This company uses plastic microbeads in some of its personal care products. These particles are not retained by wastewater treatment so end up in the ocean where they contribute to ocean plastic pollution, and are hazardous to sea life. While the effects of microplastics on human health are not completely understood, there are concerns about plastic additives, such as phthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors which are shown to have harmful effects on life.

In 2016 Greenpeace East Asia ranked the world's 30 biggest personal care companies on their commitment to eliminating microbeads from their personal care products. The scorecard was based on four main criteria: commitment & transparency, definition, deadline and global application. This company ranked towards the bottom of the scorecard. Microbeads are not retained by wastewater treatment and end up in the ocean where they are a threat to the marine environment.

In 2010 personal care giants Sara Lee, Puig and Colgate-Palmolive were fined 8m euros by Spanish competition authorities for price fixing. Spain's National Competition Commission (CNC) claimed that the cartel agreement that had been in existence since 2005 was relating to disguising a price increase of more than 15 per cent on certain bath and shower gel products. [Listed under Information due to age of court finding]

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.

Sustainalytics, a top ESG research firm, evaluates environmental, social, and governance risks for over 16,000 companies. Its ESG Risk Rating reflects how much risk a company faces in its industry and how well it manages those risks. The final score includes both unmanaged and unmanageable risks, and companies are rated on a scale from negligible (0-10) to severe (40+). This company received an ESG Risk Rating of 20.9, placing it in the "medium risk" category (retrieved April 2025).