Who Owns What In The Beauty Industry?

216 Comments on Who Owns What In The Beauty Industry?

1. wow! i didn;t know this!

   most of my faves are under l’oreal! 🙂

   • L’Oreal owns Urban Decay also. There is a Wikipedia article about it WITH references.

     • Chana, thanks for letting us know!

       • My pleasure!

     • L’oreai also own Decleor now

       • Jo, thanks for sharing. I’ll edit the list now.

2. I’m glad you did this! I worked in an Executive Search firm and I learned all those as well. It was funny because I was headhunting people from Maybelline to work for L’oreal before..can you imagine how stupid i look? lol 🙂

3. Thanks for this. I had no idea that Garnier was owned by L’Oreal.

4. That’s really interesting. I learned a couple of these because I have a friend who works for Estée Lauder but gets MAC discounts and a ton of others (obviously!).

   It’s interesting to see who Sephora is owned by, considering they push a lot of Benefit products on their website, and it’s the only place to buy Make-Up Forever online (that I can find).

   I really hate Clairol’s new advertising campaign for Nice ‘n’ Easy, so I’m tempted to boycott their other sister-brands now! (I’ve always hated Herbal Essence’s advertising, so I’ve never bought them, either)

   Mind if I link to this post on my blog?

   Thanks for your comment about the EOTD, too =] I spent hours doing it, and now I’m really annoyed because I woke up this morning and had a sty on my eyelid, eww! It hurts, too =[ No more EOTDs for a while. ;_;

5. I knew L’oreal owned Lancome, but not all that stores… woo~

6. Wow. This is some interseting info.

7. Sab: I knew some of them, but I didn’t realese how many brands Estee Laudr owned until I started researching for the article. What are your fav brands?

   Nikki: lol. That’s funny. 🙂 I’m glad you like the post.

   fabulessbeauty: you’re welcome 🙂

   Anastasia: Of course you can link to the post. 🙂 Your friend is lucky, I wanna work for them too now lol. I don’t like Clairol new ad campaign either, but I don’t really like any ads at all. I only Collistar ads in magazines. They have a picture of the model, one of the product with its description and price. Works much better than just a picture and a slogan in my opinion. At least you know what you’re getting and if you can afford it.
   I’m sorry you have a sty, that’s nasty. Hope it goes away soon!

   Alyssa: yeah, L’Oreal owns way too many lol

   Lydia: I’m glad you enjoyd the post 🙂

8. WOW!! good info. I’ve heard estee lauder owns other high end names but didn’t know they own these much!!! I’m gonna bookmark this page for future reference. Thanks

9. Great info! I work part time in the beauty industry so I have been under some of the brands. But over here the brands are all under local companies so even though internationally some of the brands are under a big company but they are separately owned by companies here. Eg. Benefit in Malaysia is owned by Starlight Cosmetics where the owner used to be in LVMH and LVMH in Malaysia now no longer carries Guerlain and MUFE. *shrugs* Stila used to be under Estee but now no longer and in Malaysia, Stila’s under Luxasia alongside La Prairie, NV Perricone, YSL, RMK and I can’t remember the rest.

10. Cinthia: you’re welcome. I was suprised by how many brands ste lauder owns, too!

    Connie: I didn’t know that. That is some interesting info! Thanks for sharing.

11. I think it s shame that the big companies take over all the brands that are very good, for instance sebastian products were brilliant particularly potion 9. Wella took them over and now they are just good. The content seems to change in products when companies are taken over by the big boys. I do not know whether theusual decline is purely to save on costs or to also to maximise profit, giving us products that do not work; if they can make the product so that it really does not work then people will buy more different products to find one that does – given thiese lists of ownership it would more than likely be a round trip around all the lines they own without the customer even knowing it. As for all these beauty products for eyes nothing works better than plain old touch of vaseline- lets see them change that !!!

12. Hi Lindsay, it’s really sad when that happens. I really like MAC, but since Estee Lauder bought it the prices have been increasing, the sizes of products are getting smaller and the quality isn’t as good as it used to be. I guess they do it to make the highest profit with the smaller cost on their party, but it’s a shame to see great brands go downhill. Companies would make lots more money by releasing great products in the first place.

