Sanex
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| Product type | Personal care |
|---|---|
| Owner | Colgate-Palmolive (2011–present) |
| Produced by | Colegate-Pamolive Europe |
| Country | Origin: Spain marketing and production: various. |
| Introduced | 1984 |
| Markets | Europe and international |
| Previous owners | Sara Lee Corporation (until 2009) Unilever (2009–2011) |
| Tagline | Keep Skin Healthy |
| Website | www.sanex.co.uk (United Kingdom)
www.sanex.fr (France) www.sanex.es (Spain) www.sanex.co.za (South Africa) |
Sanex is a brand of personal care products owned by Colgate-Palmolive. It is sold in multiple European countries (including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Poland and Croatia) and in South Africa.
History
[edit]The Sanex brand was introduced by Sara Lee Corporation in 1984 with the launch of Sanex Shower Gel,[1] a pioneer non-soap body cleanser.[2] It was first introduced in Spain and subsequently expanded into other European markets, becoming the company's best-selling household and body care brand.[3][4]
Unilever acquired Sanex in 2009 as part of its purchase of the personal care division of Sara Lee Corporation.[5] The European Commission required the brand's divestment on anti-trust grounds,[6][7] and in 2011 it was sold to Colgate-Palmolive for £580 million (approximately $940 million in US dollars). Its sales in 2010 were €187 million ($265 million).[8][9]
Products
[edit]Product lines include deodorant, shower gel, liquid hand soap and body, face and hand moisturisers.
Controversy
[edit]On August 19, 2025, a TV advert for Sanex shower gel which showed cracked black skin and smooth white skin was banned in the United Kingdom by the Advertising Standards Authority for reinforcing a racial stereotype.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Celebrating 40 Years of Sanex: A Legacy of Healthy Skin". Colgate-Palmolive. November 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ "Sanex: A Journey to the Heart of Skin Health". Startup Mag. South Africa. 18 March 2025.
- ^ Masaaki (Mike) Kotabe; Kristiaan Helsen (1999). "Tilting Windmills: Sanex Tries to Conquer Europe". Global Marketing Management. New York: Wiley. pp. 625–33. ISBN 9780471353904.
- ^ Oswald A. J. Mascarenhas (2011). Business Transformation Strategies: The Strategic Leader as Innovation Manager. New Delhi: SAGE/Response Business Books. p. 382. ISBN 9788132105015.
- ^ Lily Vitorovich (28 September 2009). "Unilever, Sara Lee in Deal: Anglo-Dutch Giant to Buy Radox, Sanex and Other Brands". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Irene van Staveren (2015). Economics After the Crisis: An Introduction to Economics from a Pluralist and Global Perspective. Abingdon / New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781315793962.
- ^ Root Man (17 November 2010). "Sara Lee to Sell Body Care Business to Unilever". Consumer Goods Technology.
- ^ "Colgate to Buy Unilever's Sanex Unit for About $940 Million". Bloomberg. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ^ "Colgate buys Sanex from Unilever for $940 million". Reuters. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Sanex shower gel ad banned over racial stereotype". BBC News. 20 August 2025.
External links
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