Beauty is more than skin deep; in fact, the inner spirit of the beauty business has shone through from the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic through countless good deeds and donations.

High-profile international players like Coty, Estée Lauder Companies, Guerlain and others swapped out perfume and cosmetics to produce hand sanitizers and masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. At the same time, household and I&I manufacturers expanded production of hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants. All in all, plenty of brands, big and small, took on the challenge.

“As an industry dedicated to safety, our industry takes very seriously the health and well-being of our employees, the families who use our products every day, and the communities worldwide where our member companies operate,” observed Lezlee Westine, president and CEO, Personal Care Products Council. “Specifically, cosmetics companies are refitting their factories to increase the production and supply of hand sanitizer and other essential products to ease shortages nationwide and help combat COVID-19.”

Westine noted that millions of units of essential products are being donated to hospitals, community clinics, medical and emergency professionals, first responders, and industry employees. Products will also be available to retail customers. Those who provide product to beauty industry businesses are relaxing or freezing payments so those businesses can maintain their operations. Our industry remains committed to playing our part to help mitigate the progression of COVID-19,” she concluded.

In late March, Coty began producing hydro-alcoholic gel, which is used as hand sanitizer, to help combat the pandemic. Production and donations were expected to reach tens of thousands of units per week. The products are being distributed free-of-charge to medical and emergency services staff who are facing shortages due to the COVID-19 virus. Products were also provided to Coty employees working in the plants and distribution centers producing sanitizers, as well as pharmacy staff.

L’Oréal’s North American manufacturing facilities began production of alcohol-based hand sanitizer that was provided free of charge to US employees, partners, and healthcare professionals working on the frontlines of this emergency. In addition to efforts in Europe, L’Oréal USA announced a $250,000 donation to Feeding America to provide emergency support for its COVID-19 Response Fund and a donation of $1 million worth of personal care and hygiene products to Feed the Children. Additionally, the company donated surgical and N95 respirator masks to local hospitals.

Millions of Procter & Gamble products are being donated from 30 brands in more than 20 countries, with more on the way, according to the company. P&G also partnered with some of the world’s leading relief organizations, including the International Federation of the Red Cross, Americares and Direct Relief, and key regional organizations such as Feeding America, Matthew 25: Ministries, the China Youth Development Foundation, One Foundation, the Korea Disaster Relief Association and the United Way. Further, P&G installed lines to start production of hand sanitizer in five manufacturing sites around the world, using it to ensure employees can continue operating safely and sharing it with hospitals, health authorities and relief organizations. Additionally, 12 P&G manufacturing sites around the world began producing critically needed face masks.

“We’re using areas of P&G capability and know-how to develop and deliver solutions to protect those who are most vulnerable,” said P&G President and CEO David Taylor in a statement. “We’re funding startups with innovative ideas and partnering with established companies who have complementary capabilities. We’re also using our marketing and communications expertise to encourage consumers to support public health measures to help flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus.”

RB, the world leader in cleaning products and the maker of Lysol, got into the coronavirus recovery effort early with a $5.5 million donation in cash and antibacterial products to China back in January.

“We immediately mobilized our experts in China and beyond as soon as the outbreak was identified,” explained RB CEO Laxman Narasimhan. “In addition to the moral responsibility we feel, we also have an important functional role to play in enhancing personal disinfection through providing enhanced access to products which can break the chain of infection. Simple steps such as frequent hand washing will aid the many efforts the Chinese government is already putting in place to protect citizens across the region.”

SC Johnson committed $5 million in products and cash to support urgent public needs and those on the front lines. The announcement builds on the $2 million the company has donated to date, including $1 million to the CDC Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund, and other donations to efforts around the world in China, Italy and the UK.

“I am incredibly proud of all the people of SC Johnson who are committed to providing support to those around the world dealing with this crisis and experiencing its impact firsthand,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “From medical professionals and first responders to school children, we hope this commitment will help provide some relief.”

SC Johnson also teamed with the CDC Foundation to deliver care packages for police, fire and medical personnel that included SCJ’s cleaning and disinfectant products. Locally, the firm is also providing resources to help mitigate the demand the outbreak is placing on community services in its hometown of Racine, WI.

StriVectin said it was donating 2,000 hand creams to healthcare workers throughout the country.

Babor’s Aachen, Germany facility began producing hand sanitizer and distributing it to those most in need, including police officers, nursing homes and medical facilities in the Aachen region.

In a similar move, Cirem, based in California, switched gears from producing luxury serums to solely producing hand sanitizer for hospital staff.

Grande Cosmetics will donate 15% of sales to Feeding America. With an original goal of $20,000, the initiative was so well-received that the brand extended the effort through April with a revised goal to raise a minimum of $50,000.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is first and foremost a pharmaceutical company. In addition to its work related to aiding in the development of a coronavirus vaccine candidate, GSK donated $10 million to The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, created by the UN Foundation and the World Health Organization, to support WHO and partners to prevent, detect and manage the pandemic, particularly where the needs are the greatest. The fund will enable distribution of essential supplies such as personal protective equipment to frontline health workers.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC) began producing hand sanitizer in its US, UK and Belgium manufacturing facilities for high-need groups and populations, including front-line medical staff. In addition, the company undertook several initiatives in response to COVID-19.

“As a company, we are continuing to find meaningful ways to lend our support as the world fights this health crisis,” said Fabrizio Freda, president and chief executive officer, in a statement.

ELC made a $2 million grant to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières to support its response to coronavirus in under-resourced and highly impacted countries. ELC also made a grant to support the establishment of The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, which will provide support for New York City’s social services and cultural community organizations. In China, ELC provided more than $800,000 to relief efforts to support the Red Cross Society of China, Shanghai Charity Foundation and Give2Asia, and another $1.4 million worth of in-kind donations were provided to the China Women’s Development Foundation to support front line medical staff.

