Who owns Dove?
Dove is owned by Unilever, which has held the brand since 1957. Dove is PETA-approved cruelty-free since 2018 while parent Unilever's wider portfolio is not certified.
Ownership sourceOwnership at a glance
Unilever's ethics record
Unilever publishes climate, packaging and living-wage targets and has some of the strongest brand-level cruelty-free certification in mass beauty. It has also been criticised for plastic sachet volumes in South and Southeast Asia and for weakening some 2020-era sustainability commitments.
Other brands Unilever owns
Ownership records come from company brand directories, filings and acquisition announcements. Read our methodology.
Who owns Dove? FAQs
Who owns Dove?+
Dove is owned by Unilever, which has held the brand since 1957. Unilever owns around 400 brands sold in 190 countries, from Dove and Vaseline to Ben & Jerry's and Hellmann's. Several of its personal-care brands are individually certified cruelty-free even though the group as a whole is not.
When did Unilever buy Dove?+
Unilever has owned Dove since 1957.
Does the parent company change whether Dove is ethical?+
It changes where your money ends up. Certifications like Leaping Bunny and B Corp are audited at brand level, so Dove can hold marks its parent does not — but group-level policies on animal testing, sourcing and lobbying still apply to the profits.
What other brands does Unilever own?+
In our database, Unilever also owns Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Hellmann's, Knorr, Love Beauty and Planet, Ren Clean Skincare, Seventh Generation, Simple.