Unilever Acquires Hair Care Specialist K18

Hair care brand K18 will be merged into personal care group Unilever's Prestige beauty unit, with the transaction expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.

Unilever Prestige CEO Vasiliki Petrou said the acquisition complements their fast-growing portfolio of premium consumer brands. The products created by Suveen, Britta and the rest of the K18 team demonstrate the importance of a brand built on science, efficacy and love. 

K18 was founded in 2020 by Suveen Sahib and Britta Cox to address hair damage through its patented K18 peptide. The brand's product line includes leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask, Molecular Repair Hair Oil and Peptide Detoxifying Shampoo. K18 co-founder and CEO Suveen believes that nature is the best designer. By understanding the biology of hair, users can achieve true hair health and hair expression with fewer products and less time.

The acquisition follows Unilever's efforts to streamline its brand portfolio in 2023.

Unilever sold its Elida Beauty business to private equity firm Yellow Wood Partners in December.

Elida owns more than 20 non-core Unilever brands, including body wash brand Impulse and shower gel and bath soap specialist Caress, hair care brands Timotei and Tigi and Q-Tips.

In addition, Yellow Wood acquired Suave's North American business from Unilever in February last year.

Meanwhile, Unilever's Dollar Shave Club was sold to US private equity firm Nexus Capital Management in October 2023.

Unilever personal care president Fabian Garcia said the move marked a step in the portfolio's transformation into a core strategic growth area.