Social Media’s Impact On The Beauty Industry: Do We Love It?

With a new beauty trend and product category emerging every week, we evaluate its impact on the industry at large

Anjan Sachar

28 Nov ‘24

Social media beauty trends TikTok beauty hacks Instagram beauty content Beauty industry evolution

Keep reading to know...

Beauty trends on social media come alive, die and make way for the next one faster than we’re able to shoot and post a single reel. TikTok and Instagram, of course, are the preferred social media platforms that create viral beauty moments, often leading to brand-new product categories. We’ve seen everything from tinted lip oils to jelly blushes blow up across markets around the globe, all thanks to social media. However, is every trending product or category worth the hype? And is social media bringing about positive change or adding more clutter and confusion to the beauty industry and end consumers?

Social Media and the Beauty Industry: The Positives

Shopping via social commerce is heavily driving sales across brands and categories — this we know for sure. According to Dr. Zara Dadi, a medical cosmetologist and aesthetic injector, this is due to the shift in consumer trust. “Social media has made the beauty industry more inclusive and welcoming. People find other people more relatable than brands. They are more aware, and self-care is normalised. So, when an influencer promotes something that worked for them to achieve clear skin, smooth wrinkles, or create a chiselled jawline, people are more likely to buy what they endorse. This is exactly why some makeup artists who have transitioned into beauty influencers are now running highly profitable makeup and cosmetic businesses as well,” she says.

“The positive side of beauty trends on social media is that a lot of people are now using makeup, instead of just sticking to 1-2 standard products as they normally would. They’re embracing the beauty ritual,” says Sandhya Shekhar, a Mumbai-based celebrity makeup artist who also recently launched her own beauty brand. Consumers across age groups are willing to experiment and play with products they may have found intimidating before, thanks to the knowledge being shared online with tips on real-time applications as well.

Social Media and the Beauty Industry: What Needs to Change

With the sheer volume of beauty content on social media, there’s also the flip side, which is also causing a significant amount of confusion about what one should actually use. “As a makeup artist, I work with a lot of different faces, skin tones and types every month,” says Shekar. “I’ve found that people who have multi-step routines have troubled skin compared to those who have a basic, minimal routine. While social media is dictating trends and product creation, it can do further damage because people are now confused about what works for them. I'm seeing skin barriers either being damaged or cases where they’ve become too sensitive.”

Dr. Dadi refers to the charcoal boom we witnessed a few years ago. “We had a wave of charcoal being added to everything — toothpaste, face masks, all kinds of skincare. There were no studies on how it helps or adds value. It was the flavour of the season. However, anything without science-backed studies and visible results will die a natural death [as this one did],” she says. She also acknowledges that there are a fair few DIY beauty recipes that we discover on social media which can be effective as well. At the end of the day, it depends on the person or account you’re considering as an authority on beauty, where they get their information from and what makes them a credible source.

While TikTok isn’t available in India, the trends that start there often find their way to Instagram soon after, blowing up on reels. “Not every trend that goes viral on social media has an impact for it to stay,” believes Shekar. “Most of them are momentary because trends are also hacks of sorts. Out of 50 that come out, 2-5 make it to the top. When beauty started buzzing online about seven years ago via TikTok and Instagram, blush and contour were the biggest trends, especially contouring. It’s not like this didn't exist before, only new names were given to them and new techniques were emerging, but these are hacks that makeup artists have been using for more than 100 years.”

Shekar also addresses that a lot of the trends that emerge online tend to come from international markets, using products that may not work for Indian skin tones and undertones. “With makeup, people are buying a lot of products without really seeing if it suits their skin. With international brands, we need to remember that none of them really cater to our skin tone. In 10 products that they create, you'll find that only 20-30% of products will work for your skin type or tone.” Dr. Dadi acknowledges that social media promotion can sometimes set unattainable beauty standards by certain brands and influencers. Not everything works for everyone or looks the same for everyone, requiring followers to be more discerning about what they choose to try.

Are Social Media Beauty Trends Here to Stay?

“Each face is unique and makeup is a lot about personality and what you're feeling, and beauty and makeup is about what you’re embodying, which is why living by a trend doesn’t make sense to me,” says Shekar. “We need to find a balance, there are too many trends emerging and too many products launching. People also need to identify what’s a fad and what’s here to stay. Experiment, try out-of-the-box looks, but do it to be creative and not to follow trends. Not every trend will suit you. See how you’re feeling on the day and let your makeup channel that,” she recommends.

For Dr. Dadi, the responsibility of conscious consumption lies in our hands and that of the content creators as well. “While social media platforms heavily influence current trends and consumers, transparency from brands and influencers is essential. Setting unattainable beauty standards that can negatively impact the self-esteem of impressionable minds should be avoided. Beauty influencers should take responsibility and research the products and brands they promote. The relationship between social media and the beauty industry is complex and should be executed responsibly,” she says.

