Who Owns Rexona?

• Parent Company: Unilever plc
• Ownership Type: Wholly owned
• Acquisition Year: 1930
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock Ticker: LSE: ULVR

• Founded: 1908
• Founders: Samuel Henry Griffith
• Acquired by Unilever plc: 1930

• Founded: 1929
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock: LSE: ULVR
• Revenue: approximately €59.7 billion (FY2025)
• Employees: Approximately 128,000

Visit Unilever plc website

• Headquarters: London, UK / Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Manufacturing / Operations: Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Global Unilever facilities

Rexona operates under Unilever's comprehensive sustainability framework, focusing on environmental responsibility through plastic reduction, safe ingredient design, and ethical business practices. The brand integrates sustainability into its deodorant and antiperspirant operations while maintaining its commitment to providing confidence and protection to consumers worldwide.

Safe and Sustainable Ingredient Design: Rexona benefits from Unilever's Safe and Sustainable by Design approach, where scientists apply toxicology, computational chemistry, and occupational safety science to ensure product safety. The company's Safety and Environmental Sustainability (SERS) scientists thoroughly evaluate new active ingredients like Aluminium Sesquichlorohydrate (ASCH) to ensure they are safe for consumers and factory workers. This rigorous scientific approach demonstrates Rexona's commitment to product safety and responsible innovation.

Plastic Reduction Initiatives: Rexona is part of Unilever's da Vinci Project, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of plastic packaging. The brand has relaunched all roll-on bottles with more sustainable packaging solutions, encouraging consumers to recycle their roll-on packaging after use. This initiative aligns with Unilever's broader goal of reducing plastic waste and promoting circular economy principles across personal care products.

Climate Action and Carbon Reduction: Rexona contributes to Unilever's climate action goals, which include achieving net zero emissions across the value chain by 2039. The brand supports Unilever's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the parent company reporting total emissions of approximately 105.8 billion kg CO2e in 2024. Rexona manufacturing facilities implement energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sourcing to minimize environmental footprint.

Responsible Sourcing: Rexona benefits from Unilever's commitment to deforestation-free sourcing for key commodities and the implementation of regenerative agricultural practices. The company aims to implement regenerative agriculture on 1 million hectares of agricultural land and help protect and restore 1 million hectares of natural ecosystems by 2030. These initiatives ensure that ingredients used in Rexona products are sourced sustainably and ethically.

Product Safety and Testing: Rexona maintains rigorous product safety standards through comprehensive testing and quality control measures. The brand's commitment to safety extends beyond regulatory compliance, with Unilever's Annual Report and Accounts integrating disclosures on material sustainability issues and responsible business topics. This transparency ensures consumers can trust the safety and efficacy of Rexona products.

Inclusive Product Development: Rexona has demonstrated commitment to inclusive product design, particularly through the Degree Inclusive initiative in the US market. This program focuses on creating deodorant products that are accessible and usable by people with disabilities, showcasing the brand's dedication to serving diverse consumer needs and promoting inclusivity in personal care.

Ethical Marketing Practices: Rexona operates under Unilever's responsible marketing guidelines, ensuring that product claims are accurate, substantiated, and not misleading. The brand's marketing emphasizes genuine product benefits while avoiding exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims, maintaining consumer trust through honest communication about product performance and capabilities.

Rexona has achieved significant recognition as the world's leading antiperspirant brand, demonstrating exceptional market performance and innovation in personal care. The brand's achievements reflect its strong global presence, technological advancement, and ability to meet evolving consumer needs across diverse markets and demographics.

Global Market Leadership: Rexona holds the position as the world's number one antiperspirant brand, maintaining the largest global market share in the deodorant category. This market leadership has been consistently recognized through industry reports and market analyses, highlighting Rexona's dominant position against competitors in the highly competitive personal care sector.

Innovation Recognition: Rexona has been acknowledged for bringing game-changing technology to the market, particularly through its unique sweat protection innovations. The brand's proprietary technologies, which are completely unique to Unilever, are now available across Rexona, Dove, and Dove Men+Care brands. This technological advantage has been recognized as a key differentiator in the deodorant market and a driver of consumer preference.

