Unilever’s Love Beauty and Planet brand, which was rolled out in the US earlier this year, will now debut in the UK.
According to the brand, "Love Beauty and Planet was started by a group of like-minded people who believe that looking good and doing good should go hand-in-hand. We are obsessed with fantastic beauty products, those that we would love to use ourselves too. That’s why we started with one simple goal: whatever we do must be good for beauty and give a little love to the planet."
Unilever joins numerous other environmentally-conscious beauty brands, such as Tata Harper, Sister & Co., The Ordinary, and the UK’s own pioneering trademark, The Body Shop. This is the company’s first personal care brand launch in 20 years, responding to the increasing demand for ethical and eco-friendly beauty products.
Love Beauty and Planet’s selection includes face masks, shampoos, conditioners, and body washes, which are available at several UK retailers, including Boots. The brand is vegan-friendly and says that all ingredients will be derived from certified sustainable sources by 2020.
The brand’s packaging is also sustainable, using recyclable bottles made from post-consumer recycled plastic.
Mintel’s Global Beauty and Personal Care Analyst, Andrew McDougall, has referenced the impact of the eco-friendly trend on beauty products, “Our research shows that young consumers (Gen Z and Millennials) are driving these lifestyles, with a growing desire to follow a plant-based diet. Younger consumers are also very informed on what is in their products and ethical and natural factors are very important to them.”
According to Chris Barron, vice president of beauty and personal care at Unilever UK and Ireland, the launch of Love Beauty and Planet brand is part of Unilever’s wider Sustainable Living plan.
"Love Beauty and Planet reflects our passion at Unilever to enable everyone to live more sustainably and consciously by highlighting the simple steps we can all take to help make a better future for our planet," he said in a statement.
RELATED: Lush Goes JUMBO: Eco-Friendly Brand Releases XXL Pots Of Many Favorite Products
The brand also works with fragrance partner, Givaudan, to promote local harvesting, using ethically-sourced essential oils and extracts.
“We want a carbon footprint so small, it's like we weren’t even here. But any business is going to make some sort of footprint,” the brand says. “So, until we find a way to leave no footprint, we’ll quantify our CO2 emissions along every step of production and tax ourselves for going over our goals. That money will support third-party programs that help reduce landfill waste and overall carbon emissions.”
