Positive Beauty: For People and Planet

When global powerhouse Unilever announced it was eliminating the word “normal” from its beauty and personal care packaging and advertising, the move earned the respect of consumers and rival brands for its vision of supporting a move toward body-positive beauty messaging.¹

Aimed at altering our traditional perception of what constitutes attractiveness, the term “positive beauty” refers to brands seeking to redefine traditional norms in the sector. Seen long-term, it could empower and celebrate a new culture of open and honest conversation on what constitutes beauty by removing narrow ideals, ending discrimination based on looks and body types, and contributing to a sector that is inclusive and representative of a broader range of consumers.

In our post-pandemic era, individuals are looking to reconnect and feel part of a collective that shares their aspirations and ideals. A singular approach to beauty and wellness is no longer acceptable. People are recognizing the importance of helping one another and sharing positive experiences to live a better life. As the movement grows, it is also highlighting other areas of change. These include finding room in communities that celebrate additional positive beauty initiatives, and the move toward more sustainable products.

Highlighted as part of Mintel’s 2023 Global Beauty and Personal Care Trends report, positive beauty involves all consumers, regardless of age, gender, or life stage.² As for brands, the stage is now set for honest conversations to help individuals find products that not only address their immediate beauty requirements, but also have a meaningful impact on their lives and the environment.

Consumers want this change. According to a survey of 10,000 consumers in nine countries conducted by Unilever, 56% of individuals feel excluded by current definitions in the beauty and cosmetics industry. At the same time, 74% want to see industry focus on more than making people look better; people also want to feel better about the products they use.

In addition, Mintel’s report indicated that 72% of U.S. consumers say that society’s idea of beauty is too rigidly defined, while 57% say beauty products should be more inclusive of consumers facing additional challenges, including mobility.² 

Tackling Toxic Culture

The good news is that the beauty and personal care industry is responding to the call. Unilever’s personal care brand Dove was the initial springboard with its “Be Real” campaign—one of the most recognizable marketing initiatives ever launched, and the canvas for the body-positive movement. The broader industry is also embracing real and lasting change that puts health above appearance, no matter our differences.³

In an era when we keenly feel the influence of toxic social media and its influence on young teens and adults, Unilever is again pushing the bar as part of its “Dove Self Esteem Project.” Its most recent campaign, “Kids’ Online Safety,” is aimed at addressing the rise in youth mental health issues linked to negative social media messaging.

Dove outlines the campaign’s objectives as working toward positive change by making social media more representative with slogans such as #NoDigitalDistortion, #ReverseSelfie, #SelfieTalk, and #DetoxYourFeed.

While certain aspects of social media can promote creativity and connection for young people, data shows that harmful content is growing, particularly when it comes to idealized beauty; and teens are paying the price. Enabling change requires brand owner support for a safer online environment, and this means bringing the positive beauty message home to drive systemic transformation.⁴

Brands Respond

Open and honest conversations on the removal of narrow beauty ideals, ending discrimination, and advocating for an inclusive and representative industry for all consumers has seen beauty brand owner CVS announce that it would no longer use digitally altered images. The brand also launched the CVS Beauty Mark. This watermark confirms to customers that an image has not been edited.⁵

In addition, Revlon cast “plus size” model Ashley Graham as the face of its “Live Boldly” campaign to reflect that beauty is beyond size, while British actor Helen Mirren is the face of L’Oréal at age 77.

European skincare brand Babor also ditched airbrushed images, and with its All Women Project, is committed to using non-traditional models as the face of its brand. Its campaigns include using images of 63-year-old model Nicola Griffin, and international activist Nykhor-Nyakueinyang Paul, among others.⁵

Taking the Conversation Deeper

The transformation in how consumers want to be seen by the beauty industry is evident and set to grow. At Oleon Health and Beauty, we applaud positive initiatives by tackling harmful norms and stereotypes.

We also believe that ingredient suppliers can assist brand owners to transition to a more inclusive sector through the establishment of a “greener” and more sustainable ingredient manufacturing industry. We believe this could enable consumers to feel better about, and more in control of, the products they choose to use.

This means implementing processing changes, starting with how we source our raw materials, through manufacturing of ingredients, and right up to how we support our customers during formulation and new product development that answer to the positive beauty movement.

Consumers are rewarding brands that act on climate, social, and sustainability issues. By offering a more positive experience across the supply chain, we can play our part in making this a reality for brands.

We believe in doing better, not just less harm. Our participation in the INCITE project is testament to our belief in challenging existing manufacturing practices and taking action to minimize our impact on the environment.⁶

This approach can be seen in the launch of our “ACT” range: our reformulation strategy for existing products in line with our focus on green chemistry through the use of enzymatic esterification and the development of natural, biodegradable, and regenerative ingredient portfolios.

As we move forward, Oleon will continue to focus on accelerating positive beauty in all ways: through our science and technology programs, innovation partnerships, and the transformation of how our products are designed and formulated. We believe that positive beauty is here to stay, and it is our chance to make a difference … for people and the planet. 

About the Author: Rune Daneels is a product manager at Oleon Health and Beauty, responsible for Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and China. She graduated with a Master of Science – MS, Industrial Engineering Biochemistry degree from Ghent University in Belgium.

References

1. Unilever says no to ‘normal’ with new positive beauty vision. March 9, 2021
2. Mintel 2023 Global Beauty and Personal Care Trends. https://insights.mintel.com/rs/193-JGD-439/images/Mintel_2023_Global_BPC_Trends.pdf
3. Be Real: the campaign for body confidence. May 19, 2020.
4. The Dove Self-Esteem Project Calls For Action To Address Youth Mental Health Crisis Caused By Social Media. April 12, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-dove-self-esteem-project-calls-for-action-to-address-youth-mental-health-crisis-caused-by-social-media-301795283.html
5. Prinzivalli, L. The 10 Most Groundbreaking Beauty Campaigns of 2018. Glamour. December 22, 2018.
6. OLEON (Coordinator) – INCITE https://www.project-incite.eu/partners/oleon-nv-coordinator/