Unilever has announced that it will close down REN Clean Skincare, the pioneering ‘clean’ skin care brand that it bought in 2015.
The FMCG giant announced the brand will disappear from shelves for good after 25 years in a statement on Thursday, saying it took the “difficult decision” after a consultation.
Blaming “a combination of internal factors, compounded by market challenges in recent years” Unilever said that this “has left the brand unable to sustain success in the long term”.
“We are proud of the REN team for all they have accomplished during 25 years of business, putting ‘clean’ skin care on the agenda and creating positive change for both people and planet and thank them as they continue to support us through this closure,” Unilever said in the statement.
REN Clean Skincare will cease trading by the end of the third quarter of 2025, although no exact date has been given.
Unilever had reportedly been looking to sell the business, along with Kate Somerville, working with advisors from Pricewaterhousecoopers according to Sky News.
Part of Unilever’s Prestige Division, REN Clean Skincare was founded by Rob Calcraft and Antony Buck in 2000 and has since become known for its cult Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Toner and Evercalm range.
The British brand was ahead of the curve when it comes to so-called ‘clean’ beauty, which has since become mainstream.
It attracted the eye of then-SVP of Unilever’s Prestige Brands Vasiliki Petrou, and was acquired in 2015 for an undisclosed sum.
Under her leadership the division experienced 13 consecutive quarters of volume-led growth thanks to its M&A strategy and in 2023 generated €1.4bn in turnover.
Petrou departed Unilever last year after a decade.
Other acquisitions under her watch included premium skin care brand Dermalogica, ‘clean’ beauty line Paula’s Choice and biotech hair care K-18.
Kate Somerville was acquired by Unilever in 2015, the same time as REN Clean Skincare.
In June 2023, Ren Clean Skincare slashed its product portfolio by a third as part of a wider strategy to modernise the brand and crack the US market.