Unilever has been given the green light to complete its acquisition of Sara Lee’s European personal care business - but it will have to sell off the Sanex shower gel brand.

The €1.2bn (£1.02bn) deal, which hands Unilever brands including Radox and Neutral, was cleared today by European Union competition authorities.

But Unilever will be required to divest the Sanex shower gel brand in some European markets. The company had previously indicated that it wanted to hang on to the brand.

"We are pleased to have received the green light from the European Commission for this deal and we look forward to adding these important brands to our business,” said Doug Baillie, Unilever’s western European president.

“Home and personal care is a key growth category and we are acquiring a number of leading brands that fill gaps in our portfolio and improve the shape of our overall European portfolio, while offering significant potential for development in other geographies."

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