13. man, that’s stressful. I only just started thinking recently about animal testing, and knowing that loreal owns body shop? that stresses me out. Why can’t all of Loreal’s businesses have ethical treatment of people, the environment, and animals?!!!
    Now I have a huge list of places I can’t buy makeup from because they all test on animals etc 🙁

    • Mary Kay does not test on animals, nor does Arbonne. I adore Arbonne…their products have tons of herbal extracts in them…even their eye shadows have cucumber in them.
      Who owns CHI? They have this amazing hair care product called Biosilk…they’ve recently changed it…and it sucks. The fragrance and quality of the product used to be OUTSTANDING. Now, it’s colorless and the fragrance quality is horrid. I am so disappointed.
      Has Jane cosmetics dissappeared?
      NYX…love some of their stuff…who owns them?
      Max Factor reinvented itself as Smashbox…but I can’t find max factor in stores anymore. 🙁

      • Petra, oh no! I hate when that happens. Good products should be left alone.

        I’m not sure about Chi, but I think Nyx was bought by L’Oreal a few years ago. As for Max Factor, it pulled out of the US, but it is still available in Europe.

14. Anana, that of animal testing is a delicate subject. I don’t like animal testing at all, that’s just cruel but I understand why some companies do it. If you include a new ingredient in a product without any or very few testing someone could have a serious or even deadly reaction to it. On the other hand, testing the same ingredients lots of times during the years is not only cruel, but useless as you already know what the results are going to be.

    But unfortunately, trying to avoid products tested on animals is not so easy. That’s because even if a company doesn’t test the finished products on animals or does no tests on animal at all, each ingredient the company uses has been tested at some point by someone else.

    But the good news is, scientists are developing new ways of testing ingredients and products that in the (hopefully very near) future will replace animal testing once and for all.

    • China is the only country that requires animal testing, there is no good reason for it other than they will not change. If a company places profit over cruelty free for one country alone I and many others will boycott. It is pure greed to sell and test for one country.

      • Holly, it’s a shame indeed that China will not change its policy. The decision may be based on greed, but by selling in those markets, these brands also give jobs to many people. It may also be a way to start change from within. My point is that there are always two sides to every coin, and things are always more complicated than it seems. Having said that, I hope China will change its rules soon.

15. Anana, it IS stressful and disconcerting. You are right to feel that way. The real good news is that there are plenty of amazing beauty products that are made by companies that do not rely on animal exploitation as a way to cut corners and get away with putting cheap caustic chemicals into our cosmetics. Try Urban Decay, Kiss My Face even Revlon just for starters. Their products are great! It’s easy to find cruelty free products, in fact it is your moral obligation to do so and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise:)

16. You can add Pureology to the L’Oreal list. I work for them as a video production contractor and they are a sister brand of Redken 5th Ave. Thus indirectly a L’Oreal company.

    Best,
    Joel

    • Joel, thanks for sharing. I’ll add it now. 🙂

17. Does anyone know who owns Sally Hansen and physicians formula?

    • Sandra, Sally Hansen is owned by Coty, while Physicians Formula is owned by Physician Formula INC.

18. Thank you, it was interesting to learn more about this subject. As a drugstore employee, I knew quite a few (I also live near the L’Oreal manufacturing plant here in Kentucky, which also has advertisements for their other brands). Being a makeup enthusiast, I wanted to look into what other brands are owned under same big brand.

    • Heather, you’re welcome. I’m glad you’ve found the post interesting.

19. Who owns e.l.f. or distributes their cosmetics?

    • Sam, elf is owned by Ja Cosmetics Corp.

20. Estee Lauder also owns Smashbox Cosmetics. Just wanted to add that one. I had no idea that Estee Lauder owned so many of the cosmetic lines really makes you rethink the cosmetic line that you are buying. thanks.

    • Terry, thanks for sharing. I’ll add it to the list.

      It’s an eye opener, isn’t it?

21. Don’t forget Oribe and wella owned by P&G. They’re all selling out. So sad.

    • Danielle, I will add them to the list, thanks. And that’s very sad indeed.

22. really interesting!
    however, is it true that bourjois owns chanel (or vice versa)? it would be awesome if they did!

