Case Analysis: L’Oréal’s acquisition of skincare brands CeraVe, AcneFree and Ambi – skincare brands of Valeant

Snapshot: 

• Brands acquired: skincare brands CeraVe, AcneFree and Ambi of Valeant
• Acquired By:  L’Oréal
• Deal Value: 1.3 billion US dollars

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Valeant provides a wide range of consumer healthcare and OTC products that improve the quality of everyday life. Valeant offer consumer products targeting skin and hair care, vitamins, pain relief, topical care and much more.

Some of the well-known products within Valeant’s consumer healthcare segment include CeraVe® skincare products, PreserVision® and Ocuvite® vitamins, and BioTrue® lens care solutions.

CeraVe was founded in 2005 and offers a range of advanced skincare products, specifically cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, healing ointments and a dedicated baby line. Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe is one of the fastest growing skincare brands in the U.S. with average growth over the past two years exceeding 20%. CeraVe’s multi-channel distribution strategy includes drug stores, mass and beauty retailers, and select online outlets.

AcneFree markets and distributes a full range of OTC cleansers and acne treatments in the U.S., Ambi distributes skincare products formulated for the needs of multicultural consumers. Both brands are distributed in drug stores, mass retailers and select online outlets.

The 3 brands are distributed in the U.S. in drug stores, mass and beauty retailers and select online outlets.

The three brands have annualized combined revenue of approximately 168 million US dollars.

Why L’Oréal acquired these brands from Valeant?

1. CeraVe, AcneFree and Ambi strongly complement L’Oréal’s brand portfolio. CeraVe, AcneFree and Ambi will become part of L’Oréal’s Active Cosmetics Division, which includes brands such as La Roche-Posay, Vichy and SkinCeuticals that are developed with and endorsed by health professionals – dermatologists, pediatricians and other physicians.
2. These three brands, built on strong relationships with health professionals and widely distributed, will nearly double the revenue of our Active Cosmetics Division in the US and will help us satisfy the growing demand for active skincare at accessible prices.