Lux accelerates global growth with premium body care expansion

Lux is accelerating its global growth as part of Unilever’s Desire at Scale strategy, strengthening its position in the premium personal care segment. The brand is expanding its body care portfolio with refined liquid formats that combine sophisticated fragrances, luxurious ingredients and sensorial textures inspired by the skinification trend.

Liquid formats have played a central role in driving Lux’s performance this year, with the Lux Sparkling and Lux Botanicals collections emerging as the brand’s fastest-growing lines.

Liquid formats reshape the global bathing market

For over a century, Lux has been synonymous with fragrance and glamour. Today, the Unilever Personal Care Power Brand is achieving significant momentum in key markets through products that merge its fragrance expertise with evolving consumer expectations.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global bath and shower market is projected to grow from around 46 billion dollars in 2023 to more than 70 billion dollars by 2030, with liquid formats outpacing traditional soap bars. Lux’s own data show that consumers in bar soap strongholds such as India, Pakistan and Brazil are switching to liquids for enhanced sensory experiences and convenience.

In markets like China and Arabia, where liquids are already dominant, the daily shower is evolving into a moment of self-care and indulgence, with demand increasing for long-lasting fragrance and a refined skin feel.

Gen Z drives demand for multisensory experiences

Lux’s strategy to premiumise its range is guided by a deep understanding of younger audiences. Through social listening, consumer immersion and influencer collaborations, the brand identified that Gen Z consumers seek products offering novelty in texture, multifunctional benefits, and visually engaging packaging aligned with their values.

A new body wash line introduces bubbly textures that evoke the sensation of sparkling beverages, while scrub-gel formats combine exfoliation, cleansing and glow in a single step.

Judy Zu, Global Brand Director, Lux: "These are carefully crafted innovations that build on Lux’s fragrance heritage while delivering the novelty and sensorial excitement that Gen Z desires. We’re not abandoning our legacy. We’re inviting a new generation to be part of it, on their terms."

Lux Sparkling turns fragrance into performance

The Lux Sparkling collection showcases how the brand has turned consumer insights into differentiated liquid products that attract younger audiences and boost brand penetration.

First launched in China in 2024 with Lux Sparkling White Peach, the line received the 2024 Wave Maker Product award from BASES (Nielsen) for its strong market performance. It has since expanded to include Sparkling Grape, Sparkling Osmanthus and Sparkling Sea Salt variants, becoming Lux’s third-largest platform in China.

The collection’s appeal lies in its textured, bubbly formula and cooling sensation. Powered by Unilever’s Oxilock technology, it uses micro-oxygen bubbles that recreate the feel of bathing in sparkling water, paired with fine fragrances designed by world-class perfumers that last up to 30 hours.

A social-first campaign titled Bubble Up amplified visibility on Chinese digital platforms, with influencer collaborations on Douyin driving awareness and sales. The range is expected to roll out in additional markets.

Lux Botanicals embraces skinification

Lux Botanicals has become another driver of premium growth. Relaunched in 2024 with upgraded skinification-inspired formulas, the line incorporates skincare-grade ingredients designed to enhance glow and skin comfort.

Its botanical scents – including freesia, sakura and sandalwood – are inspired by fine fragrance trends and complemented by formats such as self-foaming mousses, scrubs and hand washes. The recyclable packaging, featuring nature-inspired artwork, reinforces Lux’s premium positioning and visual identity.

Over the past year, Lux Botanicals has become Lux’s most successful premium range in China and other key markets, particularly among Gen Z consumers. It continues to strengthen the brand’s reputation for fragrance-led expertise and modern indulgence.

www.unilever.com

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