L’Oréal’s Biggest Acquisition Yet: Aesop

L’Oréal has signed a deal with Natura & Co to acquire Aesop, an Australian luxury skincare brand. This $2.5 billion acquisition is the biggest deal L’Oréal has ever made, CNN reported.

Aesop was founded in Melbourne in 1987. The now parent company, Natura & Co, got 65% stake in the company in 2012 and formally acquired it four years later. Since the acquisition, sales have soared from $28 million in 2012 to $537 million in 2022, according to Natura.

“Aēsop is world widely renowned for its skin, hair and body products. With its signature amber packaging, plant-based ingredients, sustainable vegan formulations, and its bespoke customer service, Aēsop has evolved into a global super brand available across luxury retail, beauty, and hospitality locations around the world,” L’Oréal Finance detailed in a news release.

Nicolas Hieronimus, Chief Executive Officer, L’Oréal Groupe, Cyril Chapuy, President of L’Oréal Luxe and Fábio Barbosa, Chief Executive Officer of Natura & Co all expressed their excitement for the future and appeared incredibly optimistic about what both companies could accomplish. Hieronimus explained, “I am very excited to welcome Aēsop and its teams to the L’Oréal Groupe family. Aēsop is the epitome of avant-garde beauty, whose products are not only made with great care and exceptional attention to detail; they are a superb combination of urbanity, hedonism and undeniable luxury.”