Late last month news of the Coola deal began circulating in the beauty industry and this month the deal has been confirmed: SC Johnson has acquired a majority stake in Coola, the sun care brand Chris Birchby founded in 2000 and launched in 2007.
Coola prides itself on oxybenzone-free and organic sun care formulas and has come to be well regarded in today’s eco-chic sun care space: “Our eco-conscious formulas are sourced with a Farm to Face philosophy, ensuring that we always use the freshest, most potent natural and organic ingredients,” states the brand site. “We incorporate antioxidant-rich Plant Protection into our sunscreens, which is a selection of plant-based ingredients including Algae and Red Raspberry Seed Oil that help naturally boost our formulas’ efficacy.”
SC Johnson grows its personal care business
The Coola deal is SC Johnson’s third personal care investment this year. In June, the company acquired the Sun Bum and Baby Bum brands. The Sun Bum product portfolio comprises sun care, hair care, and lip care. The Baby Bum brand includes, bath body and hair products for babies.
“The Sun Bum brand is a welcome addition to our portfolio of trusted products,” Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO of the private family-owned company, told the press at the time. “It also expands our robust selection of fast-growing, on-trend products like Babyganics, Method, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea that appeal to consumers and their families.” (SC Johnson acquired the Method soap brand in 2017, as Cosmetics Design reported.)
And in September, SC Johnson acquired Oars + Alps, the men’s skin care brand Mia Saini Duchnowski and Laura Lisowski Cox founded in 2016, for a reported $20m (though as a private company, SC Johnson doesn’t disclose investment terms).
The Oars + Alps product line includes common men’s care products like bar soaps and deodorants as well as more sophisticated items like cleansing wipes, a solid face wash, a 2-in-1 face and eye cream, and a Wake Up Eye Stick that promises users will “look like you slept 8 hours [by] de-puffing your under-eye bags.”
Making waves in beauty
For years SC Johnson has been influencing consumer expectations with its increasingly transparent approach to the fragrance ingredients in its home care products.
“Sharing more about product ingredients is good for families and important for the industry as a whole,” remarked Kelly M. Semrau, senior vice president of global corporate affairs, communication, and sustainability, in 2018. “We are pleased,” she said, “to see that our industry peers are following our lead an taking steps toward greater transparency.” And the company’s recent personal care acquisition deals will certainly help shape the future of the industry as well.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.