The recent Kantar Brand Footprint report showcased the most-chosen grocery brands across Europe, based on their Consumer Reach Points (CRP), penetration, and frequency.
Building on from that, in this article, we explore the top 20 most popular personal care brands in Europe, as outlined by Kantar's Brand Footprint data for 2022.
The Top 20 Personal Care Brands In Europe: Kantar
| 2022 Rank | Brand | CRP (M) | Pen 2022 | Frequency 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nivea | 492.0 | 52.3 | 4.6 |
| 2 | Colgate | 327.0 | 43.4 | 3.7 |
| 3 | Dove | 256.0 | 33.4 | 3.7 |
| 4 | Always | 178.0 | 20.0 | 4.3 |
| 5 | Garnier | 176.0 | 28.3 | 3.0 |
| 6 | Oral-B | 139.0 | 25.9 | 2.6 |
| 7 | Gillette | 122.0 | 25.0 | 2.4 |
| 8 | L'Oreal Paris | 120.0 | 19.3 | 3.0 |
| 9 | Sensodyne | 113.0 | 17.6 | 3.1 |
| 10 | Elvive/Elseve | 109.0 | 17.3 | 3.0 |
| 11 | Palmolive | 97.0 | 19.3 | 2.4 |
| 12 | Pantene | 85.0 | 13.7 | 3.0 |
| 13 | Pampers | 81.0 | 7.4 | 5.3 |
| 14 | Listerine | 80.0 | 12.7 | 3.1 |
| 15 | Head & Shoulders | 79.0 | 16.3 | 2.4 |
| 16 | Kleenex | 79.0 | 9.6 | 4.0 |
| 17 | Signal | 78.0 | 13.4 | 2.8 |
| 18 | Elmex | 72.0 | 11.5 | 3.0 |
| 19 | Axe | 70.0 | 11.2 | 3.0 |
| 20 | Fa | 65.0 | 12.0 | 2.6 |
1. Nivea
Claiming the top spot with a CRP of 492 million, Beiersdorf-owned Nivea is a well-known and trusted brand in skincare and personal hygiene.
In 2023, the Nivea brand reported a record year, with €5.2 billion in sales and double-digit growth in all regions and categories, Beiersdorf said in February.
2. Colgate
A leader in oral care, toothpaste brand Colgate secures second position with a CRP of 327 million.
In 2023, Colgate-Palmolive reported net sales of €19.5 billion and a gross profit margin of 58.2%.
3. Dove
Renowned for its skincare, body wash, and hair care products, Unilever-owned Dove ranks third with a CRP of 256 million.
Dove was launched in the US in 1957.
In February, Unilever's chief executive Hein Schumacher announced that the company's strategy to revitalise the consumer goods giant has garnered support from billionaire activist and board member Nelson Peltz.
4. Always
Specialising in feminine hygiene products, Always claims fourth spot with a CRP of 178 million.
Always is part of the Procter & Gamble stable of brands.
5. Garnier
Known for its skincare and hair care products, Garnier secures fifth position with a CRP of 176 million.
Garner was established in France in 1904 and is part of L'Oréal Group's consumer products division.
In February, L'Oréal reported a 6.9% increase in sales in the final quarter of its financial year, ending what was a "very successful year for the group", according to CEO Nicolas Hieronimus.
6. Oral-B
Oral-B ranks sixth with a CRP of 139 million. A leading dental care brand, Oral-B provides a variety of toothbrushes and dental accessories to promote oral health.
Oral-B has been owned by Procter & Gamble since 2005, after the company acquired it through the acquisition of the Gillette Company.
7. Gillette
Procter & Gamble-owned personal grooming brand Gillette takes seventh position with a CRP of 122 million.
Established over 120 years ago, Gillette products are used by over 800 million consumers around the world.
Last December, P&G announced a write down in the value of its Gillette business, which accounts for around 8% of the group's total sales.
