Transforming the Health of Millions of Bangladeshis with Soap
The Bengal Delta (the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, along with the Meghna river; occupying about 35% area of Bangladesh) has historically served as a prominent trading centre, facilitating the exchange of goods from various regions. This led to the availability of fragrance-based soaps from the Middle East and Sandalwood soaps from South India in Bengal for centuries. While these quality soaps were accessible to the affluent, the less privileged individuals often resorted to using special clay or ash for their skincare and hair cleansing needs due to the limited affordability of soaps.
From Luxury to Lifesaver: The Evolution of Soap in Bengal
As the Industrial Revolution spread to Bengal, soaps made in Europe began to be imported. In 1888, crates filled with Sunlight soap bars, stamped with "Made in England by Lever Brothers," arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta), marking the introduction of Unilever's soap in the Indian Subcontinent.
Lifebuoy began its journey in 1895, promising to provide hygiene to the masses. Subsequently, soaps such as Lifebuoy, Sunlight, and Pears became accessible in Dhaka (Dacca) and Chattogram (Chittagong), quickly gaining popularity.
Bengal is a tropical riverine floodplain, where floods are frequent. Even in the 1960s, around one in ten children could not reach the age of 5 due to deaths associated with diarrheal diseases. One key reason behind this was the unavailability and affordability of health soaps.
However, quality hygiene soap was neither widely available nor affordable for the rural population and they had to depend on informal, cheap alternatives. One of the reasons behind the high cost and limited availability was due to the fact that most high-quality soap manufacturing facilities were located in Mumbai (Bombay) or Karachi.
Unilever’s Milestone: Bringing Lifebuoy to the Masses
To increase the availability and affordability of soap, Unilever built its first soap factory in Chattogram (Chittagong) in 1962. The first bars of Lifebuoy rolled out from Unilever's Kalurghat Factory (KGF) production line in September 1964. Hygiene soap was a game-changer for the people of this country. Unilever's initiative to make soap available and affordable saved countless lives and significantly improved the quality of life. Soon, Lifebuoy became a symbol of hygiene and freshness.
Lifebuoy was the first mass-produced soap in the country. Right after the War of Independence in 1971, when raw materials became scarce, Lifebuoy made soaps with black and white packaging to save ink. This soap was even rationed, and a magistrate was always present at dealer points to make sure that no one could buy more than two soaps. After any natural disaster, Lifebuoy was always part of the supplied emergency pack.
Beyond Soap: Lifebuoy’s Legacy of Health and Hygiene
Lifebuoy is a brand deeply intertwined with the people of Bangladesh. Having amassed over a century of experience in personal health and hygiene, it has been steadfastly combating preventable infections and saving lives. We are proud of the transformation of our initiative from a basic handwashing programme in the 1990s to a holistic mission to enhance hand hygiene and promote better hygiene practices. Lifebuoy has instilled crucial handwashing techniques, empowering students to safeguard themselves and their communities.
Even in the face of the global pandemic, Lifebuoy proactively ensured a continuous availability of essential hygiene products, demonstrating its unwavering dedication to public health. Furthermore, the brand spearheaded large-scale nationwide campaigns such as, the ‘School of 5’ and ‘H for Handwashing Games’ to raise awareness, reaching and impacting over 120 million individuals.
Besides handwashing behaviour change, the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital (LFH), established in 2002 symbolises Lifebuoy's dedication to Bangladesh, providing quality healthcare to approximately 5 million individuals in the remote chars (river islands) of Northern Bangladesh.
For around 130 years, Lifebuoy has been a brand that has helped millions of people. Today, an average child even in remote, rural Bangladesh has 90% less chance of dying due to waterborne diseases. The popularisation and availability of soap has contributed to this development. So, the first bars coming out of KGF six decades ago indeed started something good for the nation.
Lifebuoy remains steadfast in its commitment to SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, partnering with Bangladesh to ensure a disease-free and healthier future for generations to come.