    • Maya, yes, that’s true. Bourjois does own Chanel. 🙂

23. I just found out that I’m allergic to all I gradients in all shampoos , conditioners and make ups ! The big ingredient is Balsam of Peru, never listed in any ingredients ! Love to find a site I can discover more ingredients in such! Help

    • Dianna, I’m sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, that’s a nasty allergy that prevents you from using so many ingredients. How can I help?

24. Thanks so much for posting this! I was so distressed by Estee Lauder’s choice of Kendall Jenner as their new model that I’m changing brands — your blog helped me to avoid selecting another of EL’s brands that would just continue to support their bad choices! Found a super-great replacement on leapingbunny.org — a great site for your readers with allergies, sensitive skin, and ethical issues with the cosmetic industry!

    • Bedhead, you’re welcome. I’m glad it helped. I though Kendall Jenner was a very weird choice for Estee Lauder. It must upset a lot of its fans.

25. Clarins and Chanel are independent

    • Emma, thank you sharing. 🙂

26. CND (first creators of soak off gel polish aka Shellac) is owned by Revlon. I am a cosmetologist and this revelation blew me back considering CND is a “professional” line only, meaning they DO NOT sell to the general public. Revlon also owns many companies like the Sinful polish line and Almay.

    • Kat, thanks for sharing. I would have never guess CND was owned by Revlon for the same reason as you. Very interesting.I will add them to the list.

27. Liz Earle owned by Avon
    Decleor owmed by L’Oreal

    Gutted at both!!!

    • Judith, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, more and more small brands are getting bought by the big giants.

28. Bedhead – why does it upset you that Kendall Jenner was selected for Estee Lauder? Lauder seems like a brand for older folks so maybe they’re targeting the younger people. I like her so I will buy the products, especially since they are so generous with their promotions.

29. Essie is also owned by loreal

    • Alicia, thanks. I’ll add it now!

30. I’m sorry. I may have missed it, but who owns Avon?

    • Kathryn, Avon owns itself. 🙂

31. you are behind on your information. Unilever bought Cosmair which used to own Lancôme and L’Oreal. they also now own Clarisonic. Unilever owns a frightening amount of the market now. much of what you have here is out of date.

    • Rachelle, thank you for your comment. I’m sorry some of the information is out of date. Beauty brands change hands so quickly these days and it is hard to keep up with all that stuff when you already juggle blogging with real life. But I’ll try to update this post more quickly in the future.

32. …also, i do not think you dig deeply enough, because MacAndrews and Forbes (yes, the FINANCIAL INSTITUTION) OWNS REVLON. this information was found in ONE Google search. i put in the terms “who owns revlon?” and the first thing in the list is MacAndrews and Forbes.

    really…you guys are using very old information, and it is not as useful as one might imagine–but i do appreciate your letting me know that Estée Lauder owns a couple of brands i was unaware of; i am on a lifetime boycott of that company–harder and harder as the anti-trust laws in this bassackwards nation mean nothing any more. Smash box, MAC and Bumble and Bumble are sadly out of my life forever.

    • Rachelle, I’ve updated the post now and will dig deeper as soon as I have some more time. I’m sorry you have to boycott those brands now. 🙁

33. I think Philosophy is owned by COTY but used to be owned by Carlyle Group after Christina Carlino sold it.

    • Cynthia, thank you for letting me know. I’ll add it to the list.

34. Where does Sallys Beauty supply stores fit in the mix?

    • Paulette, I think it owns itself.

35. Does anyone know who owns topshop or Burberry makeup?
    X

    • Nicole, I believe Topshop belongs to the Arcadia group and Burberry to L’Oreal, but I’ll double check, just to be sure.

36. who owns R&CO and Living Proof? thanks!

    • Charlie, I believe they own themselves, so to speak.

37. Who owns Tarte and Becca? Thanks.

    • Denise, Tarte is owned by Kose and Becca’s parent company is Cosmetic Developments Limited.

38. My favorites are under LVMH so it’s not too bad. How about Stila, Two Faced, Mally or L’occitane? I heard Tarte is also aquired.
    Disappointed to see Vichy and Laroche Possay under L’Oreal….

    • Nini, yeah, Tarte is owned by Kose. L’Occitane belongs to the L’Occitane Group, Too Faced by Western Presidio, and the other two should be privately owned.

