Unilever Brands: What It Owns and What Has Changed

Unilever's brands include Dove, Vaseline, Axe, Rexona, Hellmann's, Knorr, OMO, Domestos, Cif and Comfort. But older ownership charts need an important correction: Magnum, Wall's, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry's belong to the separated ice-cream business, not Unilever's continuing operating portfolio.

This guide groups familiar brands by category and explains the exceptions. A brand name, a minority investment and ownership of the operating business are different relationships.

What brands does Unilever own?

Unilever's current brand directory includes the following examples. This is a selected portfolio map, not an exhaustive list of every regional name or product.

The company has announced a proposed combination of its Foods business with McCormick. Its transaction information still describes completion as a future step. Do not treat an agreement as proof that Hellmann's or Knorr has already changed hands. The transaction also has a defined perimeter with excluded businesses, so it should not be described as the sale of every Unilever food-related operation worldwide.

Who owns Dove, Vaseline and Axe?

They are part of Unilever's personal-care portfolio. Their separate packaging, advertising and price points do not make them independent companies. Choosing one instead of another can change the product you use while leaving the parent group unchanged.

That matters if avoiding a particular parent company is your aim. It matters less directly if you are choosing on a specific ingredient, fragrance, packaging format or certification: those need checking on the individual product and in your market.

Does Unilever still own Magnum and Ben & Jerry's?

The ice-cream demerger completed on 6 December 2025, and The Magnum Ice Cream Company began stock-market trading on 8 December. Unilever's demerger information identifies the separated company and the completion dates.

Unilever's 2025 results record a retained 19.85% equity stake at separation. That is a dated minority investment, not ownership of the entire operating business or a guarantee that the percentage never changes. The ice-cream group's own results announcement describes its independent operations following separation.

For an ownership-based shopping decision, distinguish the company controlling a brand from shareholders with a financial interest in that company. A rule excluding controlled subsidiaries is different from one excluding every minority investment.

Does Unilever own Lipton and PG Tips?

Unilever sold its global tea business, ekaterra, to CVC on 1 July 2022. The business announced its new name, LIPTON Teas and Infusions, in January 2023.

The sale had exceptions. Unilever's transaction disclosure says it excluded tea operations in India, Nepal and Indonesia, along with its interests in Pepsi Lipton ready-to-drink joint ventures and associated distribution businesses.

A statement about a tea bag therefore cannot automatically be applied to a bottled iced tea or every country using the Lipton name. Check the product, market and company named on the packaging.

Is Persil a Unilever brand everywhere?

No. Persil's UK website identifies its Unilever relationship. Henkel's Persil directory also lists the brand in markets including Germany and the United States.

This is why “Persil equals Unilever” is not a reliable worldwide shortcut. For a specific bottle, use the local brand website and manufacturer details rather than importing an ownership answer from another country.

How many brands does Unilever own?

A useful count needs a date and a definition: global brands, local trademarks and individual product ranges are not interchangeable. The current directory is a selected presentation of brands, not proof that every older “400 brands” chart remains accurate after disposals and the ice-cream separation.

For shopping decisions, identifying the owner of the exact product is more useful than repeating a headline total that includes businesses which have left the group.

Check ownership and conduct separately

Read Unilever's company scores and cited evidence for its conduct across Mashinii's values. A corporate score does not certify every product, and a brand's marketing does not establish the record of the entire group.

For alternatives, compare Nestlé's ownership portfolio and P&G's household and personal-care brands. Then assess the replacement against the issue that matters to you, rather than assuming a different parent is automatically better.

Correction and review, 8 October 2026: updated the completed ice-cream separation, clarified tea and regional trademark exceptions, and removed an outdated score table. The original publication date is unchanged.