Persil is a brand of
laundry detergent made by
Henkel; but which is now also licensed for manufacture, distribution, and marketing in several countries by
Unilever. Henkel and Unilever both manufacture their own formulations. Introduced in 1907, Persil is notable because it was the first commercially available "self-activated" laundry detergent. The name, Persil, is derived from two of its original ingredients,
sodium perborate and
sodium silicate. It is Unilever's premium brand in
Ireland and the
United Kingdom. Persil is sold in many forms, with several "environment friendly" products.