Social media beauty trends Impact on beauty industry Conscious beauty consumption

Anjan Sachar

Anjan Sachar is an award-winning beauty editor and event curator with a decade of experience writing across beauty, wellness and lifestyle. She is also the founder of The Red Lipstick Club. The two ways to spot her in a crowd: She'll have a bold red lipstick on and a stiff drink in her hand.

More by Anjan Sachar

Also your vibe...

Step-by-step guide to organize dressing table essentials

12 Dec ‘24

From Chaos to Calm: How to Organize Your Dressing Table Like a Pro

By Nidhi Kavle

Artificial intelligence makeup revolutionizing beauty tips and routines.

27 Nov ‘24

Beauty Tips from Bots: Can You Trust an AI Influencer with Your Skin?

By Manya Makhija

Step-by-step guide on how to read ingredient list skincare products

19 Nov ‘24

How to Read Skincare Labels: Ingredient Lists, Logos and Beyond

By Anjan Sachar

Dive in!

TERMS & CONDITIONS

User Agreement

This document is an electronic record in terms of Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules there under as applicable and the amended provisions pertaining to electronic records in various statutes as amended by the Information Technology Act, 2000. This electronic record is generated by a computer system and does not require any physical or digital signatures

Your use of the UShop Website https://theushop.in/ and all features provided in the Site are governed by the terms and conditions mentioned on the website (“Terms”). By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

The domain name and website UShop is owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited, having its registered office at Unilever House, B.D. Sawant Marg, Andheri East, 400099 (HUL)

INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED is licensed to use and operate the Site and supply products directly to customers who transact using the Site. As a User of the Site and its services you are contracting with INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED through these Terms.

Platform Limitations:

HUL is not a party to the transactions between Buyer and Seller on the Platform and therefore all commercial Terms and Conditions offered on the website are agreed between You and the INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED.

HUL does not have control over Policies and commercial terms pertaining to price, shipping costs, payment methods, payment terms, date, period and mode of delivery, warranties related to products and after sales services related to products. HUL does not have any control or does not determine or advise or in any way involve itself in the offering or acceptance of such commercial/contractual terms between the Buyers and Sellers. All discounts, offers (including exchange offers) are by the Seller and not by HUL.

HUL does not at any point of time during any transaction between Buyer and Seller on the Platform hold title or any possession of the products offered by Seller nor does it at any point gain title to or have any rights or claims over the products offered by Seller to Buyer.

YOUR PROFILE & SECURITY:

Shoppers have to register and login for placing Orders on the Site. As part of the registration process on the Site, you maybe required to share information important for us to service you efficiently.

HUL, INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED may collect/use the following personally identifiable information about you:

Name including first and last name,
alternate email address,
mobile phone number and
contact details, postal code, demographic profile (like your age, gender, occupation, education, address etc.) and information about the pages on the site you visit/access, the links you click on the site, the number of times you access the page and any such browsing information.

The personal information / data provided by you during the course of usage of the Site will be treated as strictly confidential and in accordance with the Unilever Privacy Policy and applicable laws and regulations. Please refer the Unilever Privacy Policy at https://www.unilevernotices.com/india/english/privacy-notice/notice.html to understand your personal information is used.

You shall be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login ID and Password and preventing unauthorized access into your profile. You shall be responsible for all activities/transactions that occur under your Login ID.

You agree to:

immediately notify us of any unauthorized use / breach of your password or account or where you have reason to believe that your account may be used in an unauthorized manner on the following email address:

Grievance.Officer-Privacy@unilever.com.;

ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session.

YOUR REPRESENTATIONS AND USE OF PLATFORM:

You agree that if You provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, we shall have the right to indefinitely suspend or terminate or block access to the Site by you.
You represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence.
You may not use our products for any illegal or unauthorized purpose nor may you, in the use of the Service, violate any laws in your jurisdiction (including but not limited to copyright laws).
You must not transmit any worms or viruses or any code of a destructive nature.
A breach or violation of any of the Terms will result in an immediate termination of your Services.
Maximum purchase cannot be more than 30 pieces for a particular order, from one ID.
Limited Consumer Promo offers are available only for personal consumption / usage. Maximum purchase per ID is 30 units.
Any order suspected / not meant for personal consumption, INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED reserves the right to decline the order & refund the money. We reserve the right to block such accounts from where the suspected orders are placed.

PRODUCT AUTHENTICITY:

All products sold on the website are sourced by INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED from Authorised Distributors of Hindustan Unilever Limited. Therefore, you can be assured of the quality and authenticity of the products you purchase on this website.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © Hindustan Unilever Limited. All rights reserved. All copyright and other intellectual property rights in all text, images, sound, software and other materials on this site are owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited / affiliated companies or are included with permission of the relevant owner.

You are permitted to browse this site and to reproduce extracts by way of printing, downloading to a hard disk and by distribution to other people but, in all cases, for non-commercial, informational and personal purposes only. No reproduction of any part of the site may be sold or distributed for commercial gain nor shall it be modified or incorporated in any other work, publication or site, whether in hard copy or electronic format, including posting to any other site. No other licence or right is granted.

