Tom's of Maine, which currently stands at an impressive 16 out of 20 in Ethical Consumer's unique "ethiscore" rating system, would see its score cut to just 5 out of 20, if the takeover [by Colgate-Palmolive] goes through. Tom's of Maine...has received Ethical Consumer's highest rating for its environmental reporting...and for its paraben-free products. Parabens are hormone mimicking chemicals that have been linked to breast and testicular cancer. Colgate's current score of 5 out of 20 is attributable to its receiving Ethical Consumer's worst rating for environmental reporting... Colgate-Palmolive products have been found to include parabens, saccharin (a known carcinogen) and triclosan (a microbiocide). The Colgate-Palmolive company also operates in seven countries on Ethical Consumer's list of oppressive regimes... [also refers to Green & Blacks, Body Shop]