Unilever has announced its acquisition of Schmidt’s Naturals, a personal care company based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2010 by Jaime Schmidt, Schmidt’s Naturals started as a deodorant brand and has extended its offering to bar soap and toothpaste.
Schmidt’s natural deodorants contain formulas derived from plants and minerals. Its most popular variants include Charcoal + Magnesium, Rose + Vanilla, Lavender + Sage, as well as fragrance-free offerings.
“Schmidt’s Naturals is a strong, innovative brand in the fast-growing natural category, and nicely complements our existing portfolio of US deodorants which includes leading brands Degree, Axe and Dove,” said Kees Kruythoff, president, Unilever North America.
“The brand’s focus on transparency and mission to make natural products accessible to everyone aligns closely with Unilever values and represents an exciting category expansion for our family of brands.”
“Schmidt’s Naturals is a great strategic fit for our Personal Care business, allowing us to reach new consumers who prefer natural options. We look forward to utilizing our Personal Care leadership to extend Schmidt’s Naturals into new sales channels and geographies,” Alan Jope, president, Unilever Personal Care, added.
Co-founders Schmidt and Michael Cammarata will continue to be involved with the brand.
“Today is a momentous day in the history of Schmidt’s Naturals as we announce our joining of the Unilever family of brands,” said Schmidt, founder, Schmidt’s Naturals.
The transaction is expected to close no later than the first quarter 2018.
