Lifebuoy

Improving health & hygiene for over 100 years

Lifebuoy is one of Unilever's oldest brands, a brand that was truly 'global' before the term 'global brand' was invented. Lifebuoy Royal Disinfectant Soap was launched in 1894 as an affordable new product in the UK, to support people in their quest for better personal hygiene. Soon after launch, Lifebuoy soap travelled across the world, reaching countries such as India, where even today it is still the market leading brand.

Lifebuoy saves lives

Consistent in Lifebuoy's 110+ year history has been its championing of health through hygiene. The brand's core promise of protection and a commitment to support life through unbeatable protection is at the heart of the brand name itself – Lifebuoy, the guarantee of protection when you are threatened. For example, a 1930's campaign in the US was titled 'Clean hands help guard health', encouraging the use of Lifebuoy soap to kill the germs on hands that can cause health issues. A similar campaign continues today, with Lifebuoy hygiene education programmes ongoing in countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam.

A helping hand

According to the World Health Organisation, diarrhoea is the single largest cause of preventable death, killing 2.2 million people every year. In 2003, it killed 600 000 children aged under five in India alone. It's been estimated that if everyone washed their hands properly at key times during the day, up to half of all childhood deaths from diarrhoea – more than one million children – could be avoided.

Global Handwashing Day

To promote understanding of the importance of handwashing, Lifebuoy launched the first ever Global Handwashing Day in 2008, together with the United Nations and other partners. Lifebuoy brand teams in 23 countries helped raise awareness about how handwashing with soap can prevent disease.

Did you know?

Lifebuoy has always played a role in times of crisis, helping to prevent the spread of germs and disease:

• During the Blitz of London in 1940, Lifebuoy soap provided free emergency mobile washing facilities to Londoners. Lifebuoy vans were equipped with hot showers, soap and towel
• In the aftermath of the tsunami in Asia in December 2004, Lifebuoy bars were a key element in the relief packages distributed in Southern India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases so endemic in the aftermath of such disasters
• In 2005 over 200 000 bars of Lifebuoy soap were donated to UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross to support their earthquake relief operations in Northern India and Pakistan                          

Innovation

Since 2000, major changes have been made to the classic Lifebuoy soap bar to ensure that it provides improved hygiene protection and a more enjoyable healthy washing experience for its billions of consumers.

• Lifebuoy soap's classic hard red brick shape has been replaced with a new signature Lifebuoy shape. The new shape makes the bar easier to grip and use

• The Lifebuoy Brand team have developed a new formulation providing even better germ protection which creates a rich lather on the skin 

• Lifebuoy soap's characteristic medicated, carbolic smell has been replaced with a more enjoyable and contemporary 'health' fragrance 

• Lifebuoy has become more than just a red bar of soap – today the brand provides hygiene and health solutions for families, including a range of bar soaps, hand wash liquids and liquid shower gels. One of the most recent Lifebuoy innovation addresses the number one skin hygiene and health concern for teens and tweens: oily and acne prone skin. Lifebuoy Clear Skin is a bar soap formulated using radical new technology that is clinically proven to reduce even severe acne, by 70% in 6 weeks. Regular use, twice a day is proven to prevent and reduce the recurrence of acne                          

Key facts

• Today Lifebuoy is mainly sold in Asia and parts of Africa. It is market leader in every Asian market where it is sold
• Lifebuoy soap has been proven in laboratories to provide 100% more effective germ protection than ordinary soaps
• To date, 70 million people in rural India along have experienced the pioneering, Lifebuoy sponsored Health Education programme – the single largest private hygiene education programme in the world
• In 2005, Lifebuoy was awarded a 'Citizen Brand' accolade in Indonesia in recognition of the work the brand has undertaken in hand wash education
• Nearly half of the Lifebuoy brand's consumption is in rural Asia, where most of the population live on less than US$1 per day                          

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