L’Oreal to drop words such as ‘whitening’ from skin products

LONDON —L'Oreal, the world's biggest cosmetics company, will remove words referencing "white", "fair" and "light" from its skin-evening products, a spokeswoman said on Friday, a day after Unilever made a similar announcement in the face of growing social media criticism.

Unilever and L'Oreal are two big players in the global market for skin whitening creams used in many Asian, African and Caribbean countries where fair skin is often considered desirable.

Unilever, in particular, came under fire for its "Fair & Lovely" brand at a time of worldwide focus on racial injustice following weeks of protests sparked by the May death of George Floyd, a Black man, in police custody in the United States.

L'Oreal's products include Garnier Skin Naturals White Complete Multi Action Fairness Cream.

"The L'Oreal Group has decided to remove the words white/whitening, fair/fairness, light/lightening from all its skin evening products," the company said in a statement.

L'Oreal's announcement follows Thursday's decision by the Indian and Bangladeshi arms of Unilever to rename their locally marketed "Fair & Lovely" skin-lightening cream for the same reason.

Anglo-Dutch firm Unilever — which reportedly raked in some $500 million in revenue from the product in India last year — said it would stop using the word "Fair" in the name as the brand was "committed to celebrating all skin tones".

Several companies, including L'Oreal, have been criticized recently for skin-lightening products after the global rise of the Black Lives Matter movement following the police killing in the US of African-American George Floyd last month.

Johnson & Johnson said last week it would stop selling some Neutrogena and Clean & Clear products, advertised as dark-spot reducers in Asia and the Middle East.

Several American groups have said they would to change their visual identity, such as Mars, which says it plans to develop its famous Uncle Ben's brand, which uses a caricature of an African American as its logo. 

-reuters— 

With a report from Agence France-Presse

Procter & Gamble, rivals take refills into beauty aisle

LONDON/CHICAGO—Under pressure to reduce environmental waste from single-use containers, major consumer companies including Procter & Gamble Co, Unilever Plc and The Body Shop are rolling out more products in refillable form.

P&G, with roughly $68 billion in annual revenue, said it had invested millions in creating and testing refills for detergents over the years and is now trying to push into mainstream beauty and body care refills, which are virtually unheard of.

It recently began offering some Olay face cream jars with refill pouches on Olay.com, telling Reuters it has plans to expand the sales of the pouches in Europe early next year. "We're learning on our legs so I don't know that we're in a position to say, 'Hey, here's the magic to selling refills,'" P&G spokesman Damon Jones said.

Beauty products retailer The Body Shop, owned by Brazil's Natura Cosmeticos SA, says it plans to roll out "refill stations" in its stores globally next year, allowing shoppers to buy reusable metal containers to fill with Body Shop shower gels or creams. The company had offered refills at its stores in the early 1990s, but discontinued them in 2003, citing a lack of consumer demand.

Unilever, which has set targets for reducing and recycling plastic by 2025, in October announced the planned launch of "refill sticks" of deodorants under its Dove line of personal care products on Loopstore.com. The website, operated by recycling company TerraCycle, offers consumers the chance to buy some household products in ultra-durable packaging with refills delivered to their doors, milkman-style.

Across the consumer goods industry, results for refillable products have been mixed so far as many shoppers are far too set in their ways to be easily weaned from living in a throwaway culture. While refills are less expensive to purchase—generally priced at 20 percent to 30 percent less per item than the containers they are aimed to replenish, according to Unilever—shoppers have so far, for the most part, failed to snap them up, the companies said.

CONSUMER APATHY VS CONSUMER PRESSURE

SC Johnson & Son Inc, marketer of Windex and Pledge, said refills and concentrates so far have not played well with either Americans or Europeans over the decade they have been offered, with unit sales of such products pretty much flat. It pulled concentrated refills for Shout stain remover off the shelves because they were not selling very well.

