Do we like them?

Do we like L'Oréal?

World's biggest beauty company (hair, skin, make-up, fragrance); based in Clichy, France

Our score: 5 out of 10. Top marks on climate reporting, but it faces thousands of hair-relaxer cancer suits, now including two US state suits. We'd hold off until those play out.

L'Oréal is a French giant, listed in Paris and run from Clichy. Two shareholders matter most: the Bettencourt Meyers family with about 35%, and Nestlé with about 20%. Nicolas Hieronimus is CEO, Jean-Paul Agon chairs the board, and the family has board seats too. Reports say the family is already looking at who might succeed Hieronimus.

The big drama right now is hair relaxers. Arizona's attorney general sued in September, and Reuters reported it was the first state to do so. Minnesota's attorney general followed on 23 October. Both accuse L'Oréal of hiding cancer risks from customers, especially Black women. L'Oréal says the claims lack merit. It also faces thousands of private suits in a federal case.

Older trouble: in 2014 the US FTC said L'Oréal made unsupported claims that Lancôme Génifique and Youth Code skincare targeted users' genes to look younger. L'Oréal settled, and the deal bars it from making those claims without solid science. Campaign group TINA.org said the deal let the company off lightly.

On the green side it does well. The non-profit CDP gave it a triple 'A' for climate, forests and water for the tenth year running. CDP says L'Oréal is the first and only company to manage that. L'Oréal also says it will make sure strategic suppliers' staff earn a living wage by 2030. The pressure group Naturewatch welcomed its tougher animal-testing policy, but still objects to the China caveat.

So why a 5? Its environmental reporting is among the best around, but the cancer allegations are serious and growing, with state governments now involved. Nothing has been proven in court yet. We'd want to see how the relaxer cases end before backing it with our money.