Unilever agrees to buy Murad

UNILEVER announces another high-profile acquisition of a privately held skin care brand. The leading company said it has acquired Murad, regarded as the first modern doctor-built skin care brand in the United States.

In 1989, Dr. Howard Murad, a dermatologist, pharmacist and UCLA professor, developed a unique recipe of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and hydrators to address most skin care concerns. The products are available in 42 countries. In the US, they are used in professional salons and spas, as well as cosmetics retailers.

“We are delighted to welcome Murad to our portfolio of prestige personal care brands. As an expert ‘Doctor brand’, Murad offers products in a differentiated clinical and holistic well-being segment,” said Paul Polman, Unilever CEO. “It has a loyal following that gives it excellent potential for expansion, and wonderfully complements the brands recently acquired. We look forward to working with Dr Murad and his team to continue to grow the brand.”

“We’ve always looked for opportunities to reach more people with our message of Inclusive Health and to touch more lives with our targeted, high-performance products,” said Dr. Murad.  “With Unilever, we can broaden our reach and significantly grow our brand while remaining faithful to the founding principles of Murad. There is a very bright path ahead and I am excited to work with Unilever to share our products with the world—together we can inspire every person that the Murad brand touches to live life beautifully.”

Dr Murad was a key speaker at Happi’s 2013 Anti-Aging Conference & Tabletop Exhibition.  (The 2015 conference is scheduled for Sept. 10-11 in New Brunswick, New Jersey).

Murad, the latest in Unilever’s acquisitions, has a turnover is $115-130 million in 2014 and is No. 48 in Happi’s 2015 Top Companies report.

In March, Unilever also acquired REN and in June took over Dermalogica and Kate Somerville.