On a brand level, Estée Lauder donated two million surgical masks for front-line workers in New York; Clinique is donating 50,000 skin care products as a thank you to the doctors and nurses in New York City’s hospitals; and MAC Cosmetics’ Viva Glam Fund will allocate $10 million to 250 local organizations across the world that are providing essential needs and services to people at higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tom’s of Maine’s pledged a $60,000 donation and nearly $500,000 in natural personal care products to Direct Relief, a humanitarian organization providing protective gear and supplies to communities hardest hit by COVID-19. Tom’s of Maine is also aiding small business by sponsoring 50 small businesses in all 50 states to help bring the healing power of the outdoors, indoors with daily video experiences in nature.

Colgate-Palmolive supported the World Health Organization on its #SafeHands effort, mobilizing a number of its production facilities around the world to produce and donate 25 million soap bars to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the regions facing acute needs. Colgate, which mobilized five of its manufacturing plants on three continents to produce the new soap, created packaging with instructions on proper handwashing. Also, Colgate committed to provide $20 million in products to community organizations. Local Colgate teams are supporting frontline medical and emergency care workers, and the most vulnerable populations, including New York City, where Colgate is donating health and hygiene products to local hospitals, medical professionals and nonprofit organizations serving the homeless.

Bond No. 9 said it would donate 20% of its e-commerce sales in April to Mount Sinai Health System to help provide for additional nurses and childcare so that staff have one less concern and can focus on providing care for patients and themselves.

“As a New York brand and also as a New Yorker, I wanted to pay tribute to their heroic efforts, especially at this time, and if in some small way we can offer help to keep them safe and healthy, I wanted to do it,” said Laurice Rahmé, founder of Bond No. 9 New York.

It’s A 10 Haircare donated $5.4 million worth of products to multiple product-philanthropy nonprofits including Good360.

Thrive Causemetics hosted a donation day on March 27 during which 100% of profits from sales on thrivecausemetics.com were pledged to support the COVID-19 relief efforts of Meals on Wheels, Baby2Baby and Feeding America. The brand raised more than $350,000 to donate to these organizations that are providing meals, diapers and resources to the most vulnerable communities in the US. Building on the momentum, Thrive said it planned to grow its overall donations to $1 million in aid to women impacted by the coronavirus, including healthcare workers on the front lines, as well as supporting women-owned small businesses and their employees affected by the pandemic.

Harry’s donated $1 million worth of shaving supplies to hospitals in New York City and around the country—which would help as the CDC recommends that medical and frontline workers be clean-shaven in order for their N95 masks and PPE to fit properly.

Henkel converted a production facility at its Düsseldorf site and produced hand disinfectants for donation to surrounding hospitals and public institutions.

“With our comprehensive solidarity program, we want to contribute to the fight against the corona pandemic. We are very proud that the team at our headquarters in Düsseldorf was able to provide the production capacity at such short notice to produce disinfectants for medical use,” said Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel.

L’Occitane en Provence donated nearly 200,000 hygiene products to Clean the World Foundation. Additionally, L’Occitane Group reassigned some of its facilities to manufacture hand sanitizer which was donated to the health authorities and healthcare workers in France.

Shiseido Americas dedicated a portion of its otherwise temporarily closed East Windsor, NJ manufacturing facility to produce commercial and medical grade hand-sanitizing gels for donation to local facilities and organizations in need.

Avon, in March, donated $2 million worth of personal care products such as soap, body wash and skin care products to Feed the Children to support these families in need during the coronavirus crisis. Feed the Children works closely with community partners such as schools, civic organizations and food banks to serve the most vulnerable populations and others who may be experiencing difficulty due to a job loss in this uncertain environment.

“Avon is proud to have partnered with Feed the Children since 2004,” said Avon CEO Paul Yi. “Because of our longstanding relationship, it made sense to work with Feed the Children for their COVID-19 relief efforts. They work diligently to get our products to the people who need them most.”

Eos donated 50,000 Shea Better Hand Creams to some of New York City’s hospitals and healthcare workers fighting COVID-19. Additionally, Eos says it is committed to donating 50,000 hand creams to healthcare workers and hospitals across the US.

Dove has announced a number of efforts, including pledging $2.5 million worth of Dove products to Feeding America as part of Unilever’s global commitment to donate $108 million worth of products and food to those who need it most. Also, in partnership with Vaseline, Dove made a $2 million donation to Direct Relief to go toward PPE, ventilators and medicines for healthcare workers on the front lines. The company is also working with Direct Relief to donate additional personal care products to hospitals and health care centers in the US, following a 200,000-mask donation to local hospitals in New Jersey, where Dove is based.

To recognize the healthcare workers on the frontlines and raise awareness for the realities of their heroic daily acts, Dove created Courage is Beautiful, a film featuring images of people fighting for everyone’s safety, demonstrating self-sacrifice and putting their patients and community first for the greater good. The film is running on TV and social media. Dove is also helping to spread the message about the importance of washing hands properly and frequently, in line with the World Health Organization’s guidance, by turning some of its TV ad-spots into reminders about handwashing.

Indie brand Pause Well-Aging created care packages for healthcare workers.

Spectrum Brands, which owns Cutter insect repellant products, shifted production in its Blacksburg, VA manufacturing plant to produce hand sanitizer to support the company’s facilities, US employees, and several local organizations in communities where the company operates.

“It’s a natural extension of the brand portfolio to expand the Cutter line beyond insect protection to fight germs as well,” said Steve Schwallie, division VP-marketing at Spectrum Brands. “We are pleased to be able to move into this segment and provide these products for our community partners.”

For a complete look at additional efforts and donations, visit Happi.com’s COVID-19 microsite.