TRADEMARKS

All trademarks displayed on this site are either owned or used under licence by Hindustan Unilever Limited.

AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS

Hindustan Unilever Limited do not themselves supply any products or services to consumers directly. Reference to any product or service on the site does not constitute an offer to sell or supply that product or service and does not mean that the product or service is available in all countries or that the name, description or specification of the product or service will be the same as that included on the site. INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED is responsible to list and sell products as per availability and suitability.

MODIFICATIONS TO THE SERVICE AND PRICES

INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED reserves the right to modify Prices for products without notice.

We reserve the right at any time to modify or discontinue the Service (or any part or content thereof) without notice at any time.

We shall not be liable to you or to any third-party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Certain products or services may be available exclusively online through the website. These products or services may have limited quantities and are subject to return or exchange only according to INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED Return Policy.

We have made every effort to display as accurately as possible the colours and images of our products that appear at the store. We cannot guarantee that your computer monitor's display of any colour will be accurate.

We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to limit the sales of our products or Services to any person, geographic region or jurisdiction. We may exercise this right on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to limit the quantities of any products or services that we offer. All descriptions of products or product pricing are subject to change at anytime without notice, at the sole discretion of INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED. We reserve the right to discontinue any product at any time. Any offer for any product or service made on this site is void where prohibited.

ACCURACY OF BILLING AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION

INDIGO DYECHEM PRIVATE LIMITED reserves the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event that we make a change to or cancel an order, we may attempt to notify you by contacting the e-mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors.

You agree to provide current, complete and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made at our store. You agree to promptly update your account and other information, including your email address and credit card numbers and expiration dates, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed.

CONTENT

The information on this site has been included in good faith but is for general informational purposes only. It should not be relied on for any specific purpose and no representation or warranty is given as regards its accuracy or completeness. Hindustan Unilever Limited officers, employees or agents shall not be liable for any loss, damage or expense arising out of any access to or use of this site or any site linked to it including, without limitation, any loss of profit, indirect, incidental or consequential loss.

All comments, suggestions, graphics, ideas (including product and advertising ideas), and other information or materials you submit to Hindustan Unilever Limited through this web site will become and remain the exclusive property of Hindustan Unilever Limited, including any future rights associated with such submissions, even if these terms and conditions are later modified or terminated.

This means that you disclaim any proprietary rights in such submissions, and you acknowledge Hindustan Unilever Limited unrestricted right to use them (or materials or ideas similar to them) in any medium, now and in the future, without notice, compensation or other obligation to you or any other person. It also means Hindustan Unilever Private Limited has no obligation to keep your submissions confidential. We reserve the right to make any changes and corrections to this site as and when we consider it appropriate and without notice.

TERMS OF SERVICE

We offer this website, including all information, tools and services available from this site to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here:

By visiting our site and/ or purchasing something from us, you engage in our “Service” and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions (“Terms of Service”, “Terms”), including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein and/or available by hyperlink. These Terms of Service apply to all users of the site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/ or contributors of content.

Please read these Terms of Service carefully before accessing or using our website. By accessing or using any part of the site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you have the option to not access the website or use any services. If these Terms of Service are considered an offer, acceptance is expressly limited to these Terms of Service.

Any new features or tools which are added to the current store shall also be subject to the Terms of Service. You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time on this page. We reserve the right to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and/or changes to our website. Your continued use of or access to the website following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time.

You understand that your content (not including credit card information), may be transferred unencrypted and involve (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to technical requirements of connecting networks or devices. Credit card information is always encrypted during transfer over networks.

You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any portion of the Service, use of the Service, or access to the Service or any contact on the website through which the service is provided, without express written permission by us.

The headings used in this agreement are included for convenience only and will not limit or otherwise affect these Terms.

ACCURACY OF INFORMATION

We are not responsible if information made available on this site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on this site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on this site is at your own risk.

This site may contain certain historical information. Historical information, necessarily, is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of this site at any time. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to our site.

3^RD PARTY TOOLS

We may provide you with access to third-party tools over which we neither monitor nor have any control nor input.

You acknowledge and agree that we provide access to such tools “as is” and “as available” without any warranties, representations or conditions of any kind and without any endorsement. We shall have no liability whatsoever arising from or relating to your use of optional third-party tools.

Any use by you of optional tools offered through the site is entirely at your own risk and discretion and you should ensure that you are familiar with and approve of the terms on which tools are provided by the relevant third-party provider(s).

We may also, in the future, offer new services and/or features through the website (including, the release of new tools and resources). Such new features and/or services shall also be subject to these Terms of Service.

THIRD-PARTY LINKS (remove if NOT applicable)

Certain content, products and services available via our Service may include materials from third-parties.

Third-party links on this site may direct you to third-party websites that are not affiliated with us. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating the content or accuracy and we do not warrant and will not have any liability or responsibility for any third-party materials or websites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third-parties.

