Unilever UK’s Impulse brand of female body sprays launched a new variant, the Impulse Why Not? According to the company, the new limited edition spray comes with a “truly tropical” scent and includes zesty citrus notes of bergamot, frozen lemon and bitter orange. It also features an infusion of Earl Grey Tea and natural spices, such as nutmeg and cardamom, the company said.

Procter & Gamble’s beauty brand CoverGirl launched its BeautyU mobile app. In addition to its augmented reality features, the app comes with a face scan designed to help identify users’ individual facial features. Also, it includes a diagnostic tool, which helps create a customized look or product list for a particular user. BeautyU also offers a range of options on the user’s features and profile.

Kao Singapore launched the “Biore UV Perfect Spray” marketing campaign in the country. Created in collaboration with Hakuhodo Singapore and IPG Mediabrands, the campaign aims to promote awareness of and educate commuters about the damaging effects of exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet ray. Running across both print and OOH platforms, the campaign features three creatives based on the UVI reading, with levels 0–2 reflecting a low reading and featuring a blue visual ad; readings 3–7 reflecting a moderate-to-high reading and displaying a yellow visual ad; and UVI 8 and above calling for alert with a red visual ad.

Cosmetics company Lush has turned reports of beans in its Wiccy Magic Muscles massage bar sprouting in showers and sinkholes into positive PR. Social media stories about the massage bar, which contains organic aduki beans and natural butters, first began appearing near the end of 2015. Consumer reaction to the sprouting seeds ranged from concerns over finding green shoots in showers to delight and reassurance about the authenticity of Lush’s organic claims.

Beauty and personal care company The Body Shop, guided by the leadership of its CEO Jeremy Schwartz, continues to grow its business and revenue, while remaining true to its environment-friendly principles. Since Schwartz’s appointment in 2013, the company has reported growing sales worldwide. Schwartz revised the company’s sustainability initiative by launching the Enrich Not Exploit Commitment, which comes with 14 goals aimed at “enriching” the planet by 2020. These goals include regenerating 75 million square meters of habitat to help communities live more sustainably and powering 100 percent of its stores with environment-friendly energy. Also, The Body Shop has influenced its parent company L’Oreal to adopt more environment-friendly business practices.

Hain Celestial Group Inc. announced plans to reformulate some of its products and stop claiming that they do not contain sodium lauryl sulfate. One of the largest manufacturers of natural products for personal care, Hain Celestial has long claimed its products do not contain SLS and other harsh chemicals. Results of independent laboratory tests commissioned by The Wall Street Journal in 2015 revealed, however, that several consumer products from Hain Celestial and Honest Company Inc. contained SLS. Honest Company is disputing the results of the laboratory tests.

In the United States, 32.2 percent of shoppers said they are currently buying more private-label brands, with only 6.6 percent of them saying they plan to return to name brands, according to a 2016 edition of “The Checkout” study. Results of the survey revealed 11.9 percent of respondents said they are buying fewer store brands, while 17.4 percent are buying more private labels and will keep on buying them. Also, 8.2 percent of respondents said they are buying more store labels and plan to buy even more. Data also revealed a decline in consumer perception of name brands as offering more new products, varieties, and innovations, from 56 percent of respondents in 2010 to 45 percent in 2015. Among African-American consumers, more are likely to prefer name brands, with respondents saying they are more likely to perceive name brands as of higher quality than their private-label counterparts. Results of the study offers some insights for marketers and retailers, including the fact that private labels are here to stay, consumers see private labels as inexpensive options with good-enough or comparable quality, and that African-American shoppers offer a potential area for growth.

Procter & Gamble said construction is going on at its proposed Tabler Station manufacturing facility in West Virginia. In 2014, P&G purchased the 450-acre land for about $30 million. Expected to have a total floor area of more than 1 million square feet, the facility will employ around 700 full-time employees. Some of the brands the facility will manufacture include Pantene, Head & Shoulders, and Aussie shampoos and conditioners and Olay and Old Spice body washes.

Unilever’s Degree deodorant brand partnered with singer and actress Becky G to launch the iHeartRadio “Move with the Music” concert series. Starting on April 18, 2016, the three-part series will feature three artists. Also, during the concerts, Degree will conduct experiments involving concertgoers’ movements and using Lightwave’s bioanalytics technology for the Degree MotionSense Lab.

