Who Owns Rexona?

Rexona's sustainability practices fall under Unilever's corporate ESG framework, which covers environmental impact, ingredient safety, and ethical sourcing across all brands.

Plastic Reduction: 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 and encourages consumers to recycle packaging after use. Unilever has committed to making all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025, though the company has acknowledged it will not fully meet this target.

Net Zero by 2039: Unilever has committed to achieving net zero emissions across its value chain by 2039. The company reports on Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, with total emissions of approximately 105.8 billion kg CO2e in 2024. Rexona's manufacturing facilities implement energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sourcing as part of this commitment.

Safe and Sustainable Ingredients: Rexona benefits from Unilever's "Safe and Sustainable by Design" approach, where scientists evaluate new active ingredients for safety to consumers and factory workers. The brand uses aluminum-based compounds including Aluminium Sesquichlorohydrate (ASCH) as active antiperspirant ingredients, which have been evaluated by Unilever's Safety and Environmental Sustainability scientists.

Inclusive Design: In the US market, the Degree brand (Rexona's American name) launched the Degree Inclusive initiative, developed in collaboration with design studio SOUR to create deodorant products that are accessible and usable by people with disabilities. The product features a hooked design for one-handed use, a magnetic cap for easy closure, and a braille label.

Responsible Sourcing: Rexona benefits from Unilever's commitment to deforestation-free sourcing and regenerative agriculture. Unilever aims to implement regenerative agriculture on 1 million hectares of agricultural land by 2030.

Unilever does not hold B Corp certification. The company publishes an annual sustainability report aligned with Global Reporting Initiative standards.

Rexona's recognition comes from market position, brand valuation, and product innovation rather than traditional industry awards:

• Rexona is the world's number one deodorant and antiperspirant brand by global market share, a position it has maintained for several years according to Unilever and industry analyses.
• Brand Finance ranked Rexona as the fifth strongest cosmetics brand globally in its 2026 Cosmetics 50 ranking, with a Brand Strength Index score of 84.7 out of 100 and an AAA brand strength rating. The brand ranked 25th globally by brand value at USD 1.8 billion.
• Rexona was the only Australian brand featured among the world's top 50 cosmetics brands in the Brand Finance 2026 ranking.
• The Degree Inclusive initiative, part of the Rexona brand family in the US, received recognition for its innovative approach to creating deodorant products for people with disabilities, developed in collaboration with award-winning design studio SOUR.
• Unilever's deodorants category, led by Rexona and Dove, achieved double-digit growth in 2024, with the whole-body deodorant segment driving significant innovation. Unilever doubled its share in the whole-body deodorant category in the US in 2025.
• Rexona's proprietary MotionSense technology, which releases fragrance as the body moves, has been recognized within the personal care industry as a differentiating innovation. The technology is now available across Rexona, Dove, and Dove Men+Care brands.

No Major Recalls: Rexona has not been subject to major product recalls. The brand benefits from Unilever's quality control standards and manufacturing processes. Individual production batches are occasionally withdrawn due to manufacturing defects, but no large-scale Rexona-specific recall events have been publicly documented.

Benzene Contamination Concerns (2024): In 2024, independent testing by consumer advocacy organizations found benzene, a known carcinogen, in some aerosol personal care products from various manufacturers. While Rexona was not specifically named in the most publicized recalls (which primarily affected Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson products), the industry-wide concern led to increased scrutiny of aerosol deodorant manufacturing processes. Unilever stated that its products are safe and that benzene is not an intentional ingredient in any of its deodorant formulations.

Aluminum Safety Debate: Rexona uses aluminum-based compounds as active antiperspirant ingredients. Some consumer advocacy groups have raised concerns about potential links between aluminum in antiperspirants and health issues including breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The scientific consensus, including positions from the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer's Association, is that there is no conclusive evidence linking aluminum-based antiperspirants to these conditions. However, the debate has led some consumers to seek aluminum-free alternatives, contributing to the growth of natural deodorant brands.

Environmental Impact of Aerosols: Rexona's aerosol deodorant products have faced criticism regarding their environmental impact, including volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and the use of propellants. Regulatory bodies in California and other jurisdictions have implemented stricter VOC limits for aerosol personal care products, requiring reformulation of some products. Unilever has responded by developing compressed aerosol formats that use less propellant and by investing in alternative packaging through the da Vinci Project.

Marketing Claims Scrutiny: Like all deodorant brands, Rexona has faced regulatory scrutiny regarding marketing claims about protection duration and effectiveness. The brand's claims of "48-hour protection" and "clinical strength" have been reviewed by advertising standards authorities in various markets. Rexona has generally substantiated these claims through clinical testing, but the brand has had to modify specific claims in some markets to comply with local advertising standards.

Unilever Restructuring Impact: Unilever's 2024-2025 restructuring, including 7,500 job cuts globally, affected Rexona's brand value according to Brand Finance. The restructuring was part of Hein Schumacher's productivity program and included consolidation of brand management teams. Some industry observers expressed concern that the restructuring could affect brand investment and innovation, though Unilever has stated that Power Brands like Rexona will continue to receive priority investment.