Another one bites the dust. Unilever buys Paula’s Choice skincare
This year we have seen cruelty free brands absorbed by a cruel animal testing parent brand. The latest is the Unilever buys Paula’s Choice skincare acquisition.
Paula’s Choice is well known for products like 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and Niacinamide 20% Treatment. Paula’s Choice was one of the first skin care brands to create an ingredient dictionary.
Unilever buys Paula’s Choice skincare. Why Unilever is bad.
Unilever is a big company big on animal testing. It has research facilities in the United Kingdom (two), the Netherlands, China, India and the United States. I find Unilever’s happy little ecosystems logo ironic. I wonder if it’s everything they test on
.
The Unilever operates in more than 100 countries, selling its products in more than 190 countries. The global sales of Paula’s Choice items to other countries makes way for the cruel & inhumane practice of animal testing.
Cosmetics animal testing is a horribly cruel practice
Animals such as beagles and most often rabbits, are subject to allergy tests in the mucous membranes such as eyes, nose and mouth. These chemicals can cause irritation, burning, and corrosion of the eyes and skin such as in the infamous Draize test. What’s more, 50 percent of all animals die in lethal dose tests. That’s how horrible it is.
Paula’s Choice is one of Unilever’s biggest acquisitions, as big as its $1 billion acquisition of Dollar Shave Club in 2016. In 2016 the company bought eco-friendly cleaning products company Seventh Generation, as well as Dollar Shave Club.
Unilever buying Paula’s Choice joins brands Tatcha, Murad, Dermalogica, REN Clean Skincare, Kate Somerville, Living Proof and Hourglass as part of Unilever’s prestige portfolio.
Whether the brand will remain cruelty-free under Unilever remains to be seen. The parent company still tests on animals.
Paula Begoun, Founder, said about Unilever buys Paula’s Choice skincare “I am so excited that Unilever and Paula’s Choice are joining forces, and I want to thank Vasiliki and the Unilever team for believing in us, our mission and our values. Wait! What??? Gee Paula, I hope you enjoy funding one of the cruelest animal torturers on the planet.
Paula’s Choice chief marketing officer Erika Kussmann said the brand was the largest d-to-c (direct to consumer) skin care brand in the world, and that the line had garnered Gen Z attention on TikTok and Reddit. “You have a very clear sense of the potential market and you can identify really high-potential audiences of people who haven’t been introduced to the brand yet. That gives you this idea of runway, and we know that there’s so much more ahead there.” At that time, just over 50 percent of Paula’s Choice’s sales came from international markets.
The brand is distributed through global DTC and select prestige retailers in North America, Europe and Asia. In China and Brazil certain health authorities may nevertheless decide to conduct animal tests themselves for certain cosmetic products, as it is still the case in China.’ The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2021.
Please consider Cruelty-free skincare NOT owned by a cruel parent brand.
Cruelty-free brand alternatives to Paula’s Choice
- Andalou Naturals
- Acure 100% Vegan
- Alba Botanica
- Derma E Free shipping on $35 order
- Desert Essence Skin Care
- HONEST BEAUTY The honest Company
- Mambino Organics
- Refresh skin therapy Leaping Bunny Certified
- Pacifica