In 2010, Unilever put 20-liter tanks to dispense detergents in Walmart Inc's British supermarket chain Asda and provided flexible pouches for customers to refill. But with leaky machines, safety and maintenance problems and the high costs of upkeep, Unilever said the tests fell short of expectations. Asda was also unhappy because the tanks occupied a lot of space.

"None of them sell very well—it is a convenience issue," SC Johnson CEO Fisk Johnson told Reuters. Johnson said some people find it painstaking to wash and refill bottles themselves while others worry that smaller bottles filled with concentrates are less "bang-for-your-buck" than the larger ones they have used for years.

Still, the privately held company said it was expanding its refill offerings this year to address concerns surrounding plastic waste and is also testing refill stations for cleaning products with UK retailer Waitrose, owned by Britain's John Lewis. The Waitrose tests are showing the first signs of progress in refill sales, Johnson said, and the company is now thinking of expanding the project.

Even if consumers are comfortable using refills for some household goods, it is more complicated to sell them for products like Pantene shampoo and Olay creams, P&G spokesman Jones said. For instance, with beauty products, the look and feel of packaging is a big factor in creating and maintaining customer loyalty, while delivering an environmental benefit, he said.

Some shoppers say they want to buy refillable products, but that the offerings are not available at many stores. Earlier this year, dozens of consumers took to social media to urge The Body Shop to bring back its refill counters.

“Refill, refill, refill!" Twitter user @JaiChipperfield said on July 22, joining a thread in which several other shoppers demanded the return of refills. "Seems to me that judging by these comments your customers want to see the return of refills," @JaiChipperfield added. "Me too, it would be brilliant to see that return.”

The Body Shop eventually responded to those pleas.

"Now with the renewed focus on sustainability, we believe it is the right time to return with it," Body Shop spokeswoman Lucy Muircroft told Reuters this week.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Unilever to halve use of new plastic

THE HAGUE — Anglo-Dutch commercial giant Unilever said Monday it will cut its use of new plastic by half by 2025, admitting the move was partly to appeal to young, more environmentally-conscious customers

The firm, which owns brands including Dove soap, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and Marmite, would cut annual use from the current 700,000 tonnes of a year to no more than 350,000 tonnes.

The move comes as multinational firms face growing pressure to cut the use of plastics which are polluting both land and sea.

"Plastic has its place, but that place is not in the environment. We can only eliminate plastic waste by acting fast and taking radical action at all points in the plastic cycle," Unilever chief executive Alan Jope said in a statement.

But Jope told the BBC that the company -- whose 400 brands also include Knorr, Lipton tea and Magnum ice creams -- was also trying to remain "relevant".

"We do believe in trying to remain relevant for younger groups of consumers, and we know that millennials and Gen-Zennials, the next wave, really care about purpose and sustainability, and the conduct of the companies and the brands that they're buying," he told the broadcaster.

Of the 350,000 tonnes of "virgin plastic" Unilever will cut, it said 100,000 tonnes will come from an outright reduction in the use of plastic packaging, for example by making reusable or refillable packs, using alternative packaging or "naked products" that use none at all.

The other 250,000 tonnes of the reduction will come from using recycled plastics.

The firm said it would also "help collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells".

'GREENWASHING' ALERT 

Unilever said it was the "first major global consumer goods company to commit to an absolute plastics reduction".

Alternative methods it has tried recently include shampoo bars, refillable toothpaste tablets, cardboard deodorant sticks and bamboo toothbrushes.

The world produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastics annually, the UN says, with much of it ending up in the oceans.

Companies are coming under increasing pressure to act.

In September, 19 companies including Unilever, Nestle, Google and L’Oreal announced a "coalition" to protect biodiversity at the UN climate summit in New York.

Swiss group Nestle has made a similar pledge to the one by Unilever, saying that it will make all of its packaging reusable or recyclable, and raising to 35 percent the proportion of its plastic bottles that is made of recycled material.

US coffee giant Starbucks is meanwhile planning to ban plastic straws by 2020 while Walt Disney Co. said it would replace small plastic shampoo bottles at its resorts and many British supermarkets have drastically cut down plastic bag use.

