Something You should Know: In the cosmetic industry, who owns whom?
Posted on: March 5, 2010
- In: 1
- 81 Comments
—–Updated on March 15th, 2010. Many thanks to Poppy for the info on YSL
So today I was talking with a friend online, and she asked me a really good question: In the cosmetic industry, who owns whom? I remember talking briefly about the major cosmetic groups in My Beauty Philiospohy post: Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Beiersdorf, Unliver, and Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy (LVMH). Let me list out all the major cosmetic brands you are familiar with in the market, and give you a general idea which parent companies they belong to.
- Estรฉe Lauder owns: Aramis, Aveda, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, M.A.C, Origins, Jo Malone, La Mer, Tommy Hilfiger fragrances, Bumble + bumble, American Beauty, Flirt, Good Skin, Grassroots, Michael Kors Beauty, Darphin, Ojon, and Donna Karan Cosmetics.
- L’Oreal owns: Maybelline New York, Garnier, Lancรดme, Helena Rubinstein, BioMedic, Vichy, Biotherm, Shu Uemura, Kiehl’s, Soft Sheen-Carson, Redken, Matrix, Kerastase, Giorgio Armani, Inneov, Sanoflore, CCB Paris, Dermablend, The Body Shop, Skinceuticals, Ralph Lauren, La-Roche-Posay, and Yves Saint Laurent.
- Procter & Gamble owns: Cover Girl, Max Factor, Anna Sui, Olay, DDF, Aussie, Camay, Clairol, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Ivory, Infusium-23, Pantene, Fredric Fekkai, Gillette, Noxzema, SK-II, and Zest.
- Johnson & Johnson owns: Neutrogena, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, RoC, Rogaine, Lubriderm, Purpose, and Ambi.
- Beiersdorf owns: Nivea, La Prairie, Eucerin, and Juvena
- Unilever owns: Dove, Pond’s, Vaseline, and Sunsilk
- Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy (LVMH) owns: Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy, Benefit, Fresh, Make Up For Ever, and Sephora’s namesake line.
- Shiseido owns: Cle de Peau (CDP), Dicila, Ipsa, Ettusais, Carita, Decleor, Ayura, Asplir, DeLuxe, Selfit, Whitia, Pure & Mild, Kesho Wakusei, Yuxia, 5S, NARS, Maquillage, Aupres, JS, Za, UNO, Jean Paul Gaultier cosmetics, and Issey Miyak.
I hope this list will make us all smarter shoppers in the future.
81 Responses to "Something You should Know: In the cosmetic industry, who owns whom?"
March 5, 2010 at 5:32 PM
good to learn it! haha
March 9, 2010 at 8:15 PM
Hello Michelle,
do you know who owns YSL Beauty? I have been looking on their website and cannot determine if it is still an independent.
Thanks,
Poppy
March 9, 2010 at 8:36 PM
Aha, just found on the French version of Wikipedia(!) that L’Oreal acquired YSL Beaute sometime during 2008.
And they do appear on the L’Oreal Group website, but it is certainly not easy to find!
All the best,
Poppy
March 10, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Thank you Poppy! I did not know YSL is owned by L’Oreal! Do you mind me adding your findings to the list?
July 30, 2010 at 8:33 PM
Is Yuxia a Chinese brand? Is the facial scrub safe to use? I’m in China now. There’s a promoter who applied the scrub on my hand and it instantly became bleach-white! Then she applied moisturiser on it and it was absorbed swiftly. I wonder if there’s any strong chemical in yuxia scrub that may cause health repercussions. But I’m keen to remove the blackheads.
6 | Jessica Saltzer
January 25, 2012 at 2:22 AM
These are the mother companies but whom runs the show at each? What kind of influence do these owners take on the companies individually is a question we should be asking. For example, MAC belongs to Lauder as a child does a parent. The child has rules, an allowance and a dream. What role do we really see each parent company taking on each brand?
Food for thought-Jess
May 22, 2012 at 7:14 PM
Reblogged this on clayzmama says…… and commented:
Ok, I adore beauty products, and LOVED this post putting ME in the know!! Check it out, girlfriends! You may be surprised!!
August 31, 2012 at 6:27 PM
I just wonder if the companies cross promote. Economies of scale? As a business women who sunk some $$$$ in Dior, I wonder.
October 18, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful article.
Thank you for supplying these details.
October 19, 2012 at 12:48 AM
hi!,I love your writing so a lot! proportion we keep in touch more
approximately your article on AOL? I require an expert on this area to solve my
problem. May be that is you! Taking a look ahead to see you.