We are not liable for any harm or damages related to the purchase or use of goods, services, resources, content, or any other transactions made in connection with any third-party websites. Please review carefully the third-party's policies and practices and make sure you understand them before you engage in any transaction. Complaints, claims, concerns, or questions regarding third-party products should be directed to the third-party.

USER COMMENTS

If, at our request, you send certain specific submissions (for example contest entries) or without a request from us you send creative ideas, suggestions, proposals, plans, or other materials, whether online, by email, by postal mail, or otherwise (collectively, 'comments'), you agree that we may, at any time, without restriction, edit, copy, publish, distribute, translate and otherwise use in any medium any comments that you forward to us. We are and shall be under no obligation (1) to maintain any comments in confidence; (2) to pay compensation for any comments; or (3) to respond to any comments.

We may, but have no obligation to, monitor, edit or remove content that we determine in our sole discretion are unlawful, offensive, threatening, libelous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene or otherwise objectionable or violates any party’s intellectual property or these Terms of Service.

You agree that your comments will not violate any right of any third-party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, personality or other personal or proprietary right. You further agree that your comments will not contain libellous or otherwise unlawful, abusive or obscene material, or contain any computer virus or other malware that could in any way affect the operation of the Service or any related website. You may not use a false e-mail address, pretend to be someone other than yourself, or otherwise mislead us or third parties as to the origin of any comments. You are solely responsible for any comments you make and their accuracy. We take no responsibility and assume no liability for any comments posted by you or any third-party.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Your submission of personal information through the website is governed by our Privacy Policy. (add hyperlink). To stop receiving communications, please click on the unsubscribe link received in the promotional email communication from the sender ID (ID). Alternatively, you may email us at lever.care@unilever.com to opt out of communication.

ERRORS

Occasionally there may be information on our site or in the Service that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may relate to product descriptions, pricing, promotions, offers, product shipping charges, transit times and availability. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, and to change or update information or cancel orders if any information in the Service or on any related website is inaccurate at any time without prior notice (including after you have submitted your order).

PROHIBITED USES

In addition to other prohibitions as set forth in the Terms of Service, you are prohibited from using the site or its content: (a) for any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the Service or of any related website, other websites, or the Internet; (h) to collect or track the personal information of others; (i) to spam, phish, pharm, pretext, spider, crawl, or scrape; (j) for any obscene or immoral purpose; or (k) to interfere with or circumvent the security features of the Service or any related website, other websites, or the Internet. We reserve the right to terminate your use of the Service or any related website for violating any of the prohibited uses.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

We do not guarantee, represent or warrant that your use of our service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free. We do not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the service will be accurate or reliable.

You agree that from time to time we may remove the service for indefinite periods of time or cancel the service at any time, without notice to you.

You expressly agree that your use of, or inability to use, the service is at your sole risk. The service and all products and services delivered to you through the service are (except as expressly stated by us) provided 'as is' and 'as available' for your use, without any representation, warranties or conditions of any kind, either express or implied, including all implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose, durability, title, and non-infringement.

In no case shall we, our directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, service providers or licensors be liable for any injury, loss, claim, or any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, or consequential damages of any kind, including, without limitation lost profits, lost revenue, lost savings, loss of data, replacement costs, or any similar damages, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising from your use of any of the service or any products procured using the service, or for any other claim related in any way to your use of the service or any product, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the service or any content (or product) posted, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the service, even if advised of their possibility. Our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless us and our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, interns and employees, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third-party due to or arising out of your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents they incorporate by reference, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party.

SEVERABILITY

If any provision of the Terms and Conditions is held illegal or unenforceable by any court or other authority of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed severable from the remaining provisions and shall not affect or impair the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions in such jurisdiction.

TERMINATION

These Terms of Service are effective unless and until terminated by either you or us. You may terminate these Terms of Service at any time by notifying us that you no longer wish to use our Services, or when you cease using our site.

If in our sole judgment you fail, or we suspect that you have failed, to comply with any term or provision of these Terms of Service, we also may terminate this agreement at any time without notice and you will remain liable for all amounts due up to and including the date of termination; and/or accordingly may deny you access to our Services (or any part thereof).

GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION

These Terms of Service and any separate agreements whereby we provide you Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. For proceedings arising therein the Courts at Mumbai shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Any dispute or difference either in interpretation or otherwise, of the Terms of Use and other Policies on the Site, between the parties hereto, shall be referred to an independent arbitrator who will be appointed by mutually and his decision shall be final and binding on the parties hereto. The above arbitration shall be in accordance with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 as amended from time to time. The seat and venue of arbitration shall be held in Mumbai.

UPDATES:

You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time at this page.

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and changes to our website. Your continued use of or access to our website or the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes.

Privacy Notice

#yourdataisyours

We know that you care about your personal data and how it is used, and we want you to trust that Unilever uses your personal data carefully. This Privacy Notice will help you understand what personal data we collect, why we collect it and what we do with it.

