Who owns what

Many "indie ethical" brands are owned by global conglomerates. Not automatically bad — but worth knowing.

Ownership data still being indexed.

The consolidation of "ethical" brands

In the last two decades, most of the biggest independent ethical, natural and organic brands have been acquired by multinationals. Burt's Bees is Clorox (2007). Tom's of Maine is Colgate-Palmolive (2006). The Body Shop passed through L'Oréal (2006), then Natura (2017), now Aurelius (2023). Aesop is L'Oréal (2023). Ben & Jerry's is Unilever (2000). Method and Ecover are SC Johnson. Seventh Generation is Unilever.

Acquisitions aren't inherently bad — many brands retain autonomy and use their parent's supply chain to scale. But the marketing sometimes lags the paperwork, and consumers deserve to see the org chart before they choose sides.

How to read this page

Each parent-company card lists every brand in our catalog owned by that conglomerate, with the acquisition year. Clicking a brand jumps to its full page — parent banner, controversies, ethics profile, and every product we've indexed.

For a deeper accountability lens, cross-reference this page with /controversies — most of the controversies at scale are attached to the parent, not the individual brand storefront.

Ownership FAQ

Why does parent company matter if the brand itself is ethical?+

Profits from an 'indie' subsidiary can flow up to a parent whose broader portfolio is documented for animal testing, deforestation, or supply-chain abuse. Buying The Body Shop supports Natura & Co; buying Ben & Jerry's supports Unilever. That may or may not change your decision — but it should be visible.

Do acquired brands lose their certifications?+

Not automatically. Leaping Bunny, B Corp and Vegan Society certifications are re-audited under the acquiring company's practices; some brands (Tom's of Maine after Colgate) have kept theirs, others (The Body Shop under L'Oréal) partially lost them. Every controversy timeline on our brand pages flags the acquisition date and any certification change.

How is the ownership data verified?+

Ownership relationships come from public filings (SEC 10-Ks, annual reports) and press releases at time of acquisition. When ownership is contested or private, we cite the reporting source and mark the date.

What about private-equity or family holdings?+

Where a brand is owned by a PE firm (e.g. L Catterton), we list the fund and — where public — the underlying LPs. Family and founder holdings are noted when they exceed 25% or exercise voting control.