October 24, 2012 at 3:05 PM
What this actually means is that brands you thought were cruelty free no longer are and many did not mention this once they were acquired. Which also means, that raw materials that they receive before making the final product have in fact been tested on animals. I don’t see how you can trust companies who go back on their own policies and then try to hide it. I was OK with using Origins before but I no longer considering who owns them now.
November 30, 2012 at 12:33 AM
Petra, I agree 100%! As soon as I found out the extent of animal testing for beauty, I threw away hundreds of dollars worth in products that were all tested on animals. I now only buy cruelty free stuff that is usually hand made or leaping bunny approved. I will not contribute to killing animals for vanity!
August 10, 2016 at 12:59 PM
Thank you! All of these companies(as far as I’m aware) that were listed test on animals!
November 20, 2012 at 8:24 PM
I have been using Darphin since 2000 and have noticed that my favorite product “Stimulskin Plus Serum” (It is in the lifting series), it is completely different!! New packaging, thicker and a clear color! Estรฉe Lauder assured me that the change in the product was minimal! It is nothing like it used to be, what can I do? Can someone suggest how I can protest this? I made a comment on their site and they dudn’t post it!
December 3, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Updates: Shiseido bought Bare Escentuals; L’Oreal is buying Urban Decay.
December 6, 2012 at 9:53 AM
Update: Estee Lauder owns: smashbox and Proctor and Gamble now has Dolce and Gabbana Makeup if you would like to update this list.
Thanks!
December 6, 2012 at 4:50 PM
Reblogged this on Prissy in Polish and commented:
Interesting.. good information here
March 23, 2013 at 10:49 AM
to who Chanel belong? Thank you.
March 19, 2016 at 6:48 PM
bourjois
October 19, 2016 at 5:49 PM
Oct 2014 Coty acquired Bourjois from Chanel. Chanel is an independent company.
April 9, 2013 at 6:22 AM
Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just
your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all.
But just imagine if you added some great visuals or videos to give your
posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with
pics and videos, this site could certainly be one of the very best in its field.
Excellent blog!
May 6, 2013 at 1:10 AM
Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with
Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good
success. If you know of any please share. Thank you!
June 15, 2013 at 9:41 AM
Well, as far as Estรฉe Lauder, I hope you guys know that the owner, Ronald Estรฉe is the largest benefactor to Isreal’s government. He is has political ties to the Isreali military and as we speak is involving himself, making statements about the Greek governments political party Golden Dawn. If you do not support wars in the Middle East, maybe you should not purchase brands owned by Ronald Lauder. Peace!
February 14, 2015 at 6:36 PM
Bette, I presume we should purchase at fuc..ng al-kaida, in dubai or UAE that are supporting terrorist. Fu…ck off from Israel, ok? Just leave them in peace and they will know already what to do with those wild arabs.
July 28, 2013 at 10:13 PM
Fortunately, there are government bodies and medical organizations that provide a list
of recognized doctors and dentists. One way to put your child at ease
when visiting a dental hygienist is to select a clinic that has a relaxing and inviting
ambience. They function with orthodontics associates to enhance the quality and techniques of
basic dentistry.
July 30, 2013 at 12:12 PM
Unrealistic expectations or impure motives can lead to problems for both the individual undergoing the procedure, as well as the doctors involved in
performing the surgery. The protruding ears can be corrected by ear correction surgery.
They are a community within themselves, and their main objective is
collect gold and other treasures.
August 14, 2013 at 1:34 AM
Superb ! Your blog is incredible. I am delighted with it. Thanks for sharing with me.
August 15, 2013 at 5:28 PM
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a co-worker who had been doing a little research on this. And he in fact bought me dinner because I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this matter here on your internet site.
August 23, 2013 at 11:18 PM
Gee Bette,,,just read your June 15th comment…hmm is it ok for the good old boys to back Christians,,,,,I do help those who need help as in NAACP !!!!!! Cancer is what needs to disappear & since there is lots of Cancerous individuals in the Middle East I sure will help Israel FYI our only Allie I mean Bette if your a USA woman or man you just might know that,,G.d Bless you Ronald Lauder right with you! SHALOM YOU TOO BETTE
November 8, 2013 at 10:43 AM
Hi Michelle, I just reblogged this. Very informative, thank you! -Karen, Swampscott Realtor blogspot
April 5, 2014 at 6:22 PM
Reblogged this on Skinny on Skin Studio, LLC.
April 5, 2014 at 8:32 PM
Christian Dior owns Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy. Not the other way around.
