In recent years, Unilever has been expanding its prestige line. In 2015, they've acquired Ren, Kate Somerville, and Murad -- all of which are still cruelty-free. Hourglass was also bought by them in 2017. They've also acquired Dollar Shave Club, Seventh Generation, Schmidt's Naturals, and Sundial brands (SheaMoisture, Nubian Heritage, and Nyakio).
Victoria Tsai, Founder of Tatcha stated:
“When creating Tatcha, our dream was to make a brand that would live for at least 100 years; that dream can come true in our new home with Unilever. We are overjoyed to have found a parent to grow globally with, and to have a purpose-driven partner to ensure we can have a positive impact in our communities as we grow."
Vasiliki Petrou, Unilever EVP and CEO Prestige, stated:
“We are delighted to have Tatcha joining our portfolio of Prestige brands. Inspired by Japanese pure beauty rituals, Tatcha is one of the best performing beauty brands in North America, famous for its exceptional product experience and unique combination of natural ingredients and high product efficacy. Thanks to Vicky’s passion and expertise, iconic products like The Water Cream and The Silk Canvas have become the cornerstone of long-term consumer loyalty. We are really looking forward to working with this amazing team and to continuing to grow the brand globally.”
Although there are mentions of growing the brand globally, the brand will most likely remain cruelty-free under Unilever.
For an outlook of parent companies and the brands they own, please visit the article below.
READ MORE: Who Owns What? The Surprising Truth Behind Your Favorite Beauty Brands
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This is a little sad to see, but I think I saw Unilever was also working with Cruelty Free International (alongside Estee Lauder) with the hopes of ending animal testing globally by 2023. Hopefully these big parent companies continue to step up!
I’m really new to the cruelty free community and have been buying brands do not test on animals or sell in places that do however I have been unaware of the fact that these companies could be owned by someone who does it elsewhere.. do you have any pieces or personal opinions on this? I am not sure how to completely feel and am curious to hear from someone as informed as yourself.
Hi Joanna! The argument from those who refuse to purchase cruelty-free brands owned by non-cruelty-free parent companies is that the money goes to the parent company. The counter-argument would be that each brand is its own entity and makes its own profits, so the money doesn’t directly go to the parent company. My take is that supporting cruelty-free brands (over those who test on animals) sends a message to the parent company. If they can see that more people purchase their cruelty-free brands over the ones that test on animals, they’ll see the demand and be more inclined to make a positive change.
Some cruelty-free shoppers disagree with this stance, but from my experience, most of us support all cruelty-free brands regardless of parent company.