There was also a pledge at this summer's G20 in Osaka to tackle marine plastics pollution, although environmentalists attacked it for being vague on detail. 

"There is a general awakening of conscience among consumers which is alerting both governments and producers," Gregory Bressolles, professor of marketing at Kedge Business School in France, told AFP.

However he warned against "attempts at greenwashing" by businesses.

"Greenwashing" is a term used to critics to describe efforts by companies to promote often spurious environmental measures for commercial gain. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

GSK sells health drinks arm, buys US cancer treatment firm

LONDON -- British pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline announced 2 multi-billion-dollar deals Monday -- the sale of its Asian health drinks unit to Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever and the purchase of US cancer specialist Tesaro.

GSK said it is buying Tesaro for $5.1 billion (4.5 billion euros), while Unilever is spending 3.3 billion euros to acquire the drinks unit, whose brands include iconic night-time hot drink Horlicks.

"The acquisition of Tesaro will strengthen our pharmaceuticals business by accelerating the build of our oncology pipeline and commercial footprint, along with providing access to new scientific capabilities," GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley said in a statement.

But GSK's share price tumbled on news of the deal to further its role in finding new cancer drugs, diving almost eight percent by the close to £14.98 on London's benchmark FTSE 100 index, which closed up 1.18 percent overall. Unilever shares ended flat.

"GSK has previously sat on the sidelines as rivals engaged in deal making, a situation current chief executive Emma Walmsley is keen to change," said Fiona Cincotta, a senior market analyst at City Index traders. 

"However, her enthusiasm is clearly not shared with shareholders" after GSK agreed to pay a 60-percent premium on Tesaro's closing share price Friday.

Earlier Monday, Unilever said its own deal was for GSK's business in India, Bangladesh and 20 other predominantly Asian markets, as it looks to profit from increased popularity of health foods in high-growth emerging markets.

"GSK's health drinks portfolio is the undisputed leader... in India, with iconic brands such as Horlicks and Boost and a product portfolio supported by strong nutritional claims," Unilever said.

Horlicks has a long history in India -- which accounts for almost 90 percent of the GSK arm's turnover in Asia -- having been introduced there in the 1930s.

"Horlicks products have been an everyday staple in South Asian households across generations," Unilever said, adding that GSK's health drinks portfolio has grown by double digits in the last 15 years.

"Despite this, the category still remains under-penetrated in India," it said.

Unilever's acquisition is the first since Paul Polman last week announced his retirement as head of the consumer products giant, after a failed plan to move the firm's headquarters from London to the Netherlands.

Speaking of the oncology deal meanwhile, Tesaro chief executive Lonnie Moulder said the "transaction marks the beginning of a new global partnership that will accelerate our oncology business and allow our mission of delivering transformative products to individuals living with cancer".

Boston-based Tesaro is "an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company devoted to providing transformative cancer" treatments, according to a joint statement with GSK.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

The gym buff's guide to post-workout grooming

Nothing feels quite as good or as satisfying as pulling in a long session at the gym, working out muscles and breaking into a sweat.

It's a great way to detox and destress, as exercise opens up your pores and floods your body with happy hormones, like dopamine and serotonin, which help you feel good. 

And while people typically do not interfere with each other at the gym, hygiene becomes everybody's business when a stink is sensed by all. There's a stark difference between a sexy, musky scent and just plain stink. Guys, don't confuse the two. 

After working out and shaping up, don't forget to wash up – especially if you're heading off to work or meeting other people – as sweat can harbor bacteria that cause body odor. 

If you've already invested time and effort in working out at the gym, you should also invest in a good grooming regimen. It doesn't take much or that long to put together an effective one. 

Here, we give you a run-down of basic grooming essentials for every gym buff. Don't forget to pack these items in your bag:

1. GOODBYE BACTERIA: Antibacterial soap or shower gel

Old sweat and a warm body is a bad combination. The body can become a breeding ground for bacteria, which not only causes body odor but can trigger acne. 

