Unilever partners with Superdrug and Beauty Banks to tackle hygiene poverty

Published: 26-Apr-2023

United in their purpose to end hygiene poverty in the UK, Unilever has joined forces with Superdrug and charity Beauty Banks, to tackle the growing issue which affects millions of adults and children every day

From 19 April to 16 May, Unilever will donate one Dove product to Beauty Banks, for every two selected Dove products purchased at Superdrug, either in-store or online.

Official figures suggest that around one in five people in the UK were in poverty in 2020/211, this equates to 20% of the population or 13.4 million people, however, given the challenging climate, it’s predicted this figure is now even higher. Many of these people are going without washing, brushing teeth or applying deodorant because they can’t afford soap, shampoo or toothpaste. This can leave people feeling embarrassed and can negatively impact their mental health and confidence. As part of Dove’s ongoing Self-Esteem project, donating products through this campaign is another step in building positive body confidence.

Over 400 Superdrug stores in the UK will host Unilever’s first in-store fixture with Beauty Banks, inviting shoppers to purchase two Dove products so that Unilever donates one to the charity. Each unit will have a scannable QR code to direct shoppers to the Beauty Banks website, to find out more about the charity and its work to end hygiene poverty. There are already 100 Beauty Bank donation bins in Superdrug stores where shoppers can also drop off new items, which are distributed to charities that are local to the stores.

Unilever, Superdrug and Beauty Banks believe that that being clean is a basic human right; the partnership is an important step to make a real difference through donations and raising awareness of the problem. Beauty Banks provides personal care and hygiene products to people in the UK living in hygiene poverty through the company’s relationships with over 600 registered charities across the UK, from youth centres and retirement homes to women's refuges and homeless shelters. The charity reported an 80% increase in demand for its services in 2022, and now partners with at least one charity in every county of the UK.

Chris Barron, General Manager, Unilever UKI Personal Care says, “We know that hygiene poverty remains a significant issue in the UK and affects the physical and mental wellbeing of many. We want to be able to make a real change at scale, which is why we are working with two influential partners to make this a reality. We’re already on a mission to help build self-esteem and allow people to reach their full potential with our ongoing Dove project, so this collaboration will allow us to elevate this further.”

Simon Comins, Chief Commercial Officer, Superdrug says, “We have been working with Beauty Banks for the past five years donating and raising awareness of hygiene poverty and so it is great to be joining forces with Unilever too. We are excited to have this initiative running as part of our Doing Good Feels Super campaign to support our local communities and get more Dove products to those that need them.”

Jo Jones, Co-founder, Beauty Banks says, “The partnership between Beauty Banks and Dove is truly special and exciting as we share common values and a mission to use beauty as a power for good. Dove's dedication to celebrating beauty in all its forms makes them a unique brand as they care for people's skin and overall well-being. It's a dream come true to work with a brand that shares our purpose for positively impacting people's lives whilst driving awareness of hygiene poverty and donations to our cause.”

The campaign will run for a four-week period, from 19 April to 16 May, and includes select Dove male and female deodorants, Dove body wash and Dove skincare. To raise awareness further, Unilever is working with influencers on social media, to educate shoppers about hygiene poverty issue in the UK and to encourage them to visit Superdrug to donate through their purchases.

 

1 Joseph Rowntree Foundation UK Poverty 2023 report

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