39. Who owns Too Faced cosmetics

    • Daisy, Too Faced is owned by private equity firm Western Presidio.

40. Frédéric Malle, Le Labo and Glamglow also are taken over by Estee Lauder

    • Gerard, thank you for sharing. I’ll add them to the list now.

41. What about Clarins products? I didn’t see it in the above list. Thank you.

    • Joe, I believe the Clarins family still owns it.

42. One of the biggest problems with all of this is that L’Oreal and Estee Lauder have changed their policies on animal testing. They want the Chinese market, which means they have to allow animal testing on anything that is sold there.

    Now, companies that are listed as “cruelty-free” are not, entirely, because their parent companies are not.

    • E, I see your point. This is a very complicated and painful issue indeed.

      To be fair though, even companies that have never tested on animals use ingredients that have been tested on animals by others. It’s impossible not to. Everything at some point has been tested on a rabbit or mouse. So, where do you draw the line?

43. Estee Lauder owns Sunday Riley as well.

    • Elizabeth, thank you for letting us know. Just added it to the list.

44. Hi Gio!

    I’ve been looking through this list and comments and I have a few questions and disputes, as it were. You’ve listed Sunday Riley as owned by Estee Lauder, but I can’t find reference to this anywhere else, nor are they listed by Estee Lauder as their brand on their company website (http://www.elcompanies.com/Pages/Homepage.aspx). I’m not sure if they were previously owned by Estee Lauder, though I don’t know how they would then come to be independent afterwards or if they simply aren’t listed, but could you let me know where you found your information so I can read up on it?
    Similarly, Oribe is listed as owned by P&G, however Oribe is not listed on P&G’s website (http://www.pg.com/en_UK/brands/all-brands.shtml) and is not mentioned in any other place I can find. Could you refer me to your source for this as well?
    Liz Earle was acquired by Walgreens Boots alliance in mid 2015 (or at least purchased, if it has not been finalised) (http://www.nottinghampost.com/8203-Boots-parent-company-acquires-Liz-Earle/story-26871957-detail/story.html) which can be updated as well. I normally wouldn’t ‘correct’ someone or tell them to update something but it seems from the comments you are keeping up with this list and updating based on people’s comments so I apologise if this seems rude; I’m not intending to step on your toes! I am very interested in avoiding certain brands so I often reference these types of lists so thanks for creating it!

    • Hi Loz, thank you so much for your comment. It’s people like you who help me keep this list up to date, and I really appreciate that.

      Usually, I take my information from websites like Cosmetics Design (http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/), who are always up to date with all industry news. I don’t remember where I got the Oribe info, but Sunday Riley was from a reader. After reading your comment, though, I did some more research and this information doesn’t seem to be correct anymore, so I removed it. I also added a few more brands, and will further check the list this weekend. 😉

45. can you confirm that Oribe is owned by P&G? I can’t seem to find the info on it

    • sorry, just read the above comments. ive had oribe reps tell me they weren’t owned by any of these

      • Charlie, thanks for double checking. I’ll update the post now.

        • Hi. Did I miss who makes Revlon??

          • Rose, Revlon makes Revlon.

46. Does anyone know who owns some of the super low end brands like LA Girl, Ruby Kiss, NickaK, …?

    • Michelle, Ruby Kiss is owned by Ivy Enterprises, but I don’t know about the other two, sorry. They may be privately owned.

47. Well there is one that is family owned entirely. Also is a debt free company, 4 billion in sales last year, does NOT test on animals and is growing consistently.
    Mary Kay
    Love the products, love the company.

    • Lisa, thanks for your comment. Mary Kay is a wonderful company indeed, and it makes some great products, too.

48. I would like to know who manufactured my favorite cosmetics for Victoria’s Secret when they had a full line, especially their mascara and Liquid Lingerie. Do you have access to this info? Or which products may come close to the quality of those products?

    • Brandy, I’m afraid I don’t know who made them, sorry. But, maybe, one of my readers will be able to help?