May 7, 2014 at 4:34 AM
Also I believe Loreal owns eMichelle Phan cosmetics
May 7, 2014 at 4:37 AM
Corrected the name in comment below…
May 7, 2014 at 11:19 PM
No problem. I noticed it when I made an online order with em Michelle, it identified the site as L’Oreal.
August 10, 2014 at 11:02 AM
Reblogged this on The Girlfriend's Guide to Surviving your 20's and commented:
i have been looking for a list of the beauty companies that own other beauty companies for a couple of months ago. The Beauty Journal here on wordpress has researched and compiled a good list for those companies.
Thank you to The Beauty Journal!
May 23, 2015 at 1:04 AM
This was a great article thanks for the information…as a former makeup artist I did know quite a few of these but some surprised me!! For those of you that are concerned with animal testing, I am not usually one to self promote on blogs like this, but I think that many of you product lovers would be interested in the products that Perfectly Posh offers. I’m an independent consultant for this company and we are 100% cruelty free and naturally based. It’s not a makeup line…although we do carry lip stains…we are mostly a pampering line that carries an array of natural, vegan, gluten free, parafin free, petroleum free, sulfate free products for the face and body, like body scrubs, cremes, facial products and hair products. Please check out my website if your interested in seeing what Posh has to offer! https://www.perfectlyposh.com/laurendemary. ..thanks!
June 20, 2015 at 2:28 PM
I do generally remember which brands are owned by animal testing parent companies but I’m forever mixing up who owns who, I was sure that Proctor and Gamble owned MAC so I’m glad for this quick reference list. I was so devastated when I found out that L’Oreal had brought The Body Shop and they now own Urban Decay.
In 2012 when I had surgery to stop reflux and fix a hernia, I have a clear memory of being woken up post-op and asked basic questions (such as my name to make sure I’d woken right) before being given pain killers. They told me I had very dry lips and asked if I wanted Vaseline, my reply was “no because it’s tested on animals”. One of the nurses who was there when they woke me was doing rounds and taking vitals a couple of days later when I wasn’t on the Pethidine and she asked me if it’s true that Vaseline is tested on animals. I kid you not I laughed (which hurt) because I wasn’t entirely sure that I had actually said it. That was only a year after I’d discovered that animal testing still happened. I still laugh that I’d managed to respond automatically like that despite the fact that I was in a lot of pain. People who’ve just been woken up can say some really strange things but apparently they’d not heard that one before lol.
[…] the internet I finally found the list Iโd been looking for thanks to a fellow blogger over on The Beauty Journal. Iโve popped the link directly to the post but also created this image, however this list is not […]
September 28, 2015 at 9:13 AM
[…] from The Beauty Journal – Something You should Know: In the cosmetic industry, who owns whom? Original post by: […]
November 5, 2015 at 1:59 AM
Hi, as you have posted the changing branding and companies, it is looking something good, I am working with a packaging company, they are growing the paper and cardboard packaging for the cosmetics, http://thecustompackagingboxes.com/custom-boxes/cosmetic-boxes/.
Thank you!
November 22, 2015 at 5:39 PM
I have to tell you that after beginning my own organic cosmetic and skin care company,
I was really disheartened to find out that most cosmetic companies are owned by only 4-5 major companies in the world.
Shiseido owns NARS and Estee Lauder owns MAC and L’Oreal just purchased Urban Decay —-which only adds to their massive list of cosmetic companies that include SkinMedica, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Hilfiger Fragrances and so on and so on….
Different packaging, different scents, different demographic/audience targets and genres….The kicker of it all?
We’re probably using the exact same products that are sold for hundreds of dollars in department stores but are also sold in cheaper jars and bottles for 1/5th of the price at the local drugstore. โฅ It’s about the image- and the what sells to whom and where?
Nevertheless, any makeup or skincare product that is sold in a department store, drugstore, or big beauty line name has chemicals and preservatives to maintain its shelf life so that profits are maximized and nothing goes to waste. Go Natural. Go Custom. Have your makeup handmade and delivered to you in beautiful packaging. Only then will you know the QUALITY of skin nourishing and natural makeup.
April 10, 2016 at 1:22 PM
With a giant company like LโOreal and a giant budget to match, why on earth do their skincare products lack terribly in effectiveness? They own SkinCeuticals, Biotherm and Lรขncome and almost all affordable skincare is mediocre at best. Iโm speaking mainly of the serums. For example the Loreal Cell Renewal serum (the gold colored one) has ingredients in it that actually cancel out the minuscule amounts of what mightโve helped a few people a little. Just the alcohol levels alone in both the face and eye serum is enough to cause cell death and major free radical damage. Letโs not forget that there is nothing in the eye serum to actually help under eye bags (as claimed). There are light reflecting qualities to the eye serum which may โbrightenโ but under eye bags are caused by a shift in the fat pockets under the skin which only surgery can correct. Thereโs no eye serum on earth that can correct that! The only thing that LโOreal did right with these 2 serums are the added moisturizers (tried and true Shea butter, etc) and the packaging to protect from air and light. This helps to maintain the stabilization of any really useful and/or therapeutic ingredients that will only become nonexistent upon application due to the alcohol levels alone. I could certainly share more on LโOrealโs skincare, but why ruin the surprise! Iโll save it for future posts! Great job LโOreal!
