A brand of laundry detergent currently and originally made by Henkel & Cie; but which is now also licensed for manufacture, distribution, and marketing in several countries by the Unilever Corporation. 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. It is Unilever's premium brand in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Persil is sold in many forms, with several "environment friendly" products.