Procter & Gamble’s Old Spice brand launched the Old Spice Hardest Working Collection of men’s grooming products. According to the company, the lineup offers the most powerful Old Spice antiperspirants and body washes. Available at major retailers across North America starting February 2016, the lineup includes Odor Blocker antiperspirant and deodorant, Dirt Destroyer body wash, and Sweat Defense antiperspirant and deodorant.

Dr. Fresh, LLC’s oral care brand Firefly launched a Firefly 3D Character Toothbrush featuring a Star Wars Stormtrooper. First in the new line of toothbrushes, the 3D Character Toothbrush will be followed by toothbrushes featuring another Star Wars character, Kylo Ren; Hello Kitty; and other 3D Character Toothbrushes. Oral care products that look like toys help parents encourage their children to brush their teeth daily and more often.

Revlon South Africa said media personality Bonang Matheba remains the beauty company’s brand ambassador in the local market. Company communications manager Michelle Stevens clarified, however, that there are currently no plans to make her a global brand ambassador. On March 18, 2016, Matheba announced on her Instagram account that she has been named as a global brand ambassador by the company.

After six years of declines, sales of Pull-Ups training pants and diapers for babies rose 2 percent to $621 million for the 52-week period ending January 23, 2016. Data from Nielsen also revealed that sales for the most recent 12 weeks grew almost 6 percent. Although brand sales dropped 6–7 percent for each of the prior two years, and the category declined 3–4 percent, training pants remained almost a $1 billion segment. According to Nielsen, Pull-Ups accounted for more than 65 percent of the market segment.

Men’s grooming brand Nivea Men signed a sponsorship deal with Real Madrid football club for the South Africa market. As part of the partnership deal, the first commercial featuring Brazilian defender Marcelo and Dani Carvajal will have its broadcast debut on March 14, 2016. With football a very popular sport in South Africa, the deal is expected to help the brand establish a stronger connection with South African men, according to Beiersdorf South Africa marketing director Kerstin Bird.

L’Oreal Paris used Facebook Live Video to give local consumers a preview of its 2016 Women of Worth campaign in Malaysia. Aimed at inspiring ordinary women, the campaign features six successful women thought leaders and their journey. L’Oreal Paris through the campaign created by digital agency Lion & Lion plans to offer real-time social content.

CPL Aromas announced the company’s Aromafusion line of in-house specialist ingredients for its perfumers. Developed by CPL Aromas, Aromafusion is a fragrance ingredient technology described by the company as made of high-quality materials not available anywhere else in the industry. According to the company, the ingredients are produced using an “innovative high tech process” that combine high-quality ingredients by molecular distillation, creating materials never used before by perfumers.

Hugo Boss introduced the Hugo Man Extreme and Hugo Woman Extreme lines of perfumes for men and women. Available in 60ml and 100ml bottles, Hugo Man Extreme perfumes come with a new “intense touch of green apple while the heart extends on new aromatic sensations with sage, lavender, and geranium,” creating a masculine fragrance. Hugo Woman Extreme Eau de Parfum comes in 30ml, 50ml, and 75ml bottles.

Retailer Target launched the You Are Amazing and Mayfair Soap Foundry lines of bath and body care products. According to the company, You Are Amazing products are aimed at inspiring and empowering young women and feature a range of scents in four product formats. These include the Hello Beautiful Skin Body Lotion Collection and the Clean On Up Body Wash range. Mayfair Soap Foundry Grapefruit and Bergamot collection includes Sugar Scrub in Grapefruit Bergamot, while Body Souffle skin moisturizers combine aloe and cocoa seed.

Investment company MNC Group launched BrandOutlet, an online store for high-end beauty and fashion products in Indonesia. Highlighting the potential of Internet-based retail in the country, the online store comes with a product lineup that is 60 percent made up of local brands. Operating on a multi-channel basis across mobile and desktop, the store also comes with a dedicated blog.