February 24, 2017 at 8:37 PM
L’Oreal also owns NYX cosmetics as of 2014. I started my own makeup and eventually skincare companies. My mission statement to give quality products without fillers.
January 27, 2016 at 2:21 PM
Reblogged this on uniquexpressblog and commented:
This is very helpful as a beauty blogger! Props!!!
February 13, 2016 at 7:00 AM
Hello, yes this paragraph is actually nice and I have learned lot of things from it concerning blogging.
thanks.
April 10, 2016 at 1:18 PM
With a giant company like L’Oreal and a giant budget to match, why on earth do their skincare products lack terribly in effectiveness? They own SkinCeuticals, Biotherm and the hot and cold Lรขncome and their affordable skincare is mediocre at best. I’m speaking mainly of the serums. For example the Loreal Cell Renewal serum (the gold colored one) has ingredients in it that actually cancel out the minuscule amounts of what might’ve helped a few people a little. Just the alcohol levels alone in both the face and eye serum is enough to cause cell death and major free radical damage. Let’s not forget that there is nothing in the eye serum to actually help under eye bags (as claimed). There are light reflecting qualities to the eye serum which may “brighten” but under eye bags are caused by a shift in the fat pockets under the skin which only surgery can correct. There’s no eye serum on earth that can correct that! The only thing that L’Oreal did right with these 2 serums are the added moisturizers (tried and true Shea butter, etc) and the packaging to protect from air and light. This helps to maintain the stabilization of any really useful and/or therapeutic ingredients that will only become nonexistent upon application due to the alcohol levels alone. I could certainly share more on L’Oreal’s skincare, but why ruin the surprise! I’ll save it for future posts! Great job L’Oreal!
February 24, 2017 at 8:41 PM
Their products are ineffective because they use fillers and synthetic chemicals. There are better alternatives, but they choose not to use these because of cost which affects the bottom line.
May 4, 2016 at 8:36 AM
What about the company Coty? They own a lot of the bigger names.
July 14, 2016 at 11:16 PM
Is Majestic L’Orellana hair color considered a professional standard, or more like over the counter product?
September 18, 2016 at 10:14 PM
L’Oreal has both a professional line that is available to stylists at beauty supply stores and a consumer line that is sold at regular stores to the general public. They also have Matrix, Redken, Biolage and Pureology that are professional.
September 18, 2016 at 10:19 PM
L’Oreal also has Victor & Rolf, Diesel, Urban Decay, EM, NYX, Essie, Pureology, IT Cosmetics, Carol’s Daughter. They also own SalonCentric.
October 18, 2016 at 8:48 AM
my assistant was needing OR CCB Contractor License App this month and found a business with a ton of fillable forms . If others are requiring OR CCB Contractor License App too , here’s a https://goo.gl/TOs1NB Oregon CCB Application
December 6, 2016 at 11:25 AM
Explains a lot. The new “bold” Maybeline lipsticks make girls look like grotegrotesque clowns.
December 6, 2016 at 8:42 PM
October 2016 Estee Lauder just bought Becca Cosmetics for $200M as insiders speculate, and Too Faced for a cool $1.45B right after EL’s acquisition of Becca. Oh yes, lest I forget, Smashbox was bought by the same mother company EL in 2010 somewhere between $200-300M.
May 26, 2017 at 9:19 AM
Thank you for the list. I sold Borghese, Lancome, Clinique and Estee Lauder in my 20’s. It’s a huge industry! Where are all the female entrepreneurs? I am 60. Can’t do it. They would be hugely successful. The designers and celebs have clothes, fragrances, housewares. Get going! We are supporting their wealth!
October 2, 2017 at 1:54 AM
Hii ,
Your products is good . all products are natural ayurvedicProducts your product very helpful for us.
August 9, 2019 at 3:10 PM
Does beauty companies use the same ingredients in all the different brands they own?
The Beauty Journal 
March 5, 2010 at 3:33 PM
wow so informative! i didn’t know estee lauder owns mac!! ๐
March 9, 2010 at 3:29 PM
Thank you Mei!