Dove study: Mothers are more likely to influence daughters’ beauty habits than celebrities

When it comes to a woman’s beauty habits, it is a mother’s influence that means the most. New research by Dove found that more than half of women agree that their mother taught them their first beauty routine, and many still incorporate those beauty routines into their lives today¹. 

While today’s society is often dominated by celebrity culture, or viewed as such, the study unveils that it is the real relationships in a woman’s life that leave the strongest lasting beauty impression. Three times as many women said their mothers influenced their beauty routines than say celebrities have, and a staggering 84% of women trust the women in their lives over celebrities for beauty tips and advice¹.

The study shows the impact that these women – mothers, sisters, daughters and friends – have on each other’s relationships with beauty. From the tips they follow, the routines they practice and the advice they trust, women turning to each other positively influences their perceptions of beauty. In fact, nearly three quarters of women believe that the women in their lives have had a positive impact on how they view their personal beauty¹.

The new Dove Beauty Stories comprises a four generations campaign and film, which encourages women to honor the women in their lives that have taught them how to live beautifully. In celebration of the Dove Beauty Bar, a product that has been passed down among women for nearly 60 years, the campaign is set to inspire the next generation with the lessons, tips and advice they have learned through the power of storytelling.

Documented in the film is the story of one real family that wrote a letter to Dove thanking the brand for the message they stand for and the products they offer. The Dove Beauty Bar has become their family beauty secret that has been passed down through four generations of women along with lessons of beauty and confidence. Dove captured their story to illustrate the powerful impact women have on each other’s beauty habits and perceptions. The film is meant to inspire other women to pass down their personal beauty stories and celebrate the women who have influenced them.

Beginning on May 4, Dove will call on its community to share their own #BeautyStory and celebrate the real women that have inspired them. Throughout the week, leading up to Mother’s Day, followers and fans of the brand’s social channels will be prompted to celebrate the different women in their life from their aunts to their sisters to their best friends. The socially driven campaign will culminate on Mother’s Day where women will have the opportunity to pay homage to their mothers and the beautiful lessons they taught them.

About the Dove Beauty Bar

The Dove Beauty Bar, developed in 1957 as the first gentle alternative to soap, it revolutionized the cleansing category. Using DEFI, a first-of-its-kind technology, higher levels of fatty acids, and its signature ¼ moisturizing cream, the Dove Beauty Bar continues to offer the same differentiated formula with extraordinary success nearly 60 years later. It’s called a Beauty Bar for a reason, as it helps skin feel more firm and elastic compared to ordinary soap and maintains skin texture, clarity, tone and brightness. The Dove Beauty Bar does not strip skin and is proven to be gentler and milder than ordinary soap, actually replenishing nutrients lost during cleansing. The bar is the best-selling Dove product globally and the most popular bar in the US. In fact, an estimated 60 bars are sold per second in the U.S. alone.

About Dove

Dove, manufactured by Unilever, is the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide. One in every three households uses a Dove product, which includes beauty bars, body washes, face care, anti-perspirant/deodorants, body mists, hair care, styling aids and Dove Men+Care, developed specially for men. Dove is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores.

About Unilever United States, Inc.

Unilever is a global supplier of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in more than 190 countries. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Dove personal care products, Pond’s, Suave, TIGI, TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe, TRESemmé and Vaseline.

It is the company’s aim to double the size of its business, while reducing the overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing their positive social impact. They are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Unilever employs approximately 8,000 people in the United States – generating approximately $8.5 billion in sales in 2014. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

¹ Dove Personal Wash Study Conducted by Edelman Berland, March 2015