Unilever Is Removing the Word "Normal" From Beauty Product Packaging and Ads

Consumer goods conglomerate Unilever will remove the word "normal" from its beauty and personal care products. The company, which owns brands including Dove, St. Ives and Tresemmé, made the announcement as part of a larger commitment to foster diversity and inclusion in the beauty sector.

In addition to its ban of the word "normal," Unilever also promised to stop excessive editing of models' body size and skin color in its brand advertising. "With one billion people using our beauty and personal care products every day, and even more seeing our advertising, our brands have the power to make a real difference to people’s lives," said Sunny Jain, President of Unilever's beauty and personal care division. "We know that removing ‘normal’ from our products and packaging will not fix the problem alone, but it is an important step forward," he added. In 2017, Unilever pulled a Dove advertisement that showed a Black woman turning into a white woman after using the its lotion.

Unilever's announcement also cited a survey of 10,000 people across nine countries, 56 percent of whom said that the beauty and personal care industry can make people feel excluded. More than 70 percent of respondents said that the two industries must broaden their definition of beauty.

Head to the Unilever website to read more about its new "Positive Beauty" strategy.

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