Skip

Skip is a laundry-detergent brand owned, manufactured, and marketed by Unilever. The brand originated in France in 1959, when Lever Brothers introduced it as a low-suds washing powder designed for automatic washing machines. Its initial proposition was closely tied to the development of household automatic laundering: by producing less foam than traditional washing powders, Skip was intended to work effectively in machine-washing conditions. The brand expanded beyond France during the 1960s, entering markets including Spain, Portugal, and Greece. It was also sold in other countries at different points in its history, including Germany, where the brand was discontinued in 2009. Its international footprint has therefore varied by market, while its principal identity has remained that of a premium or top-of-the-line Unilever detergent brand in the countries where it is available. Skip’s formulation developed during the 1970s, when enzymes were added, making it a biological detergent. In 1978, the brand became the first detergent powder identified in the reference material as containing TAED bleach activators, marketed under the name TETRAED B. This development positioned the product around enhanced stain-removal performance while retaining compatibility with machine washing. The modern Skip portfolio extends beyond a single washing powder. It includes detergents in powder, liquid, gel, tablet, and pod formats, as well as products intended for garments requiring special treatment, including wool, silk, and black clothing. The brand’s product architecture therefore covers both everyday laundry and fabric-specific care. Its formulas have been described as similar to British Persil Bio and European Omo, reflecting its place within Unilever’s wider laundry-detergent portfolio. Skip uses a splodge-like visual mark that resembles the logo associated with British Persil. In its active markets, the brand is positioned at the higher end of the detergent category, combining technological claims, multiple dosage formats, and specialized clothing-care products. The available reference material does not identify a separate corporate headquarters, current executives, financial results, official brand website, or detailed recent marketing program. Accordingly, those fields are left unspecified rather than inferred.

Skip was launched in France in 1959 by Lever Brothers, the company that developed and marketed the brand before it became part of Unilever’s broader consumer-goods structure. The original product was a low-suds washing powder created for automatic washing machines. This feature was significant because automatic machines required detergent behavior suited to mechanical washing cycles, and excessive foam could interfere with machine operation and rinsing. Skip’s early identity was consequently linked to the modernization of domestic laundry rather than simply to traditional hand-washing powder. During the 1960s, Skip expanded into additional European markets, including Spain, Portugal, and Greece. The brand was subsequently marketed in several other countries, with its geographic availability changing over time. Germany was one such market, but Skip was discontinued there in 2009. The reference material identifies France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, and South Africa as markets in which Unilever markets the brand. The product’s formulation evolved in the 1970s. Enzymes were added during that decade, turning Skip into a biological detergent and strengthening its positioning around the removal of organic stains. In 1978, Skip became the first detergent powder described in the source as containing TAED bleach activators. This technology was marketed as TETRAED B and represented a further formulation development intended to support bleaching performance during washing. Over time, Skip developed from a core powder detergent into a broader laundry-care range. The current range described in the reference material includes powder, liquid, gel, tablet, and pod formats. It also includes products for garments requiring particular care, such as wool, silk, and black clothing. This expansion allows the brand to address different consumer preferences for dosing and convenience as well as different fabric-care requirements. Skip’s market role is that of Unilever’s top-of-the-line detergent brand in the countries where it is sold. Its formulas are described as similar to British Persil Bio or European Omo, placing the brand within Unilever’s wider international laundry portfolio and alongside detergent brands that use biological-cleaning and performance-oriented propositions. The visual identity includes a splodge-like logo similar to the mark used by British Persil. The available material does not provide a detailed account of individual advertising campaigns, named executives, corporate transactions, financial performance, or recent strategic decisions. It does establish a continuous product-development history: launch for automatic machines in 1959, international expansion during the 1960s, enzyme use from the 1970s, TAED bleach activators in 1978, and later diversification into contemporary detergent formats and specialist garment-care products.

• 2009

  Discontinuation in Germany

  [1]Skip (detergent)en.wikipedia.org

  Skip was discontinued in the German market.

• 1978

  Introduction of TAED bleach activators

  [1]Skip (detergent)en.wikipedia.org

  Skip became the first detergent powder identified in the source as containing TAED bleach activators, marketed as TETRAED B.

• 1970

  Enzymes added to the formulation

  [1]Skip (detergent)en.wikipedia.org

  From the 1970s, Skip included enzymes and was characterized as a biological detergent.

• 1960

  Expansion into additional European markets

  [1]Skip (detergent)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 1960s, Skip was introduced in countries including Spain, Portugal, and Greece.

• 1959

  Launch in France

  [1]Skip (detergent)en.wikipedia.org

  Lever Brothers introduced Skip in France as a low-suds washing powder designed for automatic washing machines.

A premium or top-of-the-line laundry-detergent brand emphasizing machine-washing performance, stain-removal technology, multiple formats, and care for specialized fabrics.

• Laundry detergent · 1959

  Skip detergent powder

  The original Skip format was a low-suds powder developed for automatic washing machines. Powder remains part of the brand’s broader range and is associated with the brand’s historical development from a machine-wash product into a biological detergent using enzyme technology and later bleach activators.

• Laundry detergent

  Skip liquid and gel detergents

  Skip’s liquid and gel formats extend the brand beyond its original powder presentation. They provide alternative dosing and handling formats within the same premium laundry-care positioning, although the reference material does not specify individual product names or detailed formulation differences.

• Laundry detergent

  Skip tablets and pods

  Tablets and pods are part of the modern Skip portfolio and address consumers seeking pre-measured laundry detergent. The source confirms their inclusion in the range but does not provide specific launch dates, pack sizes, or market-by-market availability.

• Fabric-care detergent

  Skip special-care detergents

  The range includes products for clothing requiring special care, including wool, silk, and black garments. These products broaden Skip’s role from general-purpose cleaning to fabric-specific maintenance, though the available source does not identify separate product names.

• 1978

  Adoption of TAED bleach activatorsProduct launch

  Background

  Skip’s product-development history had already incorporated enzymes during the 1970s, supporting a biological-detergent proposition.

  Action taken

  The brand introduced TAED bleach activators in its detergent powder, marketed as TETRAED B.

  Aftermath

  The change reinforced Skip’s positioning around detergent technology and stain-removal performance.

  Source

• 1959

  Launch of a low-suds automatic-machine detergentProduct launch

  Background

  The growth of automatic washing machines created demand for detergents formulated for machine washing rather than traditional high-foam laundering.

  Action taken

  Lever Brothers launched Skip in France as a low-suds washing powder intended for automatic washing machines.

  Aftermath

  The launch established Skip’s core technological and machine-washing positioning and preceded its expansion into additional European markets.

  Source

• 2021.08.04

  Reported2021.08.11

  Skip files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy[2]Skip申请第七章破产qz.com

  Skip filed a petition to liquidate the company under Chapter 7 in a Northern California bankruptcy court.

Read more

1. 1Skip (detergent)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Skip申请第七章破产qz.com