DOVE AND BEBE REXHA INVITE WOMEN TO SHOW REAL BEAUTY DOESN'T NEED A RETAKE

New Dove research reveals the growing pressure to capture the 'perfect' photo, with 1 in 4 women taking at least 50 photos before choosing one to post. 

Together with its global community of voices, Dove inspires women to free themselves from the pressure to post perfection through #ShareTheFirst.

TORONTO, March 13, 2025 /CNW/ - Dove is partnering with singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha and a host of global influential voices to help women break free from the pressure of curated perfection on social media. Introducing #ShareTheFirst – a global movement inviting women to free themselves from perfection, to celebrate authenticity, and to share the real first photo, before they found "the one."

New research from Dove reveals the pressure to present a 'perfect' image leads 1 in 4 women to report taking at least 50 photos before selecting one to post. And, more than half of women admit to spending over 10 minutes deciding whether to post, share, or delete a picture of themselves. This continuous cycle of retaking, filtering, and tweaking photos can overshadow the joy of capturing real, spontaneous moments, with 6 in 10 women not posting special moments simply because they didn't like how they looked.

As someone who understands the pressures of social media and the expectation to present a flawless image, Bebe Rexha, like millions of women worldwide, is embracing the power of authenticity and self-expression.

"The best moments in life aren't staged or filtered, they just happen. But when you're in the spotlight, there's so much pressure to look perfect all the time," says Bebe Rexha. "That's why I'm so excited to team up with Dove to celebrate real, unedited beauty, the kind that comes from being unapologetically yourself the first time around and just living in the moment."

Alongside Bebe, Dove together with creators, body confidence advocates and women from across the globe are joining the #ShareThefirst conversation. From New York to Paris, to Tokyo and Toronto, Dove aims to unite women globally challenging unrealistic beauty standards and embrace their real, authentic selves.

"Too many women avoid sharing life's biggest moments on social media because they don't like how they look in a photo – from graduations, weddings and birthdays – this pressure to look 'perfect' leads to increased levels of anxiety and Dove wants to change that," says Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer of Dove Personal Care North America and Dove Masterbrand. "We are calling on our community to share the first photo, the one that captures joy, not perfection, demonstrating that real beauty isn't about a flawless photo but embracing beauty on their own terms."

Additional findings from Dove's research reveal some startling insights into this unspoken desire to share life's moments, flawlessly:   

• Women aged 18-24 are taking on average up to 12 photos of themselves to capture the right 'look' before choosing one to post. In contrast, Gen Alpha don't need a retake, taking only 7 photos on average before posting. This shift highlights an opportunity for the younger generation to set the tone for less filtered self-expression.
• 2 in 5 women feel self-conscious before posting and nearly half delete photos after posting them due to self-consciousness.
• 7 in 10 women say it's important to look authentic in their social media posts
• 1 in 2 women seek approval from a friend before posting a photo to social media

For more than two decades, Dove has been building self-esteem and body confidence for women and girls. #ShareTheFirst is a continuation of this mission, encouraging women to embrace beauty on their own terms and reclaim the joy in sharing life's real, spontaneous moments.

Dove is committed to making beauty a source of happiness, not anxiety. Join us and #ShareTheFirst, because every photo, every angle, every moment is beautiful

Access resources at Dove.com/DoveSelfEsteemProjectwomen for the Dove Real Beauty Talks video and associated activities' workbook.

About Share the First research (March 2025): 

Online survey conducted by Edelman DXI, a global, multidisciplinary research, analytics, and data consultancy, in the USA, UK and India in February 2025 with 3,001 women aged 18+ and 1,500 girls aged 10 to 17 (total sample size of 4,501 respondents). ). All statistics in this press release are aggregate for the three markets (USA, UK, India).

About Dove 

Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands. 

Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty. 

For more than 65 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to: 

• Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type, and style.
• Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
• Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.

About Unilever in North America  

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.  Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann's, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula's Choice, and Dermalogica.  

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com  

For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca  

About Unilever in Canada  

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.  Our leading brands in Canada include Dove, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, SheaMoisture, TRESemmé, Knorr, Hellmann's, Breyers, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Liquid I.V., and OLLY.  

For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca or www.unilever.ca/fr.  

SOURCE Dove Canada

Shae Pollock, [email protected]