As you read our Notice, please keep in mind that it applies to all Hindustan Unilever Limited.

Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with our privacy practices and let us know if you have any questions by sending us an email to Customer Care or submitting a request through the “Contact Us” form on our websites.

We have tried to keep this Notice as simple as possible, but if you’re not familiar with terms, such as cookies, IP addresses, and browsers, then please read about these key terms first.

You have the right to object to certain uses of your personal data including the use of your personal data for direct marketing. See what your rights are and how you can exercise them here.

Any personal data provided to or collected by Unilever is controlled by Hindustan Unilever Limited, the data controller.

This Privacy Notice applies to personal data collected by Unilever in connection with the services and products we offer. References to “Unilever” in this Notice means Hindustan Unilever Limited and any company directly or indirectly owned and/or controlled by Hindustan Unilever Limited that you are interacting with or have a business relationship with.

This Privacy Notice also applies to Unilever’s marketing content, including offers and advertisements for Unilever products and services, which we (or a service provider acting on our behalf) send to you on third-party websites, platforms and applications based on your site usage information. These third-party websites generally have their own Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions. We encourage you to read them before using those websites.

Personal data means any information that can be used to identify directly or indirectly a specific individual.

You are not required to provide Unilever the personal data that we request, but if you choose not to do so, we may not be able to provide you with our products or services, or with a high quality of service or respond to any queries you may have.

We may collect personal data from a variety of sources. This includes:

Personal data you give us directly,
Personal data we collect automatically, and
Personal data we collect from other sources.

Personal data means any information that can be used to identify directly or indirectly a specific individual. This definition includes personal data collected offline through our Consumer Engagement Centres, direct marketing campaigns, sweepstakes and competitions and online through our websites, applications and branded pages on third-party platforms and applications accessed or used through third-party platforms.

You may be asked to provide your personal data when you are in contact with us. Hindustan Unilever Limited companies may share your personal data with each other and other Unilever Group companies and use it in a manner consistent with this Privacy Notice. We may also combine it with other information to improve our products, services, content, and advertising.

Ways in which we collect your personal data

We may collect personal data from a variety of sources. This includes:

Personal data you give us directly. We collect data about how you use our services and products, such as the types of content you view or engage with, or the frequency and duration of your activities. We also collect personal data you provide us when you sign up for a marketing newsletter, complete a survey or register for an account to buy our products. In so doing, we may ask for personal data, such as your name, gender, date of birth, address, email address, telephone number or credit card details. Some Unilever brands may collect “special categories of personal data” about you with your explicit consent. For more information on the special categories of data we collect and how we use it, please refer to the relevant section below.
Personal data we collect automatically. We also receive and store certain types of personal data whenever you interact with us online. For example, we use cookies and tracking technologies (to find out more, see our privacy key terms) to obtain personal data when your web browser accesses our websites or advertisements and other content served by or on behalf of Unilever on other websites. Your personal data is also collected when you search, buy, post, participate in a contest or questionnaire or communicate with our customer service teams. Examples of the types of personal data we collect include; IP address (to find out more see our privacy key terms), device ID, location data, computer and connection information such as browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system, and purchase history – which Unilever sometimes aggregates with similar information from other consumers. During some of your internet browsing on Unilever’s websites we may also use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information, and methods used to browse away from the page. We may also collect technical information to help us identify your device for fraud prevention and diagnostic purposes.
Personal data we collect from other sources. We collect personal data from other sources including our trusted partnerships with third-parties and where we operate Unilever accounts on third-party platforms: For example, when you use the “like” functionality on Facebook or the +1 functionality on Google+. Additionally, we receive information about you and other visitors’ interactions with our advertising to measure whether our advertising is relevant and successful. We also collect information about you and your activities from a third-party when we jointly offer services or products, or from third-party data enrichment providers (to find out more see our privacy key terms) who may deliver insights to Unilever about the personal data we hold.

When and why we collect “special categories of personal data”

Certain categories of personal data, such as health data, financial data, biometrics, race, ethnicity, religion, health, sexuality or biometric data are classified as “special categories of data” or “Sensitive Personal Information” and benefit from additional protection.

We limit the circumstances where we collect and process these special categories of data.

Unilever sometimes collects data related to your health such as allergies, pregnancy or skin type to send you tailored ads and relevant promotions. Unilever only collects and uses this personal data where you have provided us with your consent for us to do so. In some instances, you may have requested services or products that do not directly involve the collection of any special categories of data, but may imply or suggest your religion, health or other special categories of data.

To illustrate circumstances where Unilever collects and processes special categories of data we have provided the following examples:

Unilever collects expectant mothers’ due dates in its Zwitsal or Baby Dove newsletter sign-up page. It may also place cookies on the sign-up page which capture this information too. This data is then used to create an audience of expectant mothers to receive online advertising from relevant Unilever brands. For more information on Unilever’s profiling activities, please refer to the relevant section;

Similarly, Unilever collects personal data related to consumers’ allergies to provide consumers with ads and promotions for products which are relevant to their needs.

