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Innovation: Unilever Positive Beauty Growth Platform

Adriana Motta
Nov 6, 2024
2 min read

This Platform is a sustainability initiative and innovation accelerator that transforms product development across Unilever's beauty and personal care portfolio. The platform encompasses new product formulation standards, packaging redesign, and supply chain transformation guided by regenerative principles and circular economy concepts.

Three pink floral Love Beauty and Planet bottles: shower gel, hair masque, and shampoo. Labels read "bountiful moisture," "blooming strength."

Product innovation

The platform incorporates several innovative approaches:

• Carbon-negative ingredient sourcing through regenerative agriculture partnerships and carbon capture technologies.

• Waterless and ultra-concentrated product formats that reduce water usage and carbon footprint during manufacturing and transportation.

• Blockchain-enabled supply chain transparency that tracks environmental and social impact metrics.

• Compostable and infinitely recyclable packaging systems developed through the company's "Less, Better, None" packaging framework.

• Open innovation ecosystem connecting startups, academics, and established suppliers to accelerate sustainable innovation.

Four diverse women embrace, showing unity and warmth. Neutral-toned clothing and a tan background create a harmonious and inclusive mood.

Addresses the consumer demand for sustainable beauty products that deliver on both environmental credentials and performance. According to Unilever's, 78% of consumers believe brands have a responsibility to make positive environmental changes, but 67% are unwilling to compromise on product efficacy for sustainability. The competitive advantage lies in Unilever's scale and commitment to transformation across their entire portfolio rather than creating isolated "sustainable" sub-brands.

Development

The platform began as an evolution of Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan, with beauty and personal care identified as a category with significant environmental impact but also substantial opportunity for innovation.

According to the company 'The concept underwent extensive stakeholder engagement, including consultations with environmental experts, consumer panels, retail partners, and ingredient suppliers.'

Unilever established a dedicated Positive Beauty division with cross-functional expertise and authority to implement changes across traditional business units. The platform was designed with measurable targets including complete carbon neutrality by 2030 and net-positive water impact by 2025.

Person in a blue robe leans on a table with orange and black hair product jars labeled "Pattern." Neutral background, calm expression.

Trend

This innovation aligns with the "Holistic Sustainability" trend identified in Mintel's 2023 Global Beauty and Personal Care report, which noted that 64% of global consumers now research a brand's sustainability practices before purchasing.

According to NielsenIQ data, beauty products with verified sustainability claims grew 27% in 2022-2023, more than six times the rate of conventional products.

Euromonitor International's Voice of the Consumer survey found that 52% of global consumers were willing to pay a premium for beauty products with proven environmental benefits, up from 38% in 2019.