49. Thank you for this list. I will no longer purchase anything owned by Estee Lauder or Lancome (L’oreal) because of their “poor” selection of models (Kardashian/Jenner). I’ve switched entirely to Christian Dior. I’m extremely happy that I did because, in my opinion, the Christian Dior line is superior in every aspect. L’oreal Preference – I’ve switched to Revlon ColorSilk and am super happy with the switch. I’ve made a lot of changes and I’m very happy with these changes. America is in dire need of positive role models. The media is promoting the “worst” and to make matters worse, companies like Estee Lauder, L’oreal, Calvin Klein award these “appalling” individuals with modeling contracts. (I won’t purchase anything from Nike for the same reason – bad role model, Michael Vick.)

    • Carolyn, unfortunately most brands are only interested in those who can attract the most customers… But, I’m glad you’ve found good substitutes for the brands you can no longer use. Sometimes, we have to get rid of the old to find something better.

50. Physicians formula is now owned by Markwins Beauty brands. so is Bonne bel

    • Amy, thanks for the info. But, can I ask who your source is? I’m asking because I couldn’t find Physician’s Formula on their website.

51. There are a lot of good other good brands but not including in the list i.e GKhair & Tibolli

    • Aash, that’s true. There are too many brands to keep track of them all!

      • HI,

        Just came across Truffoire. The sales personnel have a superb sales pitch. The product at the seating does seem to have impressive, immediate results but I am interested in how it performs over time. I was told that one has to use the product for two years and a 7 years improvement will result. I have been trying to find out more about the company but not much yet.
        Can you do some scouting around and let us know what you find.

        • Claudia, I had never heard of this company, but judging from their ingredient lists, I am not impressed. The base of their products is made of oils (including mineral oil) and other emollients all brands use. Those will moisturize your skin and when your skin is well-moisturized, it’s softer and smoother and its wrinkles look smaller. So, that’s why you’re seeing immediate results.

          The 7 years improvement probably refers to the use of antioxidants. Those are preventative so it takes years to see the results. Sadly, there’s only a sprinkle of antioxidants in their products, so they won’t do too much for the skin.

          I do think the formulas look good but they are too basic for what they charge. You can find the same thing at the drugstore for a fraction of the cost.

52. IT Cosmetics recently acquired by L’Oreal.

    • Debra, thanks for sharing. I will add it to the list.

53. Carol’s Daughter was recently acquired by Loreal.

    • Sherel, thanks! I will add it to the list.

54. NYX is now acquired by L’oreal also.

    • Meg, thank you! I’ll add it ti the list.

55. Does anyone know who owns the brand By Terry?

    • Ann, I think By Terry owns itself.

56. I wondered who owns Lorac because their duchess lip gloss is an isentical sup for Revlon super lustrous in the color Super natural. Same texture and pigment as well.

    • Holly, as far as I know, Lorac isn’t owned by any major corporation. Sounds to me like both Lorac and Revlon are using the same manufacturer, though. Lots of brands use private label cosmetics and then just put their logos on them. That’s why you can find the same product sold by different brands at different price points.

      • Lots of brands? Are they safe?

        • Kaido, yes, private label products are safe. These companies still have to abide by the rules. They can’t put anything toxic in cosmetics. They just sell the same product to different brands who will then sell it at different price points. Some may sell it for $10 and another for $50.

          • Thanks for the information. While I can’t be sure now if products I’m using are not part of this private labelling thing, at least we know they are mostly safe. Just wondering how they can make claims on the packaging since it’s not really their product.. I guess there’s nothing we can do.

        • Kaido, it may not be their product but if they buy the rights to sell them and distribute them under their name then everything is legal. This is not just for beauty though. There are private label brands for everything, clothing, electronics, food… That’s why you sometimes see the same jacket in two different shops but with different brand names and price points. The private label company has the responsibility to create products without breaking the laws but once they’ve done that they have every right to either sell it themselves or resell it to others who can then sell it under their names.

      • Carol Shaw, founder of LORAC, partnered with Encore Consumer Capital in 2015.

        • Lorna, thanks for letting us know!

          • Who owns Clarins?

    • good question as i love revlons lipstick but i dont want to use them if they test on animals

      • Ilona, unfortunately so many brands still do. 🙁

57. Relvon purchased Elizabeth Arden

    • Kcardoso, thanks for the update. I will edit the post.

58. What about Hard Candy, Urban Decay, Lime Crime??

    • Kim, I think they are all independently owned.

      • It hurts me to write it because I love Urban decay, but they are now owned by L’Oréal ! Thank you for all your work, it’s really useful, and I mean it like on a daily basis !