How do we protect children’s privacy?

We understand the importance of taking extra precautions to protect the privacy and safety of children using Unilever products and services.

Most of Unilever’s websites are designed and intended for use by adults. Where one of our websites is intended for use by a younger audience, we will obtain consent from the person with parental responsibility before we collect personal data where it is required by applicable laws and regulations (the age at which consent is necessary varies from Country to Country).

If you are a child under the age where parental consent is required in your Country, you should review the terms of this Privacy Notice with your parent or guardian to make sure you understand and accept them. If we discover that we have collected personal data from a child without consent from a parent or guardian where such consent should have been obtained, we will delete that personal data as soon as practical. Access to certain parts of the Unilever’s websites and/or eligibility to receive prizes, samples or other rewards are generally limited to users over a certain age.

We sometimes use your personal data to carry out age verification checks and enforce any such age restrictions.

We collect, process and disclose your personal data only for specific and limited purposes. For example, to process your payments, to assess and handle any complaints, to develop and improve our products, services, communication methods and the functionality of our websites, to provide personalised products, communications and targeted advertising as well as product recommendations to you.

We also create profiles by analysing the information about your online surfing, searching and buying behaviour and your interactions with our brand communications by building segments (creating groups that have certain common characteristics) and by placing your personal data in one or more segments.

Additionally, Unilever processes your personal data also using automated means. An automated decision is a decision which is made solely by automatic means, where no humans are involved in the decision-making process related to your personal data.

We collect, process and disclose your personal data for the following purposes:

To process your payments, if you purchase our products, to provide you with your order status, deal with your enquiries and requests, and assess and handle any complaints;
To process and answer your inquiries or to contact you to answer your questions and/or requests;
To develop and improve our products, services, communication methods and the functionality of our websites;
For the purposes of competitions or promotions that you have entered;
To communicate information to you and to manage your registration and/or subscription to our newsletter or other communications;
To manage our everyday business needs regarding your participation in our contests, sweepstakes or promotional activities or request;
To authenticate the identity of individuals contacting us by telephone, electronic means or otherwise;
For internal training and quality assurance purposes;
To understand and assess the interests, wants, and changing needs of consumers, to improve our website, our current products and services, and/or developing new products and services; and

To provide personalised products, communications and targeted advertising as well as product recommendations to you.

When we collect and use your personal data for purposes mentioned above or for other purposes, we will inform you before or at the time of collection.

Where appropriate, we will ask for your consent to process the personal data. Where you have given consent for processing activities, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

In some cases, we rely on legitimate interest for processing your personal data. A legitimate interest could exist for example, when you sign up for a loyalty scheme with one of our brands and we use the personal data collected to conduct data analytics to improve our products or services. This ground will only be used where it is necessary to achieve a legitimate interest, for example to assist in the performance of a contract, or to optimise a service, and does not outweigh your rights as an individual. This legal basis will only be relied upon where there is no less intrusive way to process your personal data. We can assure you that if legitimate interest is used as a ground for processing your personal data, we will keep a record of this and you have the right to ask for this information.

We process your personal data to perform a contract to which you are or will be a party. For example, we need to process your personal data to deliver a product or a service you bought, to allow you to take part in one of our competitions, or to send you samples that you have requested.

We also process your personal data when we have a legal obligation (e.g., tax or social security obligations) to perform such processing. For example, a court order or a subpoena may require us to process personal data for a particular purpose, or we may be compelled to process personal data to report suspicious transactions under the local anti-money laundering rules.

Profiling

Unilever uses your personal data to build profiles. We create profiles by analysing the information about your online surfing, searching and buying behaviour and your interactions with our brand communications by building segments (creating groups that have certain common characteristics) and by placing your personal data in one or more segments. These segments are used by Unilever to personalise the website and our communications to you (such as showing relevant content to you when you visit our site or in a newsletter to you), and to display relevant offers and advertisements from the Unilever brands on the Unilever sites, and via third-party websites. The segments can also be used for third-party campaigns on the Unilever sites. Unilever profiles your data where you have provided consent for us to do so; for example, accepting the setting of cookies on your browser online or signing up for email newsletters from one of our brands.

You can withdraw your consent to prevent your personal data being used this way at any time using the manage cookies section of our Cookie Notice or unsubscribing to the use of your email address if you have logged into one of our websites or signed up to any marketing newsletters.

