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The Murad portfolio is extensive and aims to address virtually every skin concern |
Unilever has signed an agreement to acquire leading clinical skincare brand Murad. The move follows the recent acquisitions of Dermalogica, Kate Somerville and REN, as Unilever seeks to consolidate its position as a key player in the personal care prestige segment. The terms of the deal were not announced.
Murad’s heritage and success is grounded on the principle that beauty and good health are vitally linked and best achieved through an Inclusive Health lifestyle. The brand, which generated turnover of US$115 million in 2014, will be incorporated into Unilever’s Prestige division, which is exclusively dedicated to select distribution and premium personal care brands.
Founded in 1989 in Los Angeles, Murad is described as the first modern doctor brand, with a mission to provide proven, efficacious products. The line was created by Howard Murad MD, a dermatologist, pharmacist, and UCLA professor. It features antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and hydrators to address virtually every skin care concern, from acne to anti-ageing.
Murad has a significant presence in the USA through professional salons and spas such as Massage Envy, and specialist retailers such as Sephora, Ulta and Nordstrom, in addition to direct sales. It also has a regional hub for Europe located in the UK, where the brand can be found in over 42 countries, in department stores, pharmacies, spas and salons.
Unilever CEO Paul Polman commented: “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 wellbeing segment. 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.”
Dr Murad added: “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. 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.”