To prevent breakouts, gently and effectively wash off sweat, dead skin cells and sebum on your skin, as well as odor-causing bacteria, with antibacterial soap. Some variants promise to kill 99% of all germs. 

Shower gels are also effective options as these are formulated with moisturizing ingredients that leave your skin feeling smooth. They also come in a variety of refreshing, masculine scents that last all day. 

2. PIT STOP: Antiperspirants 

Contrary to popular belief, sweat is virtually odorless to humans. Rather, it is the rapid growth of bacteria, and the breaking down of sweat by bacteria that cause your body to reek. This is why areas with hair, such as the armpits and groin area, tend to develop odor.

Hair strands prevent the quick evaporation of sweat, making these areas danger zones for stench. While others have taken to shaving and trimming the hair in those areas, a hardworking deodorant also does the trick. 

There are numerous antiperspirants that promise all-day dryness and protection, and they come in a slew of fresh and masculine scents. A note though: it's good to switch up brands every so often, because just like how bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, your deodorant can become ineffective as your armpits can become resistant to the active ingredients.

3. GREAT HYDRATION: Moisturizer or moisturizing lotion

While deodorants are meant to help keep armpits dry, it doesn’t mean that all your grooming products should be drying. After a good wash-down, rehydrate your skin and prevent it from cracking (which can be painful) with lotion and facial moisturizers. 

It's best to choose products that are packed with skin-loving ingredients that cleanse, refresh, hydrate, and protect skin from UV rays. Another reason to commit to moisturizing: you'll look instantly younger!

4. A MANLY MUSK: Cologne

Of course, head out the door smelling fresher with your preferred cologne. A spritz or two of your signature scent will give you a boost of confidence to power you through your hectic day. Plus, it draws in people, too!

5. MUST-DO FOR YOUR 'DO: Hair Gel

Polish off your post-gym grooming regime with light mousse or hair wax. A little subtle styling of your hair can do a lot to help you look more presentable and put-together. 

Feel like a king by making sure that your crown looks impeccable. 

***
While working out is hard, looking polished and put-together in a jiffy can be as easy as 1, 2, 3!

NOTE: BrandNews articles are promotional features from our sponsors and not news articles from our editorial staff.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Unilever threatens to pull ads from 'divisive platforms'

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever, one of the world's largest advertisers, threatened Monday to snub digital platforms that fail to protect children or help "create division" in society.

Denouncing what it called "toxic online content," the Rotterdam-based Unilever weighed in on growing concerns about fake news and extremist posts on such networks as Facebook and Google.

"Unilever will not invest in platforms or environments that do not protect our children or which create division in society, and promote anger and hate," its chief marketing officer Keith Weed said.

In a speech to be delivered later Monday, of which AFP has been given extracts, Weed added that "fake news, sexism, terrorists that spread messages of hate, toxic content directed at children ... is a million miles from where we thought this would take us."

Unilever "will prioritize investing only in responsible platforms that are committed to creating a positive impact on society," Weed said in his keynote address to be given at a conference in Palm Desert, California.

Weed said he had met Unilever's digital partners, including Facebook, Google and Twitter at the global Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January, where he "repeated one point to each and every one of them."

"It is critical that our brands remain not only in a safe environment, but a suitable one."

"Unilever, as a trusted advertiser, do not want to advertise on platforms which do not make a positive contribution to society," Weed said.

Unilever last year spent 7.7 billion euros on marketing and advertising and is the world's second-largest advertiser after US-based consumer goods company Procter & Gamble.

Unilever chief financial officer Graeme Pitkethly said in November that some 30 percent of that total goes to digital advertising.

The company employs some 169,000 people around the world and owns more than 400 household brands including Dove beauty products, Knorr soups, Lipton teas, Magnum ice cream and Marmite.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kraft walks away from 'friendly' bid for Unilever

NEW YORK- US food company Kraft Heinz Co withdrew its proposal for a $143-billion merger with larger rival Unilever Plc, the companies said on Sunday, raising questions about whether Kraft will turn its focus to another target.

