NEW YORK — L’Oréal, the world’s largest beauty company, has emerged as the front-runner to acquire Medik8, the U.K.-based skin care brand, multiple sources have told WWD.
A L’Oréal spokesperson reached Friday said the company does not comment on speculation. A Medik8 representative declined to comment.
WWD understands there were other suitors interested in the brand, but that L’Oréal now looks to be the likely buyer.
Dermocosmetics — positioned at the crossroads between topicals, aesthetics and services — is a hot beauty category that’s in investors’ sights today.
At the beginning of the year, WWD reported that Medik8 was exploring deal options. In a WWD article published on Jan. 27, Simon Coble, Medik8’s chief executive officer, said: “It’s natural that we are starting to think about our future and also about future growth investments. We have no specific plans or timeline in place. The business is very well invested in today, is extremely profitable and there is no urgency on our part.”
In 2025, the brand’s global revenues are expected to hit around $115 million, while its sales in 2024 were up 50 percent.
In January, Medik8 unveiled its new Liquid Peptides Advanced MP serum. Medik8’s peptide products have become a growth engine for it in the U.S. market, which the brand entered in 2023.
The brand’s Crystal Retinal Serum was included in WWD Beauty Inc’s 100 Greatest Skin Care Products of All Time.
Medik8 was founded in 2009 by Elliot Isaacs. Today, the company has more than 300 employees and sells its products in more than 7,000 clinics.
If L’Oréal were to acquire Medik8, the brand would slot well into the Dermatological Beauty Division, which leads the dermocosmetics market globally. Its brand portfolio already includes La Roche-Posay, Vichy, CeraVe, SkinCeuticals and SkinBetter Science.
