The Estée Lauder Companies Completes Deciem Acquisition for a Total Investment of $1.7B

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC) has completed its acquisition of Deciem Beauty Group Inc., home to The Ordinary and other brands.

Deciem was founded in 2013. In 2017, ELC invested in the brand, then took a majority stake in 2021.

ELC paid for the remaining share of the company with cash on hand for an estimated $860 million, per the company, making for a total investment of about $1.7 billion.

Deciem has been a leader in a science-first approach to beauty, which has gained popularity amid rising consumer demands for efficacy and expert-backed claims.

Its flagship brand, The Ordinary, "ranked top two in prestige skin care in its home markets of Canada and the U.S. and top four in France, Germany and the U.K. during the quarter ended March 31, 2024," per ELC.

It reportedly generates net sales between $500 million and $1 billion per year and recently expanded to India, the Middle East and South Africa.

Besides The Ordinary, Deciem comprises the skin-science-focused NIOD brand and the fragrance-focused Avestan.

“We are incredibly proud of what DECIEM is accomplishing,” said Fabrizio Freda, president and CEO, ELC. “In our seven years of partnership, Deciem has achieved impressive growth while continuing its core mission of reimagining effective, high-quality skin care for today’s diverse and sophisticated consumers. As a digitally native organization with a highly engaged following among millennial and Gen Z consumers, Deciem helps to strategically expand our skin care portfolio, and we believe there are many more exciting growth opportunities ahead.”

s“Deciem is an exceptional company with authentic brands, highly effective must-have products, and a uniquely transparent and engaging relationship with its devoted consumers around the world,” said Stéphane de La Faverie, executive group president, ELC. “We have enjoyed a fantastic partnership over the last seven years, and we are thrilled to continue our journey together.”

“Deciem and its brands embody the values of fearless persistence, uncompromising quality, and deep integrity that shape how we do business at The Estée Lauder Companies,” said William P. Lauder, executive chairman, ELC. “We are grateful to the entire Deciem team for its leadership and hard work, and we are tremendously excited to see what we can continue to achieve together in the months and years ahead.”