Superdrug has quietly pulled Israeli skincare brand Ahava from its shelves and website, following renewed scrutiny over where the company sources its ingredients.
Ahava, known for its Dead Sea mineral products, has long been a target for pro-Palestinian campaigners. The brand’s manufacturing facility is based in Mitzpe Shalem, a settlement in the occupied West Bank, a location that critics argue makes purchasing the products a direct contribution to settlement activity.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has campaigned against Ahava for years, arguing that extracting natural resources from occupied Palestinian territory violates international law. A spokesperson for BDS Britain welcomed Superdrug’s decision, calling it “a meaningful step” and urging other UK retailers to follow suit.
Superdrug hasn’t made a formal public statement explaining the removal, which is fairly typical for retailers looking to avoid wading into geopolitical controversy. But the timing is hard to ignore, coming as consumer pressure on brands with ties to Israel has intensified significantly since October 2023.
Ahava’s products have been stocked in mainstream UK retailers for years. The brand markets itself on the therapeutic properties of Dead Sea mud and minerals, a selling point that’s proved popular with British shoppers. Its facial creams and body lotions retail between £15 and £60, putting them firmly in the affordable premium bracket.
Defenders of the brand argue that Ahava employs both Israeli and Palestinian workers at its facility, and that a boycott ultimately harms those employees. It’s a familiar tension in the wider debate around economic pressure versus on-the-ground livelihoods.
For Superdrug, the decision is part of a broader pattern. Several UK supermarkets and retailers have faced similar pressure over their stocking decisions in the past 18 months, with some quietly removing products, others doubling down, and a few issuing lengthy statements that managed to satisfy nobody.
Whether other high street names will follow Superdrug’s lead remains to be seen. But with consumer activism showing no signs of cooling, this almost certainly won’t be the last time a British retailer finds itself having to make a choice it would rather not have to make.