By way of example –

Unilever collects data, with your consent, from:
- Our websites about what you view and the way you interact with our content;
- Our digital display advertising that we serve to you on social platforms and other publisher’s websites; and
- Forms you fill in online and send to us about what your interests are.
We also track the products you buy when you click on one of our display adverts and go on to purchase something from a selection of our retail partners.
If you have asked to receive emails or SMS communications from us, we track whether you open, read or click on the content to see what you are interested in so that we can give you more content that we think you are more likely to enjoy.
We use this data to profile your likes and dislikes. For instance, if we see that you are regularly viewing Vegan recipes on our “Recipedia” website, and you have opted in to receiving emails from us, we might give you an update on the new Vegan recipes that have just hit the site for your interest, or we may tailor our web content when you visit towards things we think you’ll be most interested in.
Based on this profile information, we may also give you advertising that we think you will like and want to see as you view content from us or from our network of publishers that we advertise with. Sometimes, with your consent, we may use your current location to serve advertising to you that is to do with promotions or events that are happening nearby that we think you might be interested in.
We may also use information you have provided to selected third-parties and consented to be shared, like your age, gender, life stage, lifestyle and wider interests to identify people who we think will have similar interests to you and who we believe will be interested in similar advertising.

Automated decision-making

In some instances, Unilever processes your personal data using automated means. An automated decision is a decision which is made solely by automatic means, where no humans are involved in the decision-making process related to your personal data. For example:

Unilever uses game simulations of science-based behavioural assessments and data science techniques to assess prospective employees. Candidates are required to play a set of games and the behavioural patterns exhibited during gameplay are assessed by a Unilever customised algorithm to predict the candidate’s potential for a specific role. This algorithm is regularly tested to ensure it remains fair, effective and unbiased.

We will not make decisions based solely on automated decision making that have significant impact on you. If we do so we notify you and provide you with clear information about our decision to rely on automated processing to make our decision and our lawful basis for doing so. For example, Unilever processes your personal data using automated means only if it is necessary for the entering into or the performance of a contract with you, or when you have given your explicit consent.

You have the right not to be subject to a decision which is based solely on automated processing and which produces legal or other significant effects on you. In particular, you have the right:

to obtain human intervention;
to express your point of view;
to obtain an explanation of the decision reached after an assessment; and
to challenge such a decision.

As part of the Unilever Group, a global business, Hindustan Unilever Limited shares your personal data within the Unilever Group and with selected third-parties in the following circumstances:

Third-party service providers. In order to carry out your requests, respond to your inquiries, fulfil your orders, honour coupons, provide you with samples, enable you to participate in sweepstakes or make various other features, services and materials available to you through our websites we share your personal data with third-party service providers that perform functions on our behalf, such as companies that: host or operate Unilever’s websites, process payments, analyse data, provide customer service, postal or delivery services, and sponsors or other third-parties that participate in or administer our promotions. They have access to personal data needed to perform their functions but may not use it for other purposes. Further, they must process this personal data in accordance with this Privacy Notice and as permitted by applicable data protection laws and regulations.
Other third-parties. Your personal data will also be used by us or shared with our sponsors, advertisers, advertising networks, advertising servers, social media networks, and analytics companies or other third-parties in connection with marketing, promotional, data enrichment (to find out more about our privacy key terms follow the link) and other offers, as well as product information.
Business transfers. Your personal data will be used by us or shared with the Unilever Group, primarily for business and operational purposes. As Unilever Group continues to develop the business, it may sell or purchase assets, subsidiaries or business units. In such transactions, your personal data generally is one of the transferred business assets but remains subject to the promises made in any pre-existing Privacy Notice (unless, of course, you consent otherwise). If another entity acquires us, our businesses or substantially all or part of our assets, or assets related to Unilever’s websites, your personal data will be disclosed to such entity as part of the due diligence process and will be transferred to such entity as one of the transferred assets. Also, if any bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding is brought by or against us, all such personal data will be considered an asset of ours and as such it is possible they will be sold or transferred to third-parties.
Legal disclosure. We may transfer and disclose your personal data to third-parties:
- To comply with a legal obligation;
- When we believe in good faith that an applicable law requires it;
- At the request of governmental authorities conducting an investigation;
- To verify or enforce our “Terms of Use” or other applicable policies;
- To detect and protect against fraud, or any technical or security vulnerabilities;
- To respond to an emergency; or otherwise
- To protect the rights, property, safety, or security of third-parties, visitors to Unilever’s websites, Unilever or the public.

International data transfers

Unilever shares personal data within the Unilever Group or with third-parties for purposes described in this Privacy Notice.

Unilever will only send personal data collected within a restricted legal framework, such as e.g. the European Economic Area (EEA) or Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), to countries which do not have data protection laws that are considered to provide appropriate levels of protection in the restricted legal framework in circumstances such as:

· To follow your instructions;

· To comply with a legal duty; or

· To work with our agents and advisers who we use to help run our business and services.

If we do transfer personal data to outside of the restricted legal framework, Unilever will make sure that it is protected in the same way as if it was being used in that restricted legal framework. We’ll use one of the following safeguards:

· Transfer to another Country whose privacy legislation ensures an adequate level of protection of personal data similar or equivalent to the country it was collected in;

Put in place a contract with the third-party that means they must protect personal data to the same standards as in the country the data was collected in.