        • Theodorides, that broke my heart too. 🙁 Aww thanks, you’re so welcome.

      • L’Oreal acquired Urban Decay in 2013.

        • Lorna, good to know. Thanks!

    • Urban Decay is owned by L’Oreal … don’t know about the rest…

      • Elena, thanks for the letting me know. I’ll update the post now.

    • This is a great bit of info! Also, Hard Candy hasn’t been independent for years. They were once owned by LVMH but then sold to Falic Fashion Group (family name or not…I’m not sure how they pronounce it but I know how most people would so I definitely would have considered a different company name), which is owned by Duty Free Americas.

      • D, thanks for sharing! Odd name indeed…

59. Murad is part of the unilever family of companies

    • Lyn, thanks for sharing. I’ve just updated the list.

60. Mary Kay is exclusively owned with own research labs and manufacturing plant. Patented products!

    • Patti, that’s amazing! I wish that were true for more brands.

61. Shiseido also own beaute prestige international (brand like Issey Miyake, JPG, Narcisco Rodriguez, Elie Saab, etc.). Also add Dolce and Gabbana, RéVive and Laura Mercier…the list goes on…

    • Simone, thanks for your comment. I’ve updated the list.

62. Coty just bought Wella in 2016

63. Hi there, would you mind sharing which high end products you think are actually worth the high price?

    • Shiela, that’s a very good question. I think I should answer this by writing a post about it so stay tuned. But, off the top of my head, I like Skinceuticals. Overpriced, but their products use ingredients that are proven to work. Unlike most high-end brands you can find at department stores.

      • Hi!… have you written about this? Which products are similar? if so, please send me the link… Thank you very much… Dinorah

        • Dinorah, I have. Here’s the link: http://www.beautifulwithbrains.com/expensive-skincare-products-worth-price/

64. Too Faced was bought by Estee Lauder in November,2016.

    • E, thanks. I’ll add it to the list.

65. Manzanita Partners owns Diptyque, Byredo, Malin and Goetz, Lipstick Queen, Eve Lom, Kevyn Aucoin and Space NK.

    • JJ, thanks. I’ve just updated the article.

66. Coty purchased P & G last summer, & sold off some brands. I do know that they kept most of the fragrances, with Dolce & Gabbana leaving & going to BPI (Beaute Prestige Inteernational) , that owns Shiseido.

    • Camille, thanks for the heads up. I will do some research about the sale and update this post accordingly.

67. Coty bought Younique cosmetics recently, wanting to break into direct sales. However it seems COTY hasn’t hurt the business (I’m an independent Presenter ?)

    • Crystal, good to know! I’ll add it to the list, thanks!

68. Who owns Buxom? I thought I heard it was Shiseido, by way of Bare Minerals?

    • Lia, I believe so, yes.

69. Isn’t Deciem part of the Estee Lauder group?

    • Nikolett, Estee Lauder has invested in Deciem and has a minority shareholder position in the company: http://deciem.com/estee-lauder-partnership

70. Who owns Physicians Formula?

    • Rita, I think Markwins does.

71. What about OPI and Sally Hansen? Are the part of the same company?

    • L, I think they’re both owned by Coty.

72. Who owns As I Am and Fenty Beauty?

    • AP, As I Am is owned by Salon Commodities, Ltd and Rhianna partnered with Kendo for Fenty Beauty.

      • Which own by LVMH

        • Irina, thanks for the info.

73. Do you know about koh gen do? Nordstroms started carrying it this year. Thanks

    • Mitzi, I believe they are privately owned but I may be wrong.

74. i cannot find a list of sisley subsidiaries/manufacturers anywhere. Any ideas?

    • Mo, I couldn’t find it either but I will keep digging. Hopefully someone will know more.

75. Thanks so much for this helpful post!
    Do you know if all brands under the same parent company manufacture products in the same factories and use the same raw ingredients?

    • Amy, glad you find it helpful. I’m afraid but I don’t but I would guess they do in most cases. It makes more sense.

    • What about Yon Ka. What is you opinion?

      • Marian, I think it’s owned by Multaler & Co.

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77. What about Soap & Glory?

    • Melissa, Alliance Boots.