Market Performance Awards: Unilever's deodorants category achieved double-digit growth in 2024, with Rexona and Axe brands showing strong performance across multiple regions, particularly in emerging markets. This growth performance has been recognized in industry analyses as demonstrating the brand's successful market strategies and consumer appeal.

Product Innovation Recognition: Rexona has received recognition for disruptive product launches designed to meet clear consumer demands, including the range of whole-body deodorants. UK-based Unilever research found that one in three adults were already using deodorant on their bodies, validating Rexona's innovative approach to expanding product applications beyond traditional underarm use.

Inclusive Design Recognition: The Degree Inclusive initiative, part of the Rexona brand family in the US, has been recognized for its innovative approach to creating deodorant products for people with disabilities. This program, developed in collaboration with SOUR, an award-winning international design studio, has been acknowledged for advancing inclusivity in personal care product design.

Brand Heritage Recognition: Rexona has earned recognition for its remarkable brand longevity and global expansion journey. Founded in Australia in 1908, the brand expanded globally from the 1960s through the 1980s, launching under various names including Sure, Degree, Shield, and Rexena. This successful global expansion strategy has been studied as a case study in international brand management.

Consumer Trust Recognition: As one of the world's leading deodorant brands, Rexona has built strong consumer trust through consistent product performance and reliability. The brand's recognition extends to its ability to provide confidence to consumers in various life situations, from athletic activities to professional presentations, demonstrating the brand's understanding of consumer needs and emotional connection.

Rexona has maintained a relatively clean record regarding major recalls and controversies, though the brand has faced some challenges related to broader industry issues and regulatory scrutiny. The brand's strong safety record reflects Unilever's rigorous quality control standards and commitment to product safety.

Industry-Wide Benzene Concerns (2024): Rexona was indirectly affected by industry-wide concerns about benzene contamination in personal care products. In October 2024, major deodorant manufacturers including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Unilever discovered benzene in some aerosol products. While Rexona was not specifically named in recall notices, this industry-wide issue raised consumer concerns about aerosol deodorant safety and led to increased scrutiny of manufacturing processes across the personal care sector.

Regulatory Compliance Scrutiny: As part of Unilever's portfolio, Rexona has faced increased regulatory scrutiny regarding ingredient safety and environmental impact. The brand has had to adapt to evolving regulations regarding antiperspirant ingredients, particularly aluminum-based compounds, ensuring compliance with regional safety standards while maintaining product efficacy.

Marketing Claim Challenges: Rexona, like many personal care brands, has faced scrutiny regarding marketing claims about sweat protection duration and effectiveness. Regulatory bodies in various markets have scrutinized deodorant marketing claims, requiring brands to provide scientific evidence for performance assertions. Rexona has had to ensure that all marketing claims are properly substantiated through clinical testing and scientific research.

Environmental Impact Concerns: Rexona has faced criticism regarding the environmental impact of aerosol deodorant products, particularly their contribution to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and plastic waste. The brand has responded through sustainability initiatives like the da Vinci Project, which focuses on reducing plastic packaging and improving the recyclability of deodorant containers.

Ingredient Safety Debates: Rexona has been involved in broader industry discussions about the safety of common deodorant ingredients, particularly aluminum salts and parabens. While scientific studies have generally supported the safety of these ingredients when used as directed, consumer advocacy groups have raised concerns, requiring Rexona to maintain transparent communication about ingredient safety and product testing.

Supply Chain Ethics: As part of Unilever's global operations, Rexona has faced scrutiny regarding supply chain practices, particularly concerning raw material sourcing and manufacturing ethics. The brand has had to address concerns about labor practices in manufacturing facilities and ensure compliance with Unilever's responsible sourcing standards across the supply chain.

Product Performance Expectations: Rexona has occasionally faced consumer criticism regarding product performance, particularly in extreme conditions or during intense physical activity. While the brand markets itself as providing reliable protection in various situations, some consumers have reported performance limitations, leading to discussions about managing consumer expectations in marketing communications.

Cultural Adaptation Challenges: As Rexona operates under different brand names (Degree in the US, Sure in the UK, Rexena in Japan and Korea), the brand has faced challenges in maintaining consistent brand identity while adapting to local market preferences and cultural expectations. These challenges have required careful brand management to ensure global consistency while respecting regional differences.