Unilever Prestige is one of the fastest-growing parts of our business. But its premium beauty brands aren’t just about effective ingredients and indulgent experiences. As Executive Vice President Vasiliki Petrou explains: “If the brand doesn’t have a purpose, then it doesn’t belong here.”

Think of Unilever’s beauty brands and perhaps the first that spring to mind are household names like Dove, Vaseline, Pond’s, Lux and Sunsilk. But in the past few years our beauty business has evolved – and a new stable of luxury brands is driving rapid growth.

Unilever Prestige was launched in 2014, when its Executive Vice President and Group CEO Vasiliki Petrou was tasked with bringing a world-class portfolio of premium beauty brands into the company.

Seven years and nine brands later, Unilever Prestige reported €700 million in turnover in 2020 and strong double-digit growth in our most recent results for 2021. Our ambition now is to build a business worth at least €3 billion in the next few years through digital commerce, innovation, acquisitions and expansion.

While every Prestige brand has a distinct identity, one thing they all have in common is a clear, meaningful purpose. From REN’s zero-waste packaging to Hourglass’s commitment to cruelty-free, every brand is taking a stand on a relevant, authentic issue – and making a difference.

We caught up with Vasiliki to find out more about Unilever Prestige’s story so far…

Vasiliki, which brands comprise Unilever Prestige?
Since our launch in 2014, we have acquired nine carefully chosen brands. Within our first year we acquired REN, Dermalogica, Kate Somerville and Murad. In 2017, Living Proof and Hourglass joined the business. Two years later we added Garancia and Tatcha, and in 2021 we were delighted to bring Paula’s Choice on board.

How would you categorise these brands?
Our brands fit into three key areas. In Clinical Derma Cosmetics we have Dermalogica, the world’s No.1 professional skincare brand, available in more than 20,000 salons worldwide. Murad is a doctor-led clinical and wellness brand, with the No.1 brightening and retinol products in the US. And Kate Somerville is loved by A-listers and beauty gurus, with a must-visit clinic in Los Angeles.

Our Clean and Clinical segment includes Garancia, the fastest-growing pharmacy brand in France. We also have REN, which is clean to skin and clean to the planet. It recently launched the world’s first infinitely recyclable aluminium sachet. And our most recent acquisition, Paula’s Choice, is a direct-to-consumer powerhouse and one of the most successful brands in US beauty retailer Sephora.

Our third category is called High Performance. This includes premium, cruelty-free beauty brand Hourglass, which has the fastest-selling mascara in British beauty retailer Space NK. We have Living Proof premium haircare, which was created in partnership with scientists at MIT and is the No.2 prestige haircare brand in the US. Then we also have Tatcha, a luxury skincare brand rooted in Japanese rituals. It’s a digital and social commerce pioneer and Sephora’s second bestselling line.

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