Personal care - hygiene 2025: Unilever freshens its hygiene offer

Unilever’s been freshening up its personal care portfolio. In January, the supplier unveiled a 12-strong range of deodorants suitable for intimate and sensitive areas of the body – backed by a £12.5m marketing spend (see Top Launch, below).

Sure Whole Body Deo and Lynx Lower Body Spray were developed in response to shoppers “calling out for products that delivered malodour protection for different parts of the body”, said Monique Rossi, Unilever GM for deodorants.

The launch, she adds, was part of Unilever’s ongoing “premiumisation strategy, which aims to grow our deodorant brands and the wider category”.

So was the supplier’s headline-grabbing acquisition in February of plastic-free challenger Wild, which has grown stick deodorant volumes by 42%. Its portfolio of refillable personal care products was joined in July by its first refillable roll-on in four fragrances.

The sale to Unilever – made for an undisclosed sum – was “a huge step that’s helping us supercharge our mission to become the world’s number one refillable bathroom brand and encourage people everywhere to eliminate single-use plastic from their routines”, says Wild co-founder Freddy Ward.

Other personal hygiene brands are on a similar mission. In June, for instance, plastic-free challenger KinKind made its deodorant debut with the rollout of refillable antiperspirant promising 48-hour odour protection and anti-sweat performance.

The following month, men’s brand Rock Face also unveiled its first refillable deodorant – a stick format in three fragrances (rsp: £6/40g) designed to fill a stylish case (rsp: £8).

The launch marked “a major achievement” for Rock Face, says CEO James Wilkinson. “We know that 60% of shoppers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands, but consumers get frustrated when natural products lack performance or look aesthetically cheap,” he adds.

“We’re pleased to have brought a product to market with 48-hour protection and something you would be proud to have on your bedroom cabinet.”

The launch is bang on-trend. “Refillability has exploded,” says Thomas Laird, MD of Salt of the Earth. “We helped pioneer refillable deodorants in 2013, and now it’s expected by consumers rather than a nice-to-have.”

Fussy’s performance highlights that explosion. Unit sales of its refillable deodorants are up 182.1%, in part due to extra listings and promotional activity.

Not putting up prices also helped. “Inflation pushed up both materials and logistics costs, but our growth rates and long-term supplier relationships helped keep things stable,” says Fussy founder Matt Kennedy.

“Our priority has always been the customer, so we’ve resisted passing on any price increases, especially since we are already at the more premium end of the mass market.”

The rise of refillable bodywash

In October, Fussy expanded into bodywash with four refillable fragrances.

The launch pits the brand against Bob, which debuted in February with what it claims is the world’s first refillable hard bodywash for men. “It’s been a positive journey ever since,” says Bob co-founder Michael Brennan.

The challenger has “sold over 35,000 products to date” via DTC, he adds. “We’re now at an exciting stage where we can begin expanding our range by introducing new colourways for our applicator and new scents. We’ve recently launched The Evening Man scent, following the success of our first scented bar, The Morning Man, earlier this year.”

Scent is also core to Dr Squatch’s offer. The US brand for men features the likes of Grapefruit IPA, Pine Tar and Coconut Castaway across its natural soaps, stick deodorants, bodywashes, haircare lines and skincare products.

They’re steadily growing traction in the UK. “In 2025, we continued to focus on building brand awareness in the UK and reminding guys what makes Dr Squatch different: natural ingredients, great scents and high-performing products,” says Izzy Sarrafzadeh, international marketing lead.

It also enjoyed Unilever’s largesse, getting snapped up by the fmcg behemoth in June. “This complementary acquisition marks another step in expanding Unilever’s portfolio towards premium and high-growth spaces,” the supplier announced at the time.

As well as raising awareness through the likes of its ‘Manlandia’ push, unveiled in September, Dr Squatch has been busy on the innovations front. Launches this year include limited-edition Harry Potter, SpongeBob SquarePants and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ranges of soaps.

“Our most significant product launch in 2025 was the Total Moisture Collection”, Sarrafzadeh says. “The launch introduced a new dermatologist-tested, ultra-hydrating soap that delivers serious moisture without compromising on natural ingredients or performance.”

With NPD like that, the brand aims to deliver serious sales for its new owner.