78. I would like to know what you think of Clarins skin care products. I have heard that they are number one in Europe, but haven’t made it here. I tried them and have to say I love them, but another opinion would certainly be appreciated.

    • Carol, I’m not a big fan of Clarins. They have some good cleansers but the rest of their line is mostly based moisturisers with no or little anti aging properties. 🙁

      • That is so NOT true!! I’ve been using Clarins for 10 years (along with other products) and can honestly say, no one can compare to their skin care line. Now the make up line is still very good, but there are others out there that are better at certain things. They have come a long way with the color line and I think it will just continue to get better and better. Def don’t listen to ^ regarding the line. It’s the best out there! I signed up just to post this because I couldn’t let it go! ?

        • Daisy, I’m judging them purely on a scientific perspective. Where are the retinol, vitamin C, exfoliating acids and etc in their products? Their formulas are extremely basic and can’t do anything to prevent or reverse aging. But they are very moisturising, which is why many people like them.

          • Clarins is still a family owned company and currently their Double Serum is number two in the world. All of their products are based on plants and botanicals and do make a difference in your skin through plants, not chemicals.

79. Hi, is Colorpop still independent? What about Kat Von De?

    Thx

    • Lilliana, Kat Von D is with LVMH. Colorpop is owned by Seed Beauty.

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81. Thanks for this list Gio. I have recently decided to only use cruelty-free products. This list is very helpful. I know Olay, Neutrogena, Estee Laude, L’Oreal, Kao, Unilever and Shiseido are not cruelty-free. China requires animal testing so any company that sells in China is not cruelty-free. A lot of companies or products you think would be cruelty-free, are not. Just because a product is organic and even vegan doesn’t mean it’s cruelty-free. The Ordinary seems to be cruelty-free, but I don’t know if all Deciem’s products are. I generally prefer vegan products, but to be labeled vegan, you can’t use honey and I have no problem with honey. I did want to recommend an American skin care line with the unlikely name of Mad Hippy that has excellent cruelty-free products.

    • Susan, thank you for your comment. I agree, sadly it’s really difficult to figure out what brands are truly cruelty free. China is a big market so a lot of brands will want to sell there. 🙁 Also, some brands outsource animal testing to a third company so they can claim to be cruelty-free. Its a very tricky business.

    • Here’s what my research found:

      “Estee Lauder does not test on animals. but Lancome does, unfortunately. Estee Lauder themselves may not test on animals, but the suppliers to the ingredients of their products might.” This is the case for almost ALL cosmetic companies even if they don’t do animal testing.

      • Rosie, thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately all ingredients have been tested on animals at some point. Those who don’t use ingredients tested by someone else. For a long time, having someone test the ingredients was a law requirement. Hopefully now that’s not the case anymore in many parts of the world, this practice will stop.

82. To all, remember this, all cosmetics is largely dependent on you. I went to Estee Lauder school back in the mid-70s. Once I had a customer come in and she asked me why my skin looked so good. I told her that at 26 it better look good. But seriously, here’s what I told her and her two companions, what makes (creates?) good skin: 1) your genes (and I’m not talking 501 Blues); 2) what do you expose your skin to on a daily basis (tennis, golf, gardening, skiing, etc.); what do you ingest (excessive chocolate, caffeine, fried and acidy foods); and last, but certainly not least, how well do you take care of your sking (your daily cleansing and moisurizing routines)? All of these are equally important to good skin. Today, I add, do you drink enough water and get enough sleep. I would strongly suggest that anyone with skin problem should see a dermatologist and go from there. If not, it doesn’t matter how much you spend, but that it works for YOU. So go to CVS or Neiman Marcus……..it’s not your budget but rather what works and makes you feel good. For myself, I primarily use Estee Lauder, Clinique, Chanel, Sisley and Lancome. From the drugstores I use L’Oreal, Boots, Vichy and LaRoche. A good time to try new products is when you can get a gift with purchase. And, living here in Tucson, I especially like Dillards. Whatever you do, have fun with it.

    • Rosie, thanks for your comment. I agree, there’s a lot more to great skin than the right skincare products. Definitely experiment to see what works for you. We’re all unique and what works for one person may not work for another.