Kraft had made a surprise offer for Unilever to build a global consumer goods behemoth that was flatly rejected on Friday by Unilever, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap.

Kraft withdrew its offer because it felt it was too difficult to negotiate a deal following the public disclosure of its bid so soon after its approach to Unilever, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss confidential deliberations.

Kraft had not expected to encounter the resistance it received from Unilever, one of the people said. Some key concerns raised during talks included potential UK government scrutiny, as well as differences between the companies' cultures and business models, the person added.

“Kraft Heinz’s interest was made public at an extremely early stage," Kraft Heinz spokesman Michael Mullen said in a statement. "Our intention was to proceed on a friendly basis, but it was made clear Unilever did not wish to pursue a transaction. It is best to step away early so both companies can focus on their own independent plans to generate value.”

Kraft was forced to publicly disclose its offer on Friday to comply with Britain's takeover regulations, after rumors of its approach to Unilever circulated among stock traders.

Under UK takeover rules, Kraft's public withdrawal of its offer precludes it from reviving takeover talks with Unilever for six months.

A combination would be the third-biggest takeover in history and the largest acquisition of a UK-based company, according to Thomson Reuters data. The combined entity would have $82 billion in sales.

The premature exposure of Kraft's bid left the aggressive acquisition machine scrambling to craft an appetizing message for shareholders, the press, Unilever's rank and file, and British and Dutch leaders.

Prime Minister Theresa May ordered top officials to investigate if the proposed deal posed potential threats to British economic interests, the Financial Times reported.

May has been adamant the government should be more active in vetting proposed foreign acquisitions of UK companies. She had previously singled out Kraft's 2010 acquisition of another British household name, Cadbury Plc, as an example of a deal that should have been blocked.

A deal for Unilever would have marked the next installment of Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital Management Inc's longstanding strategy of buying food companies and slashing costs.

In 2013, 3G teamed up with billionaire investor Warren Buffett to acquire Heinz and then purchased Kraft two years later. It is now the second-largest shareholder in Kraft, behind Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Unilever feared that a merger with Kraft, under 3G Capital's relentless cost-cutting, risked eroding the value of its brands and could impede its expansion in emerging markets, which requires more investment, according to people familiar with the company's thinking.

Unilever also saw its household products and consumer care divisions as too distinct from Kraft's food business, the people added.

3G made its name in corporate America by orchestrating large debt-laden acquisitions and then slashing costs dramatically to juice profits. Using a strategy called zero-based budgeting, its managers must justify all expenses, from pencils to forklifts.

KRAFT STILL HUNGRY?

The breakdown in deal talks sparked speculation among analysts and investors about whether Kraft might attempt to purchase another large consumer goods company as a backup plan.

"We believe this announcement serves as a reminder – if needed – of (Kraft's) interest, capacity, and commitment to pursuing large-scale M&A in a potentially near-term time horizon," said Barclays analyst Andrew Lazar in a note.

Its bid for Unilever, where more than 60 percent of sales come from home and personal care products, signals a willingness to make big buys outside of its historic area of focus - food - said Sanford Bernstein analyst Ali Dibadj.

He cited Colgate-Palmolive Co as one potential target, noting that its stock popped 4 percent Friday on news that Kraft was eyeing Unilever.

However, the breakdown of the Unilever talks means that some food companies that have long been speculated as potential targets for Kraft, such as Mondelez, are still very much on the table, said an industry banker, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Low interest rates and cheap debt have fueled big cross-border deals, marking the busiest start to the year for M&A activity on record. The bid also reflected a broader interest in UK companies as acquisition targets, in part due to the British pound, which has been under pressure since Britain announced plans to withdraw from the European Union.

Labor union representatives expressed relief that the deal talks broke down, citing concern about its potential effect on jobs and consumers.

"How many scares must the government put UK workers through before they actually do as they have promised, which is to make the takeover process socially responsible?" said Len McCluskey, general secretary at Unite, Britain's largest union.

source: news.abs-cbn.com