Soap industry grew with the promise of avoiding you

The advertisement published in Jornal das Moças, in October 1946, had the image of a melancholy young woman in front of the mirror, just below the phrase: “Useless beauty. She has CC (body smell)”. The advertisement in question, for the soap brand Lifebuoy, now manufactured by Unilever, said that the product “contains the special antiseptic element that, in fact, prevents the ‘C.C'”.

Over the last 70 years, a lot has evolved in the advertising of personal hygiene products, starting with linking the attributes of soap to the feeling of personal well-being, without appealing to the stigmatizing “cecê”, as the smell of sweat became known.

But in the second half of the 1940s, after the Second World War, when electric showers began to become popular, daily bathing became a common practice. Despite the tradition inherited from indigenous peoples, who took several baths in the river a day, Brazilians in the first decades of the last century took few baths a week (or just one), preferably on Saturday.

Today, according to the consultancy Euromonitor, Brazil consumes, per year, US$ 1.42 billion (R$ 7.4 billion) in bar soaps, which represents an increase of 16% (in dollar value) in compared to 2016. Considering the consumption of liquid soap, Brazilians spend US$ 251 million (R$ 1.3 billion) on the product, whose consumption has jumped more than seven times in the last five years in the country.

The expectation, according to the consultancy, is that this market will reach US$ 1.74 billion (R$ 9 billion) by 2026.

Priority for Brazilians is perfume

“The penetration of bar soaps in Brazil is very high compared to Europe, where the liquid market is more developed”, says Katia Ambrosio, personal care marketing director at Colgate-Palmolive Brasil, owner of the Palmolive soap brands. and Protex.

Brazil is the leader in the global ranking of Colgate-Palmolive in the sale of bar soaps.

“But the liquids market is advancing here, not only because of the new habits acquired during the pandemic – in order to avoid sharing the product, for example –, but also because of the emotional benefits”, says Katia.

According to the executive, liquid soap is seen as something “more modern”, associated with moments of well-being, affection and self-care. “There is an emotional bias that influences the choice of this type of product in Brazil,” she says. Another promise of liquid soaps is to promote skin hydration.

According to data from Euromonitor, Unilever owns the brands that lead the soap market in Brazil: Lux, in the bar format (18.5% share in 2021), and Lifebuoy in the liquid format (3.3%).

The second best-selling brand in the bar soap market is Natura Ekos (10.9%), from Brazil’s Natura, followed by Protex (7.5%), from Colgate-Palmolive. In liquid soaps, the vice-leadership and third place are, respectively, with the Natura (2%) and Avon Care (1.9%) brands, both belonging to the Natura&Co group.

Fragrance is the Brazilian’s priority when choosing soap. “In Brazil, fresh and fruity fragrances are among the favorites, and for most consumers it is important that the experience goes back to a connection with nature”, says Kátia.

In this case, he says, the preference is for local fragrances that reflect Brazilian culture and natural ingredients.

“Brazilians seek to combine hygiene and well-being, a concern that has gained greater importance in recent years, with the pandemic”, says Kátia.

The industry, in turn, has been striving to launch products with an exfoliating, hypoallergenic and antibacterial focus.