Rexona is a global personal care brand owned by the British multinational company Unilever. Verified by NielsenIQ as the world’s number-one antiperspirant and deodorant brand, Rexona operates in over 100 countries and generates an annual turnover exceeding €2 billion.

Core Identity and Global Branding

The brand is known by several regional names due to historical acquisitions and local trademark strategies:

Degree:
Used in the United States and Canada.

Sure:
Used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India.

Shield:
Used in South Africa.

Rexena:
Used in Japan and South Korea.

Rexona:
The primary name used across most of Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

History and Evolution

Founding (1908):
Rexona was created in Australia by Alice Sheffer, a physician and wife of the founder of the Sheldon Drug Company. Her first product was a personal care ointment that quickly became the company’s bestseller.

Unilever Acquisition (1930):
The brand was purchased by Lever Brothers, which later merged to form Unilever.

Global Expansion:
Rexona entered Europe in the 1960s, starting with Finland, and expanded globally during the 1980s. By the 1990s, it had become Unilever’s flagship deodorant brand.

Product Portfolio and Technology

Rexona offers products in various formats, including aerosol sprays, roll-ons, sticks, pumps, and creams. Key technological innovations include:

MotionSense Technology:
Patented smart capsules that respond to body movement, releasing fragrance as the user moves.

72-Hour Protection:
Relaunched in 2021, the core range features patented body-responsive technology that provides 72 hours of non-stop sweat and odor protection.

Specialized Ranges:
Includes Clinical Protection for excessive sweating, Invisible Dry to prevent clothing stains, and a Vitamin Bright range with an antioxidant complex (Vitamins C, B3, and E).

Soap:
In India, Rexona continues to be marketed as a soap brand, featuring ingredients like coconut and olive oil.

Corporate Purpose and Initiatives
Rexona’s mission is to inspire people to “move more” and overcome the social barriers that cause self-doubt.

Breaking Limits Program:
An initiative that equips young people in disadvantaged communities with life skills like confidence and resilience through sports-based programs. It has reached over 600,000 young people and supported more than 9,000 coaches.

Inclusive Design:
In 2021, the brand launched Degree Inclusive, a prototype for the world’s first adaptive deodorant designed for people with visual or upper-limb disabilities, featuring a hooked container and braille instructions.

Metaverse Participation:
In 2022, Rexona (as Degree) launched a virtual marathon in the metaverse (Decentraland) featuring adaptive wearables for avatars to promote disability representation.