Unilever takes the security of your personal data very seriously. We take every effort to protect your personal data from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Our measures include implementing appropriate access controls, investing in the latest Information Security Capabilities to protect the IT environments we leverage, and ensuring we encrypt, pseudonymise and anonymise personal data wherever possible.

Access to your personal data is only permitted among our employees and agents on a need-to-know basis and subject to strict contractual confidentiality obligations when processed by third-parties.

We will keep your personal data for as long as we need it for the purpose it is being processed for. For example, where you make a purchase online with us we will keep the data related to your purchase, so we can perform the specific contract you have entered and after that, we will keep the personal data for a period which enables us to handle or respond to any complaints, queries or concerns relating to the purchase.

Your data may also be retained so that we can continue to improve your experience with us and to ensure that you receive any loyalty rewards which are due to you.

We retain the identifiable data we collect directly for targeting purposes for as little time as possible, after which we employ measures to permanently delete it.

We will actively review the personal data we hold and delete it securely, or in some cases anonymise it, when there is no longer a legal, business or consumer need for it to be retained.

Your rights in relation to your personal data how it is processed. You can exercise these rights at any point. We have provided an overview of these rights below together with what this entails for you. You can exercise your rights by sending an email or submitting a request through the “Contact Us” form on our websites.

Where we process your personal data, you have a number of rights over how the data is processed and can exercise these rights at any point. We have provided an overview of these rights below together with what this entails for you. You can exercise your rights by sending an email or submitting a request through the “Contact Us” form on our websites.

The right to be informed. You have the right to be provided with clear, transparent and easily understandable information about how we use your personal data and your rights. Therefore, we’re providing you with the information in this Notice.
The right to access and rectification. You have the right to access, correct or update your personal data at any time. We understand the importance of this and should you want to exercise your rights, please contact us.
The right to data portability. The personal data you have provided us with may be portable. This means it can be moved, copied or transmitted electronically under certain circumstances.
The right to be forgotten. Under certain circumstances, you have right to request that we delete your data. If you wish to delete the personal data we hold about you, please let us know and we will take reasonable steps to respond to your request in accordance with legal requirements. If the personal data we collect is no longer needed for any purposes and we are not required by law to retain it, we will do what we can to delete, destroy or permanently de-identify it.

The right to restrict processing. Under certain circumstances, you have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data.
The right to object. Under certain circumstances, you have the right to object to certain types of processing, including processing for direct marketing (i.e., receiving emails from us notifying you or being contacted with varying potential opportunities).
The right to lodge a complaint with a Supervisory Authority. You have the right to lodge a complaint directly with any local Supervisory Authority about how we process your personal data.
The right to withdraw consent. If you have given your consent to anything we do with your personal data (i.e., we rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data), you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time (although if you do so, it does not mean that anything we have done with your personal data with your consent up to that point is unlawful). You can withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data at any time by contacting us with the details provided below.
Rights related to automated decision-making. You have the right not to be subject to a decision which is based solely on automated processing and which produces legal or other significant effects on you. In particular, you have the right:
- to obtain human intervention;

- to express your point of view;
- to obtain an explanation of the decision reached after an assessment; and

- to challenge such a decision.

Further information and advice about your rights can be obtained from the data protection Regulator in your Country.

We are committed to protect your personal information collected and processed by us and look forward to your continued support for the same. If you have any query, grievance with respect to the processing of information by us, you can reach out to us by calling our Toll Free No. 1800-10-22-221 or by email to lever.care@unilever.com or submitting a request through the “Contact Us (Privacy Request/Concern)” form available on the HUL website.

You can also reach out to our Privacy Office in the event of any escalation or absence of resolution of grievance, requests, rights pertaining to personal data processed by us. You may contact our DPO/Privacy Grievance Officer at (1) The Data Protection Officer/Privacy Grievance Officer, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Unilever House, B. D. Sawant Marg, Chakala, Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400 099 or at: Grievance.Officer-Privacy@unilever.com. You can also call on the aforementioned contact number and request it to be referred to the DPO/Data Protection Office.

When a privacy question or access request is received, we have a dedicated team which triages the contacts and seeks to address the specific concern or query which you are seeking to raise. Where your issue may be more substantive in nature, more information may be sought from you. If you are unsatisfied with the reply received, you may refer your complaint to the relevant Supervisory Authority. If you ask us, we will endeavour to provide you with information about relevant complaint avenues which may be applicable to your circumstances.

We will update this Privacy Notice when necessary to reflect customer feedback and changes in our products and services. When we post changes to this statement, we will revise the “last updated” date at the top of this Notice. If the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice (including, for certain services, email notification of Privacy Notice changes). We will also keep prior versions of this Privacy Notice in an archive for your review.

We will not reduce your rights under this Privacy Notice without your consent.

Additional Privacy Terms or Notices

In addition to this Privacy Notice, there may be specific campaigns or promotions which will be governed by additional privacy terms or notices. We encourage you to read these additional terms or notices before participating in any such campaigns or promotions as you will be required to comply with them if you participate. Any additional privacy terms or notices will be made prominently available to you.