83. Hiya, could you do a blog on vegan cruelty-free brands please? I’m trying to move away from the brands above as they test on animals (or their parent company does) but I feel a little overwhelmed stepping into the unknown and there’s a whole new world I now need to understand. The price tags vary wildly, as with mainstream cosmetics, but it’s not easy to test products first as I find they’re mostly online only. Any help is greatly appreciated! (Apologies if you’ve already done this, I couldn’t find anything on your site but it may just be me). Thanks, Ally

    • Hi Ally, no I haven’t touched on this subject because I personally don’t believe there is such a thing as cruelty-free. As long as there are laws that require cosmetics to be tested on animals, someone must do the job. 🙁 if not the brand, then the manufacturer or a third-party agency. And that means that even though a parent company and all its brands don’t test on animals they still use ingredients that were tested by someone else at some point (otherwise, they wouldn’t have anything to formulate with!). Luckily, laws are changing and in Europe, for example, cosmetic testing on animals is banned. But still, pretty much every ingredient has already been tested on animals before the law changed. Only new ingredients that are now being developed won’t be tested on animals in the EU (but they may be tested in other countries like China). Having said that, I think it’s great that are brands that use only ingredients that have been proven to be safe and don’t carry out unnecessary tests themselves and cause even more harm. You can check out this website for a list of cruelty-free products https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com Hope this helps.

84. who owns Physicians Formula and E.L.F

    • Robin, I think ELF owns itself and Physicians Formula is owned by Markwins International.

85. What about Tarte? Almost all of my makeup is from Tarte. Though it boasts using all natural ingredients and real Amazonian clay in nearly all of its products I still allow myself a bit of a doubt. But I still couldn’t find any evidence that proves that they practise other than what they advertise (cruelty-free, vegan). I searched in the Internet and it says Tarte is owned by Kose, a Japanese company which is a bit loose on animal testing policy.

    • Ahdiah, unfortunately in some parts of the world animal tests are still required by law so even if a parent company wanted to stop them, they wouldn’t be able to. 🙁

86. Do you know who owns the Bite brand? I really like their lip products.

    • Simone, I think it’s owned by Kenzo.

87. Kose – owns Tarte and Rimmel (along with more)
    LVMH – also has Kat Von D and Fenty Beauty
    Maybe you could also have a category called “Independent” for some of the others like Chantencaille, Drunk Elephant, Deciem (although Estée Lauder owns a minority share), Colorpop, Makeup Geek, Paula’s Choice

    • Sandra, that’s a great idea! I’ll update this post asap. Thanks for sharing even more brands. 🙂

88. Hi Gio! What about Paula’s Choice? Please tell some huge mega corporation doesn’t own them.

    • Amy, all I know is that Bertram Capital is a huge investor in Paula’s Choice and behind the recent expansion into brick and mortar retailers. But they don’t seem to interfere with the formulas so that’s good. 🙂

89. Who owns RX Systems, I know it was created by a dermatologist, but do not know who owns it.

    • Margo, I believe it’s owned by Emis Group.

90. I believe Buxom is owned by Bare Minerals, who also wins Shiseidō

    • Sarah, thanks for sharing.

91. Oh this has to be updated after the P & G Coty merger!

    • Malena, working on it!

92. Rimmel is owned by Coty

    • Malena, thanks for the info.

93. Unilever as well own Ioma

    • Irina, thanks for letting us know.

94. Hi Gio, I only recently came across this post and I find it extremely useful. One question, please, do you know who owns Bioderma? Thanks.

    • Cristina, I think Bioderma is still privately owned.

95. Hi Gio,
    Do you know who owns Dermablend and if there are any other companies that make the same products that’s cost less?

    This site is great, thanks for all the work you put into it.
    Rory

    • Rory, L’Oreal owes Dermablend. I think Vichy has a similar range but it’s around the same price point.

96. This is an amazing post, thank you so much! I read through all the comments but missed seeing Bobbi Brown Moisturizing Skin Balm, which works really well for my parchment-like skin. I know they were bought out and probably by Estee Lauder, but the formula hasn’t seemed different in the past year or so. Any thoughts? Also, I want to share the app called “Buycott” which I got on the Apple Store several years ago. If you use it to scan products it will show you the company family tree.

97. Who owns CeraVe?

    • Kathy, L’Oreal does.

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