Private-equity firm Carlyle Group Inc. is taking a majority stake in the owner of the popular skin-care and cosmetics brand Beautycounter, executives from the companies said.
The investment, which values parent Counter Brands LLC at $1 billion, will be used to increase consumer awareness of the fast-growing brand and bolster its digital-sales platform.
Based in Santa Monica, Calif., Beautycounter has positioned itself as a leader in “clean” cosmetics, touting its products as safer for consumers because they exclude more than 1,800 potentially harmful ingredients.
The company has a few stand-alone locations and a smattering of partnerships with other retailers. The bulk of its sales, however, come through its website, driven by a team of more than 65,000 independent sellers who promote Beautycounter’s products—often by posting about them on Instagram and other social-media platforms.
Beautycounter was last publicly valued at about $400 million in 2018, according to PitchBook. TPG Growth, which first invested in the company in 2014, is among those exiting as part of the deal.
