L’Oréal Group has recently concluded the sale of its organic cosmetics brand, Sanoflore, marking a fresh start for the brand under new ownership. Ekkio Capital, a French investment fund specializing in health and beauty SMEs, and Sergio Calandri, the founder of the Inula group, are the new owners of Sanoflore. Sergio Calandri will assume the role of CEO for the brand.
This undisclosed transaction represents a significant change for Sanoflore, with new management, shareholders, and ambitious plans on the horizon. Sergio Calandri expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition, highlighting their excitement about welcoming the research and formulation teams from Laboratoire Sanoflore, known for their unique range of organic face care products. Furthermore, plans are underway to hire approximately 30 employees across various functions.
Previously, Sanoflore was part of L’Oréal Group’s Beauté Dermatologique division, having been under their ownership since 2006. While the brand achieved sales of 2.9 million euros in 2021, it did not reach the same level of success as some of the group’s flagship brands, such as La Roche-Posay or CeraVe, which collectively recorded sales of 5.1 billion euros in 2022, marking a substantial 30.6% increase.
L’Oréal Group clarified that their strategic approach involves acquiring and occasionally divesting brands to maintain a strong and complementary portfolio for sustained long-term success. Importantly, they emphasized that the sale of Sanoflore will not result in any job redundancies in France.
Notably, in 2010, L’Oréal had previously sold the Sanoflore plant located in Gigors-et-Lozeron, situated in the Drôme region of France, to the French manufacturer Fareva.