Estee Lauder Companies Inc. said it has acquired Paris-based prestige fragrance brand By Kilian. Established by Kilian Hennessy in 2007, the brand has established a strong presence in more than 40 countries, mainly in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Highlighting its founder’s luxury and creativity backgrounds, the brand has grown through its use of “immersive freestanding stores, select prestige department stores, and perfumeries.”

Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies brand said its Natural Care Extra Sensitive Wipes line of baby wipes has received an Innovative Technology recognition from Vizient, Inc. Based on reviews of the product by hospital experts who joined the member-owned healthcare company’s Innovative Technology Expo in November 2015, the recognition highlights the Huggies Natural Care Extra Sensitive Wipes’ ability to provide a gentle clean for babies’ skin. Designed for hospital use, the wipes were developed in partnership with NICU nurses.

Unilever said it has agreed to be the headline sponsor for the 2016 BTR Port Sunlight Road Race. Also, the company plans to enter a team of runners to the 5K and 10K categories of the race. Port Sunlight was home to Unilever’s first research laboratory, which created many of the company’s home and personal care technologies.

Residents of Etobicoke, a neighborhood in Toronto, are claiming a nearby Lush Cosmetics soap factory has been making them sick. Calling on the company and the government to do something about the strong smell coming from the factory, area residents said they have been experiencing migraines and skin irritation. Lush Cosmetics said it has been working to address the smelly issue and has welcomed local residents to explain the factory’s operations.

Personal care products maker hello products launched the hello naturally friendly oral care toothpaste. According to the company, the product contains no fluoride and SLS and is designed for both children and adults. Made with aloe vera, erythritol, and xylitol, the toothpaste comes in a natural watermelon flavor for kids and a natural sweet mint flavor for adults.

Unilever says it has identified the sources of all non-hazardous waste it generates and has devised ways to direct it away from landfills. A year ago, Unilever said 240 of its factories had figured out ways to dispose of non-hazardous waste without using landfills. Another 400 sites – factories, warehouses, distribution centers and offices –in 70 countries have now been added to the list. The company applies a four-pronged “R” approach to waste disposal: reduce, reuse, recover or recycle. The achievement proves that “waste can be seen as a resource with many alternative uses.”

Beauty retailer The Body Shop launched the British Rose line of personal care products in the Philippines. Described as a British interpretation of the rose, a timeless icon of femininity, the range includes the Instant Glow Body Butter body and bath collection; Lip & Cheek Stain skin hydration products; and Petal-Soft Hand Cream.

Unilever collaborated with Delta Faucet Company to help consumers reduce water usage when using the shower. As part of the partnership, Unilever’s Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash brand is working with the Delta H2Okinetic Hydrafall Showerhead, which offers a more efficient use of water than the average showerhead does. According to the company, H2Okinetic Technology disperses water in a “special wave formation” designed to create larger droplets and a shower that feels warmer.

Despite stagnant sales growth, Clorox posted an 18 percent rise in second quarter profit. Ignoring currency fluctuations, sales grew three percent. Company earnings totaled $151 million, or $1.14 diluted EPS from continuing operations, compared to $128 million, or 97 cents diluted EPS, a year ago. The company said second quarter diluted EPS results were driven largely by gross margin expansion. Flat sales reflected volume growth and price increases, offset by negative foreign currency exchange rates and higher trade promotion spending. Volume for the second quarter was up one percent, due to gains in home care and natural personal care, partially offset by decreases in laundry and water filtration. "Our strategy continues to drive profitable growth," said CEO Benno Dore.

Reckitt Benckiser awarded its regional media planning and buying account to Zenith Egypt, a unit of ZenithOptimedia Group. Marking the fifth year of collaboration, Zenith Egypt’s re-appointment means the agency will handle RB’s media requirements for Egypt and North Africa markets. Brands covered by the partnership include Dettol, Strepsils, and Vanish.

L’Oreal SA reported like-for-like sales rose 3.9 percent at constant exchange rates in 2015, after growing 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter. Changes in consolidation had a net impact of 1.0 percent, while currency fluctuations had a positive impact of 7.2 percent. Growth at constant exchange rates was 4.9 percent, according to the company. As of December 31, 2015, the group reported total sales of €25.26 billion, an increase of 12.1 percent from the previous year.