One of the beauty industry's least-kept beauty secret is that many of your favorite brands are all owned by the same big company. Think about your bigger-name brands — like Jergens, Essie, Dior Beauty, and Kat Von D. A lot of these share the same parent company.
So why is this important? Well, when brands share a company they also share a bunch of other things — namely technology, ingredient, and formulation innovations. So if you're in love with an expensive shampoo, it's safe to say that the drugstore version that comes out a few months later will feature some interpretation of that formula's secret sauce. Technologies are also shared among brands in the same company, and they tend to trickle from the prestige brands down to the drugstore ones.
So whether you're just curious, hoping to find a cheaper version of your pricy products, or interested in your favorite brands' sister companies, click on through. You may be surprised to find your shampoo has siblings!
L'Oréal
One of the oldest (and biggest) beauty companies out there, L'Oréal was founded in 1909 by a chemical engineer named Eugène Schueller. He created the first hair dye formula in 1907 under the name Oréal. The company continued to innovate, producing the first soap-free shampoo available for mass market.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
The Paris-based company owns a bevy of the more iconic Parisian brands, like Lancôme and Kérastase. But it doesn't discriminate — British-based brand The Body Shop is on its roster, as well as badass American brand Urban Decay, and drugstore superstar Nyx. Talk about variety.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder was, without doubt, the ultimate #GirlBoss. She started mixing up face creams in her kitchen while still in high school before starting her company with her husband in 1946. A year later, her products were being sold in Saks Fifth Avenue.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
A lot of the brands Estée Lauder oversees were actually created by Lauder herself — like Clinique and Origins. But others, like '90s staple Bobbi Brown and super-sexy Tom Ford, were more recent acquisitions.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
LG Electronics
No, that isn't a mistype — LG Electronics, the company that got its start churning out the first radios, TVs, and washing machines for South Korea, is behind a handful of beauty brands.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
And damn, are they some good ones. The Face Shop and Belif have some major clout Stateside. Belif's Water Bomb is one hell of a moisturizer, and a customer favorite at Sephora.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
P&G
Proctor & Gamble was founded in 1837 by a candle-maker, William Procter; and a soap maker, James Gamble. The two were married to sisters, whose father suggested the sons-in-law become business partners. They rose to notoriety after they were contracted to create soaps and candles for the Union armies during the Civil War.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
And now they're a drugstore-lover's dream conglomerate. Take a stroll through any Walgreens and you'll see P&G brands practically wall-to-wall. But it also has a place for more prestige labels — SK-II is a cult-favorite.
Unilever
Unilever's first two major products were soap and margarine — seriously. In 1929, two family businesses formed to create Unilever, and then set to work churning out much more than not -butter.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Like P&G, Unilever is the keeper of many of our favorite hair brands — Dove, Tresemmé, Nexxus, and Suave. What's more, most of the company's brands are found in the drugstore, which makes them perfect for those on a budget.
Johnson & Johnson
Started by three brothers in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the company rose to fame after publishing "Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment " in 1888, which the brand's site says then became the gold standard of sterile surgery, and helped spread the practice across the country.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
That's right — the same company that owns your favorite Neutrogena face wash is also responsible for your father's Rogaine. Who knew?
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Amorepacific
Amorepacific actually has one of our favorite origin stories — because where so many of these other conglomerates always had men at the helm, this one was started by woman, making product. That woman was founder Suh Sungwhan's mother, Yun Dokjeong, who began selling her own finely crafted camellia oil in North Korea in 1932.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Casual beauty users may not be familiar with some of Amorepacific's brands, but they're absolutely worth a try. Laneige's Water Sleeping Mask is one of the most hydrating night creams we've ever tried.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Coty
Coty started out as a fragrance company in Paris in 1904. Founder François Coty wanted to revolutionize the fragrance industry.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
To this day, the lion's share of Coty's business dealings is in fragrance. But it also has a major stake in nails — both OPI and Sally Hansen are owned by the giant.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
LVMH
LVMH, which stands for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, is the largest luxury group in the world. Aside from some beauty brands, the company is also behind Veuve Cliquot, Le Bon Marché in Paris, and TAG Heuer.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
On the beauty side, LVMH retains that prestige edge. Aqua di Parma, Christian Dior Beauty, Kenzo Parfums — so many of its brands fall squarely in the luxury category.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Shiseido
The Japanese company is actually the oldest beauty company in the world. It started off as Japan's first Western-style pharmacy in Ginza, Tokyo in 1872.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
But the company doesn't just stick to Japanese brands. It has a whole roster of French brands, as well as a handful of newly acquired American ones, too.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Kao
Kao, another Japanese beauty brand, was founded in 1887. Like a lot of the companies on this list, its first product was soap.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Now the company owns a wide range of skin-care brands — like Jergens and Bioré. Yes, these are the guys you can thank for those pore strips you wore all through high school.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Beiersdorf
The founder, Paul Carl Beiersdorf, was the first man in Hamburg to register a patent to manufacture medical plasters. He founded a pharmacy in 1880, and the business grew from there.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Beiersdorf is mainly focused on skin care, as shown by its beauty product offerings. But it's super cool to see the price range represented — the same company that produces Nivea also pumps out La Prairie.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
Kendo
Kendo is by far the youngest company in the beauty space. It was established in 2010 as a place to grow creative brands for Sephora Americas.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
That's probably why so many of the company's brands are sold at Sephora. The company is also focused on growing brands that are started by big names — like Kat Von D, Marc Jacobs, and the upcoming Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.
Illustrated by Elliot Salazar.
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