Aesop
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 3 sources
Australian skincare and body care brand, owned by France's L'Oréal.
We couldn't confirm where it makes the rest, and most beauty and personal care products are made in countries such as the United States and China, where the legal minimum is below a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Aesop? Send a right of reply.
Compare Aesop with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Uses only synthetic mica or none, or traces natural mica to independently checked mines, and traces or certifies other high-risk ingredients (palm oil) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: palm oil
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Aesop names some of the countries it makes in: Australia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Japan. The rest is shown as where beauty and personal care products are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| France | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United Kingdom | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United StatesUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ItalyUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| SpainUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Doesn't show where its palm oil comes from. Palm oil is linked to forced and child labour on some Malaysian and Indonesian plantations, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Aesop's 2025 statement lists contract manufacturers in Australia, France, Japan, the UK and Germany and says most of its strategic suppliers and finished goods makers are in Australia, but it gives no supplier count or split by country. Suppliers must complete a Sedex social audit or equivalent, with higher-risk ones audited by a third party, though it reports no audit results; it names palm oil among its high-risk materials without saying how it is sourced. L'Oréal bought Aesop from Natura &Co in August 2023, and Good On You rates its people practices 3 out of 5, with living wages for some final-stage workers only.
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- Aesop (Good On You) · search the archive · Rated Good overall and 3 of 5 for people (updated 2026-09-30): final production mostly in lower-risk countries, living wages for some workers, audits some suppliers
- L'Oréal completes acquisition of Aesop (FashionUnited, 2023) · search the archive · L'Oréal bought Aesop from Natura &Co, completed around 31 August 2023
Published by Aesop or its owner
- Aesop 2025 Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement UK (Aesop) · search the archive · Acquired by L'Oréal on 30 August 2023; contract manufacturing in Australia, France, Japan, UK, Germany; Sedex audit requirement; palm oil named a high-risk material; no findings reported
Company details
- Owned by
- L'Oréal
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Aesop ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/aesop, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other skincare and sunscreen brands
Nothing we've rated in skincare and sunscreen is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Aesop.