8. L'Oréal Paris
Specialising in cosmetics, skincare, and hair care, L'Oréal Paris claims eighth spot with a CRP of 120 million, and is the flagship personal care brand of French giant L'Oréal.
In February, L'Oréal chief executive Nicolas Hieronimus said that he was "optimistic" about the outlook for the group's family of brands this year, and confident in achieving "another year of growth in sales and profits.”
9. Sensodyne
A brand focusing on sensitive teeth care, Sensodyne secures ninth position with a CRP of 113 million.
Sensodyne is owned by Haleon, which made a somewhat sluggish start to its 2024 financial year, according to first-quarter results reported in February.
10. Elvive
Hair care brand Elvive, known as Elseve in some regions, ranks tenth with a CRP of 109 million.
Elvive is owned by L'Oréal.
10. Palmolive
Known for its shower gels and personal care products, Palmolive claims eleventh position with a CRP of 97 million.
The origins of the brand started in 1898 when B.J. Johnson Soap Co introduced the soap brand, Palmolive. Today, the brand is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, which recently announced that it expects to report sales growth between 1% and 4% in its current financial year.
12. Pantene
Specialising in hair care and shampoos, Pantene secures the twelfth spot with a CRP of 85 million.
Owned by Procter & Gamble, the Pantene brand was established in 1945.
13. Pampers
Pampers is the leading baby care brand on the list, with the Procter & Gamble brand ranking thirteenth with a CRP of 81 million.
In the second quarter of its financial year, P&G reported a 3% increase in organic value sales in its Baby, Feminine & Family Care division, which includes the Pampers brand, as well as a 2% decline in volume sales.
14. Listerine
Known for its oral health products, Listerine claims fourteenth position with a CRP of 80 million.
Listerine is owned by Kenvue, the former consumer healthcare division of Johnson & Johnson, which was spun out in 2023.
15. Head & Shoulders
Dandruff control and hair care brand Head & Shoulders secures fifteenth position with a CRP of 79 million.
Head & Shoulders is owned by Procter & Gamble, , which reported a 9% increase in organic sales in its grooming division in the second quarter of its financial year.
16. Kleenex
Known for its tissue and paper products, Kimberly-Clark-owned brand Kleenex ranks sixteenth with a CRP of 79 million.
Kleenex tissue was first introduced in 1924 and was originally marketed as a cold cream remover.
17. Signal
Unilever-owned oral care brand Signal takes seventeenth spot with a CRP of 78 million.
In 2021, Unilever announced plans to convert its entire global toothpaste portfolio, including the Signal brand, to recyclable tubes by 2025.
18. Elmex
Elmex, a dental care brand owned by Colgate-Palmolive, claims eighteenth position with a CRP of 72 million.
In June 2023, Elmex was awarded the top brand recommendation in a representative online survey of 300 dentists in Germany, specifically inquiring about toothpaste brand recommendations.
19. Axe
Also known as Lynx in some markets, male grooming products brand Axe secures nineteenth position with a CRP of 70 million.
In its 2023 financial year, Unilever's Personal Care division reported a 8.9% increase in underlying sales, with the Axe brand growing at a 'high-single-digit' level due to the launch of a new collection.
20. Fa
Henkel-owned personal care brand Fa rounds off the top 20 with a CRP of 65 million.
Fa can be found in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
About The Methodology
The Brand Footprint rankings reveal the brands that are winning at that ‘moment of truth’, indicating the number of times that they are chosen by shoppers. Independent of revenue, it exposes the decisions that consumers are making at the point of sale. The consumer reach points (CRPs) of each brand are calculated by multiplying three metrics: the household population, penetration, and consumer choice. CRPs are Kantar’s measure of ranking the most successful brands by the number of times that they are chosen by consumers throughout the year.
Note that all CRP figures shown measure millions of consumer reach points – i.e. a CRP of 150 would indicate 150 million consumer reach points.
For the complete list of most-chosen brands across Europe, log on to www.kantar.com/campaigns/brand-footprint.
