Unilever removes the word ‘normal’ from all soaps, shampoos and beauty products

Unilever is removing the descriptor “normal” from its soaps, shampoos and other personal care brands, saying the word is not “inclusive” and has a “negative effect on people.”

The word “normal” is often used to describe what type of skin or hair, such as normal, dry, fine, or oily, is recommended for a particular beauty product.

The British multinational, which owns brands such as Dove, Sunsilk and TRESemmé and sells products in some 190 countries, announced this week that it would remove the word “normal” from all its advertising and packaging “around the world.”

Unilever said the change was part of its “Positive Beauty” strategy, “advocating for a new era of beauty that is inclusive, equitable and sustainable.”

Under the new policy, Unilever has also promised to “end all digital alterations that change a person’s body shape, size, proportions or skin color, and increase the number of ads that portray people of diverse and underrepresented groups “.

“We recognize that images representing certain types of beauty affect us all – men, women, children, and people of all ages and ethnicities,” Markus Rehde, general manager for beauty, personal care and home care at Unilever Australia and New Zealand, it said in a statement.

Rehde said that with “hundreds of thousands” of Australians using Unilever beauty and personal care products every day and “seeing even more of our advertising, our brands have the power to make a real difference in people’s lives.” .

“As part of this, we are committed to addressing harmful norms and stereotypes and shaping a broader and much more inclusive definition of beauty,” he said.

‘On another planet’

Dr. Bella d’Abrera, from the free market think tank of the Institute of Public Affairs, told The Daily Telegraph that the move was “ridiculous.”

“Being ‘normal’ and ‘ordinary’ is not a trigger for anyone except Unilever’s marketing department,” he told the newspaper.

“By desperately trying to be ‘inclusive’, Unilever is alienating most of its customers who fall into the category of ‘normal’ hair. The people at Unilever are clearly on another planet and completely out of touch with Australians who consider themselves normal and ordinary.. “

The move comes after Unilever last year changed the name of its Fair & Lovely skin lightening creams sold in Asia and removed references to “whitening” or “brightening” products, after “[recognising] that the use of the words ‘beautiful’, ‘white’ and ‘clear’ suggests a singular ideal of beauty. “

Unilever says the decision was based on a survey of 10,000 people in nine countries, which found that seven out of 10 said that the word “normal” on beauty product packaging “has a negative effect on people.”

“This number rises to eight out of 10 among 18- to 35-year-olds,” Unilever said.

The survey also found that 56 percent of people said the beauty and personal care industry can make people feel left out, more than 70 percent said the industry should broaden its definition of beauty, while 60 percent said the industry “creates a singular ideal of who or what is ‘normal,’ and that made them feel like they should see themselves in a certain way.”

Meanwhile, 74 percent said they want the industry to “focus more on making people feel better rather than just looking better,” and more than half said there is still work to be done “to better represent people of various body types, people of different age groups, people of different ethnicities, and people from the LGBTQIA + community. “

‘Important step forward’

“We know that eliminating the ‘normal’ from our products and packaging will not solve the problem on its own, but it is an important step forward,” said Sunny Jain, Unilever’s global president of beauty and personal care, in a statement.

“It is just one of several actions we are taking as part of our Positive Beauty vision, which aims to not only do less harm, but rather to both people and the planet. With more consumers than ever, rewarding brands that take action on the social and environmental issues that concern them, we believe Positive Beauty will make us a stronger and more successful business. “

The “Positive Beauty” strategy also includes commitments to gender equality, public health, the environment and the protection of animals.

Unilever’s survey of 10,000 people was conducted in the US, Brazil, the UK, Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia and China.

When asked if the company had conducted a similar investigation in Australia, a spokeswoman said: “Not at this stage.”