Green brands: Grüum

Grüum is a beauty and toiletries brand rated as a sustainable by 86% of respondents in our survey asking about sustainable brands.

Which? carried out a survey in February 2023 into member perceptions of sustainable brands. We asked members to rate how sustainable a brand was and then to give us their reasons why. We’ve then taken a further look at some of these brands to see whether the reality lives up to the perception.*

The top reasons given for Grüum's sustainability were its recyclable or minimal packaging (56%), lack of plastic packaging (48%) and its natural/non-toxic ingredients (48%).

We've looked in more detail at the sustainability initiatives and actions of beauty and toiletry brands, Faith in Nature, Grüum, Lush and The Body Shop, as these were the brands that members viewed as sustainable in our survey, to dig into whether people's thoughts about the brand's sustainability record are backed up.

Read on to find out more about how Grüum did, and what you need to know about sustainability issues in the beauty industry.

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Grüum: in summary

It's worth bearing in mind that despite all brands having some inevitable shortcomings, the companies featured in this green brands guide have been selected by members as being more sustainable within their markets. 

These are generally brands doing better than average in their sector and should be recognised as such.

Who owns Grüum?

Despite appearances Grüum – pronounced groom – isn’t a Scandinavian brand but Manchester-based company that was founded in 2016.

You can only buy Grüum products from its website, either as a one-off purchase or through subscribing, which gives you access to discounts.

Grüum and packaging

Grüum offers solid bars across much of its product range, including cleansers, body washes and conditioners. Solid bars cut down on packaging and Grüum's are plastic-free. They can also cut down on transport emissions as they are more concentrated (as you add water at the point of use).

Some products do come in plastic bottles, others in glass bottles or aluminium tins. All materials are fully recyclable.

To find out more about refills and packaging read our guide on how to buy refillable products.

Grüum and ingredients

Each product listing on Grüum's website makes it clear whether the product is vegan friendly (not all of the range is vegan), how much is naturally derived (as a percentage) or whether it’s entirely free of synthetic chemicals, whether it’s got plastic-free packaging and whether it’s palm oil-free.

Grüum doesn’t use parabens, SLS or EDTA. It told us it tries to use naturally derived ingredients where possible.

Some Grüum products contain palm oil. We couldn’t find any information about whether this was certified on its website but when we asked, Grüum confirmed that its palm oil was all RSPO-certified. 

We think it would be helpful for Grüum to give more information about its ingredients and their sourcing on its website for consumers to make an informed choice.

Scroll down for more on palm oil and how to look for certified products.

Other Grüum sustainability information

Grüum doesn’t publish any information about its scope 1,2 and 3 emissions on its website but says it is working to reach net zero by 2028.

Why should we be worried about beauty products' impact on the environment?

Beauty products’ ingredients lists can be bafflingly long and difficult to interpret, but there are certain things to consider when making your choices.

Palm oil

It’s estimated that around 70% of beauty products contain palm oil. It acts as an emulsifier (holds oil and water together), surfactant (creates foam) and moisturiser.

But palm oil has also been linked with rainforest deforestation and habitat destruction. The constantly increasing demand for its use makes it particularly difficult to control how it is produced.

Products might list it as an ingredient, or may use ingredients derived from it. It has a huge list of pseudonyms – lauric and stearic acid being among the more common – which means it can be difficult to avoid. 

Look instead for brands that carry RSPO certification on their packaging or state that their palm oil is sustainably sourced.

The PalmOil Scan app scans barcodes to tell you about a brand’s palm oil commitment and whether it’s an RSPO member. WWF’s online Palm Oil Buyers scorecard can give you more information about a brand’s palm oil policy and how its performing.

If you want to go palm oil free, the Orangutan Alliance Palm Oil Free Seal can be found on some products. Its website also lists ingredient names that may have been derived from palm oil.

Biodegradability

Chemicals in beauty products can have negative impacts on the environment as well as human health. 

Anything found in the ingredients list of cosmetic or personal care products sold in the UK will have been approved as safe for human use. Though they may be restricted to certain amounts – this includes groups of chemicals like parabens. 

Some beauty brands may choose to avoid certain chemicals altogether, or have ranges that avoid the use of synthetic chemicals.

The biodegradability of ingredients used in cosmetics is an important consideration. They may end up being washed down the drain and treated at a water treatment plant – assuming water companies are dealing with it responsibly. But cosmetics may also be wiped off on cotton pads or wipes, which go in the bin. This means they could possibly end up in landfill (though much in the UK will be incinerated). 

Products need to be readily biodegradable in these environments to avoid environmental damage. But the reality is not everything fully breaks down. Synthetic ingredients, often derived from fossil fuels, can be particularly persistent.

Confusingly, the term ‘natural’ is not legally regulated. If using fully natural products is important to you, look for a certification label on the product. This will also increase the likelihood that the natural ingredients are sourced in a sustainable way.

Certified natural and organic cosmetics (the main logos you will see are COSMOS and NATRUE) and household cleaning products (the main logo is Soil Association) are assessed for ready biodegradability. Ingredients will have to break down in a specified time. Cradle to Cradle certification, while not an organic standard, focuses on the full life cycle of a product.

Read more about how chemicals break down in our waterways and how to buy water friendly cleaning products and toiletries.

Packaging

Packaging of beauty products is something to seriously consider when making your choice. According to the British Beauty Council, 95% of cosmetic packaging is thrown away. Items like shampoo and shower gel bottles can usually be recycled with household recycling, but some more complex packaging such as mascara wands and hand soap pumps are unlikely to be recycled. 

Brands that offer packaging-free options, closed loop recycling, refillable options or solid format products like shampoo bars should be commended.

Packaging

Packaging of beauty products is something to seriously consider when making your choice. According to the British Beauty Council, 95% of cosmetic packaging is thrown away. Items like shampoo and shower gel bottles can usually be recycled with household recycling, but some more complex packaging such as mascara wands and hand soap pumps are unlikely to be recycled. 

Brands that offer packaging-free options, closed loop recycling, refillable options or solid format products like shampoo bars should be commended.

You can find out more about the reality behind the claims of other beauty brands rated highly by members in our survey: Faith in Nature (91%), Lush (81%) and The Body Shop (77%).

 *The brands that survey respondents could answer on were preselected based on a previous Which? survey carried out in November 2022 asking members to highlight brands they considered sustainable.

Find out more about what supermarkets are doing about the environment, how to buy second-hand online, or what makes a green energy supplier.