Unilever’s Axe joins PETA’s “cruelty-free” Beauty Without Bunnies program

24 Jan 2024 --- Unilever says its Axe deodorant brand (Lynx in the UK) is the latest to win approval from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organization and will join its Beauty Without Bunnies program. 

The FMCG giant tells Personal Care Insights, “We’re seeing that Gen Z consumers don’t want to buy beauty products that have been tested on animals — so there’s a clear business case for the Axe [brand] seeking this accreditation.”

According to Unilever, more than 20 of its brands are in PETA’s program, which is touted as an independent recognition that Axe does not conduct or commission any animal tests on ingredients or finished products and that the brand pledges not to do so in the future.

Unilever says it has used and developed alternatives to animal testing for over four decades and is “recognized by PETA as a company working for regulatory change.”

Unilever says it uses “science, not animals and the Gen Z consumers who choose Axe feel the same way.”The company also shares its scientific expertise in non-animal safety science with governments, NGOs and businesses all over the world: 

“We say use science, not animals. And the Gen Z consumers who choose Axe feel the same way.”

Unilever adds: “In the UNiDAYS 2022 Beauty Report, conducted across five countries, UNiDAYS found that 43% of Gen Z students said they would never buy beauty products that have been tested on animals.”

Dr. Julia Fentem, Global Head of Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Sciences at Unilever, says Axe’s PETA approval is “thanks to decades of pioneering research in alternatives to animal testing by Unilever’s scientists, working together with other leaders in non-animal safety science and global stakeholders.”

Lynx’s fine fragrance launch
Unilever recently launched Lynx’s Fine Fragrance Collection in the UK after making its debut in the US last year. 

The company tells us its idea was to create “an affordable, high-end range of scents that appeals to Gen Z consumers.”

The collection consists of five premium scents: Black Vanilla, Blue Lavender, Aqua Bergamot, Emerald Sage and Copper Santal. 

By Anita Sharma