Who owns Unilever, and which brands does it own?

Brands owned by Unilever

Subsidiary companies

• Walls Ice Cream Company (The Magnum Ice Cream Company)

Sources

1. Founded 2004, Unilever Prestige division 2017, commitment to animal welfare•Official registry

   Supports: Hourglass Cosmetics is recorded as having Unilever as its ultimate owner since 2017.

   LinkedIn · Accessed 13 September 2026

2. Unilever's stance on animal testing and alternatives•Company's own statement

   Supports: Unilever states it does not test on animals and believes animal testing is not needed to ensure product safety. The company claims to have used alternatives to animal testing since the 1980s, including computer modelling and cell-based methods. However, Unilever is listed by PETA as 'Working for Regulatory Change' rather than as fully cruelty-free, meaning the company conducts animal tests only when required by law and actively works toward alternatives. Some individual Unilever brands (over 20 brands) are independently certified as cruelty-free, but Comfort is not among them.

   Unilever · Accessed 13 September 2026

3. Ownership, founding date, products•Official registry

   Supports: Radox is recorded as having Unilever as its parent since 2009.

   Wikipedia · Accessed 13 September 2026

4. Unilever's animal testing policy and alternatives•Company's own statement

   Supports: Unilever has committed to ending animal testing globally and states it does not test on animals or commission animal testing. The company has been using alternatives to animal testing since the 1980s and is recognised by PETA as 'working for regulatory change'. However, Unilever has acknowledged using some ingredients that have been tested on animals by suppliers and allows animal testing where required by law in jurisdictions like China.

   Unilever · Accessed 13 September 2026

5. Unilever's position against animal testing•Company's own statement

   Supports: <cite index="51-1,51-2,51-3">Unilever states: 'We do not test on animals and believe that animal testing is not needed to make sure that our products are safe for people to use and safe for the planet. We use leading edge safety science, not animals, to evaluate the safety of our products and ingredients for consumers, our workers and the environment.'</cite> <cite index="57-1">Unilever is listed as 'Working for Regulatory Change' by PETA, meaning it conducts tests on animals only when required by law, is actively working for the replacement of animals with non-animal methods, and releases to PETA all information about tests.</cite>

   Unilever · Accessed 13 September 2026

6. Unilever animal welfare position, cage-free eggs targets•Company's own statement

   Supports: Unilever states commitment to ending animal testing globally and has developed alternatives since the 1980s. However, Unilever still tests on animals where required by law (e.g., mainland China) and has admitted that occasionally when no suitable non-animal approaches exist, some ingredients must be tested. Unilever supports global bans on cosmetics animal testing but does not currently abstain from all animal testing industry-wide.

   Unilever official website · Accessed 13 September 2026

7. Founding, acquisition by Unilever in 2017, parent company relationship•Official registry

   Supports: Schmidt's is recorded as having Unilever as its ultimate owner since 2017.

   Wikipedia · Accessed 13 September 2026

8. Ownership by Unilever, acquisition date, closure announcement•Official registry

   Supports: REN Clean Skincare is recorded as having Unilever as its parent since 2015.

   Global Cosmetics News · Accessed 13 September 2026

9. Unilever animal testing stance and policy•Company's own statement

   Supports: Unilever states it does not test on animals and has not tested on animals since the 1980s. The company is recognized by PETA as 'Working for Regulatory Change' on its Ultimate Cruelty-Free List, meaning Unilever conducts tests on animals only when required by law and is actively working toward replacement with non-animal methods. However, Unilever is not fully PETA-certified as cruelty-free and conducts testing in jurisdictions where required by law (e.g., China for regulatory approval).

   Unilever · Accessed 13 September 2026

10. Unilever acquisition of Ingman Ice Cream and Swedish Glace•Official registry

    Supports: Swedish Glace is recorded as having Unilever as its ultimate owner since 2011.

    The Grocer · Accessed 13 September 2026

11. Unilever's position on animal testing•Company's own statement

    Supports: Unilever officially states it does not test on animals and believes animal testing is not necessary. However, Unilever's Animal Testing Policy permits testing on animals to comply with government regulations, and suppliers may conduct animal testing when required by law. Unilever is listed by PETA as 'Working for Regulatory Change', meaning it conducts animal tests only when required by law and is actively working to replace animal testing with non-animal methods.

    Unilever Official · Accessed 13 September 2026

12. Cif ownership and product type•Official registry

    Supports: Cif is recorded as having Unilever as its parent.

    Wikipedia · Accessed 13 September 2026

13. Unilever's stated position on animal testing•Company's own statement

    Supports: Unilever states that it does not test on animals and believes animal testing is not necessary for product safety. The company is listed on PETA's Ultimate Cruelty-Free List as a 'company working for regulatory change' and has publicly committed to supporting a global ban on animal testing for cosmetics. However, Unilever acknowledges that 'very occasionally' some ingredients must still be tested by suppliers by law to comply with regulatory requirements in some markets, and some government authorities such as China test certain products on animals as part of their regulations.

    Unilever · Accessed 13 September 2026

14. Brand ownership, product description, brand history•Official registry

    Supports: Comfort is recorded as having Unilever as its ultimate owner.

    Unilever · Accessed 13 September 2026

15. Surf ownership by Unilever; brand description and history•Official registry

    Supports: Surf is recorded as having Unilever as its ultimate owner since 1952.

    Unilever · Accessed 13 September 2026

16. UK ownership by Unilever, dual-ownership structure with Henkel•Official registry

    Supports: Persil is recorded as having Unilever as its parent.

    Wikipedia · Accessed 12 September 2026

17. Ownership by Unilever since 2010; product type and history•Official registry

    Supports: Simple is recorded as having Unilever as its parent since 2010.

    Wikipedia · Accessed 12 September 2026

18. Acquisition of Wild by Unilever in April 2025•Official registry

    Supports: Wild is recorded as having Unilever as its parent since 2025.

    Unilever · Accessed 12 September 2026

19. Dove is owned by Unilever; product descriptions•Official registry

    Supports: Dove is recorded as having Unilever as its parent.

    Unilever (Official) · Accessed 12 September 2026