio of 50% renewable, biodegradable ingredients? For its brand Dermalogica, brand owner Unilever does not specify the overall ratio of renewable, biodegradable ingredients. Source
9. Are all the cosmetics of the brand free of organic-synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, ethoxylated raw materials, synthetic UV filters, synthetic preservatives, silicones, paraffin and other petroleum derived products? Unilever uses petroleum derived ingredients, like silicones and fragrances. Source
10. Are all cosmetics free of genetically modified materials, nanomaterials and radiated materials? Unilever does not specify whether all Dermalogica products are free of genetically modified materials, nanomaterials and radiated materials. Source
11. Are at least 50% of the brand products certified ‘natural’? Unilever does not specify which share of its Dermalogica brand products is certified ‘natural’. Source
12. Does the brand use organic or otherwise environmentally certified renewable ingredients for at least 50% of its total use of ingredients? Unilever does not specify which share of its Dermalogica brand products is environmentally certified. Source
13. Are at least 90% of the brand products certified ‘organic’? Unilever does not specify which share of its Dermalogica brand products is certified ‘organic’. Source
14. Does the brand inform users through all products about environmentally responsible use, such as dosage, water use and packaging disposal? Unilever does not specify whether environmentally responsible use information are provided for its customers through all Dermalogica brand products. Source
15. Does the brand (company) publish a water footprint and is there a concrete policy to minimize, reduce or compensate this footprint? Unilever implements several measures to reduce its water usage. In 2014, Unilever used 40406.29 mega liters of water (see link, "Water 2015 Response"). Source
16. Does the brand (company) publish its annual material use footprint, or alternatively material footprints for each sold product, and does the brand have an effective policy in place to reduce the overall environmental impact of material use? Unilever implements several measures to improve its annual material footprint, but does not publish its annual material footprint, or alternatively material footprints for each sold product. Source
17. Does the brand (company) have clear objectives to minimize waste, by reducing, re-using and recycling, and does the brand annually report the results? Unilever implements several measures to minimize waste. But, aggregate, comprehensive results regarding its overall annual waste materials footprint are not specified (see link, pages 15-17). Source
18. Does the brand have clear objectives to minimize the environmental impact of packaging, by reducing, re-using and recycling, and does the brand annually report on these results? Unilever implements several measures to minimize the impact of its packaging. But, aggregate, comprehensive results regarding its annual packaging materials footprint are not specified. Source

Questions about Labour Conditions/ Fair Trade

1 out of 4
1. Does the brand (company) purchase tropical ingredients such as palm oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, carnauba wax from sources (e.g. plantations) that are certified to e.g. have no child labor and no forced labour, and provide a better living standard for the farmers and workers who produce these tropical materials? Unilever (brand owner of Dermalogica) reports that its palm oil supply is RSPO certified (92% via GreenPalm certificates & 8% mainly through RSPO segregated supply, in 2014). However, for other tropical ingredients social certification is not mentioned (see link, "Forest 2015 Response"). Source
2. Does the brand (company) purchase at least 50% of its tropical ingredients such as palm oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, carnauba wax from sources (e.g. plantations) that are certified to e.g. have no child labor and no forced labour, and provide a better living standard for the farmers and workers who produce the tropical ingredients? See remark for labor conditions policy question 1. Source
3. Does the brand (company) purchase mined raw materials such as mica and gold from sources (e.g. mines) that are certified to e.g. have no child labor and no forced labour, and provide a better living standard for the farmers and workers who produce the raw materials, and/or is the brand equally involved in significant initiatives to achieve this? Unilever generally addresses to the topic of conflict minerals, but does not specify its reporting concerning raw materials like mica in specific. Source
4. Does the brand (company) purchase at least 50% of its mined raw materials such as mica and gold from sources (e.g. mines) that are certified to e.g. have no child labor and no forced labour, and provide a better living standard for the workers who produce the raw materials, and/or is the brand equally involved in significant initiatives to achieve this? See remark for labor conditions policy question 3. Source