Overview:

Sustainability 5.0/10
Non-toxicity 5.5/10

Herbal Essences is a mainstream haircare brand under P&G.

Highlights

• Support for environmental initiatives

• Recycled and recyclable packaging improvements

• RSPO-certified palm

Sustainability

score : 5.0/10

Packaging

Herbal Essences has made some efforts to increase PCR content in their packaging and reduce overall packaging materials. Still, they rely heavily on virgin plastic across their inventory. They've also begun introducing some takeback programs and partner with Terracycle to encourage recycling their bottles.

Ingredient Sustainability

Herbal Essences markets itself as a plant-inspired brand, but the environmental sourcing of its ingredients is mixed. By 2020 P&G achieved 100% RSPO certification for all the palm oil used in its brands. Herbal Essences has also not disclosed specific progress on reducing the environmental footprint of other key ingredients (e.g. surfactants, silicones) or ensuring they are biodegradable. They've supported a number of reforestation or sustainable harvesting initiatives, but many ingredients still raise environmental concerns that unaddressed.

Energy Use and Footprint

P&G has pledged to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain and operations by 2040. P&G is also increasing the use of renewable energy at its plants; for example, a new Texas solar farm (200 MW) will supply renewable electricity equivalent to powering 50,000 homes, helping P&G reach 100% renewable electricity for operations globally.

Despite these strides, the total lifecycle footprint of Herbal Essences products is still significant. The brand sells billions of single-use plastic bottles that ultimately require energy to produce and recycle. Emissions from raw material extraction (e.g. petrochemicals for ingredients, agriculture for botanicals) and product use (heating water in showers) are areas not fully addressed in public disclosures.

Waste Management

P&G achieved zero manufacturing waste to landfill across all factories by 2020. This reflects excellent internal waste handling: plastics, papers, and other by-products are diverted to recycling or energy recovery rather than dumped.

Business Model

Herbal Essences operates within the traditional fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) model: selling affordable shampoo, conditioners, and styling products in one-time-use packaging through mass retailers. This conventional model relies on high volumes and repeat purchase, which inherently can conflict with sustainability.

Non-toxicity

score : 5.5/10

All Herbal Essences formulas meet the stringent safety standards of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, which bans or restricts 1,300+ chemicals. The brand has a published “No-No-No List” of ingredients it avoids in its bio:renew shampoos and conditioners, including known or suspected harmful substances.  In 2019, it became the first mass-market haircare brand to earn the Environmental Working Group's EWG Verified™ mark on select products. Still, concerning ingredients like parabens and fragrance are found in products outside the limited bio:renew line.

Social Responsibility

score : 5.2/10

Serious labor issues have been reported in the upstream supply chain, especially concerning palm oil, a common ingredient in surfactants. In particular, P&G has faced criticism for sourcing from producers accused of forced labor.

The brand is certified cruelty-free by PETA, despite selling in China, which indicates they've attained exceptional rights to distribute in China without animal testing.

Herbal Essences has contributed to a number of social and environmental programs. However, these are mostly temporary or one-time contributions and not ongoing programs. For a company of the size and scale of Herbal Essences, these initiatives are less impressive.

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