Herbal Essences understands that women are unstoppable forces who accomplish amazing things every day, and that doesn’t hit pause with pregnancy. Leading up to this year’s Mother’s Day holiday, the brand is recognizing moms-to-be through its new “Pregnant Women Can” campaign and an empowering video anthem that highlights how women are pursuing their passions everyday – and doing it for two. When it comes to pregnancy and making choices she will feel good about, Herbal Essences is encouraging her to celebrate all the things she CAN do.

Kate Voyten, Herbal Essences Brand Director, explains that, “Harnessing the power of nature to create something incredible has always been in Herbal Essences’ DNA. We want to celebrate women as the powerful forces of nature they are, which becomes even more awe-inspiring when she’s expecting.” Voyten goes on to say, “We realized this in our daily conversations, as most of the women on our team were pregnant or new moms, in addition to what was heard in our consumer research.”

To dig further into the topic, Herbal Essences conducted a national survey* of U.S. women that included responders who are currently pregnant, new moms, and more experienced moms, uncovering that most everyone has an opinion on what pregnant women can (or rather, can’t) do.

The survey results also revealed:

  • Opinions start to pop up everywhere – even when you’re not looking for it! Women who are currently pregnant have received unsolicited advice from an average of 15 people since becoming pregnant, while new mothers have received unsolicited advice from an average of 20 people while they were pregnant -and since becoming a parent. Of the advice they were given, much of it was focused on what they couldn’t or shouldn’t do. New Mothers say they were told they couldn’t: lift heavy objects (88%), eat the same foods (59%), complete the same household chores (49%), exercise the same way (45%), participate in outdoor activities (33%), and work the same hours (29%).
  • No matter what decade, pregnancy and career equals one hot topic. Of women who are currently pregnant, 90% believe they will maintain the same standing at their job when they return after having a baby. In years past, among experienced mothers who were not employed during pregnancy, nearly 40% believe women who had careers didn’t prioritize having a family. However, of those experienced mothers who were employed during pregnancy, more than 65% admit the reason they pursued a career was actually specifically for their family.
  • This new chapter in life evokes a new kind of confidence. 65% of women surveyed who are currently pregnant feel more confident and comfortable in their bodies now than prior to pregnancy, followed by 56% of new mothers and 51% of experienced mothers.

To bring the campaign to life, Herbal Essences will host an exclusive event in New York City on May 1st, unveiling its video anthem and sparking an intimate discussion about what women have heard, felt and were able to take on during pregnancy in spite of often hearing they “can’t.” To view the Pregnant Women Can video in full, visit: https://youtu.be/60Zd2g9lFLg

The brand will also partner with over 100 influencers to share what made or makes them a force of nature during their pregnancy journey, and beyond. The celebration will culminate with a nationwide Babymoon Sweepstakes; mothers-to-be are encouraged to enter to win a babymoon trip for two to enjoy a little rest and relaxation before their own bundle of joy arrives. For more details on the sweepstakes and how to enter, please follow along on Herbal Essences’ Instagram channel (@herbalessences).

About Herbal Essences

Herbal Essences was born into nature with a free spirit and a joyful heart. Our bohemian roots still have the power to inspire young women today with products that merge the best of nature with science. Because there will always be women who aspire to a unique and authentic beauty that can only come from a closeness to nature and a true sense of self. Herbal is not about problems, but the freedom to immerse yourself in nature & indulge in the thrill of letting go for a little moment of joy. Herbal believes in ingredients with intent, packaging as items of beauty for her & the earth, colors found in nature, irresistibly delicious fragrances, & formulas that are as clean as possible without compromising the results women crave. And Herbal hair? Herbal hair is hair that is undone, natural looking and free - just like the women who choose it. Simply put, Herbal Essences does beautiful things for your hair & your head.

To learn more about Herbal Essences visit www.herbalessences.com, or follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/HerbalEssences, Twitter: twitter.com/HerbalEssences and Instagram: @herbalessences.

*About The Survey

The Herbal Essences Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. new mothers, defined as those who gave birth in the past 12 months; 500 U.S. women who are currently pregnant; and 500 U.S. women who had a child before 1978, between April 12 and April 20, 2018, using an email invitation and an online survey. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points for the new mothers sample and 4.4 percentage points for the women who are currently pregnant sample and women who had a child before 1978 sample, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the samples.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.