UK haircare brand Umberto Giannini achieves B Corp status

UK haircare brand Umberto Giannini has achieved global certification as a B Corporation, joining the growing ranks of businesses pursuing purpose alongside profit.

The brand has been certified by B Lab as having met a number of rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit. 

The rigorous B Corp certification covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers and requires companies to legally embed their commitment to purpose beyond profit in their company articles.

There are currently over 500 certified B Corps in the UK and 3,500 in the US, with other beauty industry B Corps including The Body Shop, Aesop, and Sunday Riley.

Commenting on the achievement, Umberto Giannini co-founder Claire Shread said: “Since inception, we have been at the forefront working tirelessly to bring vegan and cruelty-free haircare to the mass market in an accessible and affordable way.

“We have a strong deep-rooted belief that putting people and the planet before profits, will build a business where everyone within it has pride and a purpose.

“Our mantra is ‘doing good business beautifully.’  Every day, we choose to empower others to feel beautiful, and to do their most beautiful work for themselves, the brand, and the wider community.”

Key pillars essential to the Umberto Giannini brand mission of putting people, planet, and responsible products first, include:

• Product: 100% vegan, 100% cruelty free, 100% of the time since 1988, commitment to using natural ingredients.
• Planet: Product bottles, tubes and jars are fully recyclable, and contain recycled or renewable materials; where possible, virgin plastic is replaced with natural sugar cane. and PCR (post-consumer recycled) materials, to minimize landfill waste
• Use of 100% renewable energy in all owned and operated salon locations.
• 100% of the team have worked from home offices since June 2019 and live by a ‘drive less’ policy, helping to reduce the team’s overall carbon emissions.
• People: Mindfully made in the UK, to support a local supply and distribution network, as well as reduce the brand’s carbon footprint.
• #UGiving: Umberto Giannini pledges at least 1% of its annual profits to non-profit causes
• #womanmade: 100% of the Umberto Giannini management team are female.