LONDON (AP) — Consumer goods group Unilever said on March 1 it would no longer use the word “normal” to advertise and package its beauty and personal care products, and would ban models from being overly photographed as part of its inclusivity part of the policy.
The company, which owns skincare brands like Dove and Simple and haircare brands like TreSemme and TIGI, said the word “normal” will be removed from the packaging of at least 200 products within a year.
It also said it would increase the number of ads targeting different groups and would not “digitally alter a person’s body shape, size, proportions or skin tone in its branded ads”.
Phrases like “normal skin” or “normal hair” are used in many skincare and hair care products, and Unilever says its global research shows that using “normal” as a descriptor “makes most people feel excluded”.
Sunny Jain, head of beauty and personal care at Unilever, said the company wanted to tackle “harmful norms and stereotypes” and shape “a more inclusive definition of beauty”.
“We know that removing ‘normal’ from our products and packaging won’t solve the problem alone, but it’s an important step forward,” Jain said in a statement.
The company last year rebranded its whitening brand in India from Fair & Lovely to Glow & Lovely after facing outrage from customers who said Unilever had perpetuated negative stereotypes about darker skin tones.
