The Estée Lauder Cos. has revealed its latest investment.
The conglomerate has taken a minority stake in 111Skin, the London-based luxury skin care brand cofounded by Dr. Yannis and Eva Alexandrides in 2012. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal comes just weeks after Lauder and Puig confirmed they are in talks about a potential merger, which would result in a business with over $20 billion in annual revenues.
But Lauder isn’t just thinking big. The 111Skin deal follows a pattern that the New York-based company has been taking when it comes to brand acquisitions, filling in white spaces in its portfolio in terms of geography and channel. Late last year it took a minority stake in the Mexico City-based Xinú, and in March, the company revealed it would buy out the remaining 51 percent of Forest Essentials, an India-based Ayurvedic beauty brand in which it has held stakes of varied size since 2008.
“Skin care is entering a new phase, shaped by the convergence of procedures, longevity and beauty, as consumers increasingly seek products that deliver visible, treatment-inspired results,” said Stéphane de La Faverie, president and chief executive officer of The Estée Lauder Companies, in a statement. “111Skin exemplifies this shift, translating Dr. Alexandrides’ more than 35 years of surgical and aesthetic treatment experience into high-performance luxury skin care inspired by in-clinic treatments and built on clinical insight, next-generation actives, powerful formulas and proven efficacy.”
111Skin
De la Faverie said the investment is a manifestation of his Beauty Reimagined strategy to more closely mirror consumer consumption patterns. “This investment underscores the significant opportunity we see to support the brand’s continued growth — expanding its global reach while preserving the distinctive approach that has made it so relevant with today’s consumers,” he said.
The 111Skin brand sits at the nexus of several key trends: proprietary ingredients and formulations that are informed by the treatments and procedures at Alexandrides’ plastic surgery clinic at 111 Harley Street (hence its name) in London. It also has a significant digital focus, with its direct-to-consumer business representing roughly 20 percent of the company’s overall turnover.
A statement from Lauder regarding the deal noted that North America represented 40 percent of 111Skin’s sales, with other key markets including China, the U.K., Europe and Asia-Pacific. Industry sources said the brand’s annual net sales are between $40 million and $50 million.
Said the cofounders, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Estée Lauder Companies and to unlock an exciting new chapter for 111Skin.”
“We look forward to building on our momentum and driving further growth together,” added the brand’s CEO Vanessa Goddevrind.
While the statement said the existing leadership team would stay intact, whether or not existing investors, including Kim Kardashian’s SKKY Partners, are retaining their stakes could not be learned by press time.
The 111Skin investment comes at a time when The Estée Lauder Cos. is thought to be shifting its category strategy, particularly color cosmetics. As reported, the company is said to be looking to sell both Too Faced and Smashbox, while a source with direct knowledge of the business confirmed reports that Bobbi Brown would be exiting its existing department store distribution, save for Nordstrom Inc.
With this investment, Lauder is doubling down on its largest category. As reported in the 2025 WWD Beauty Top 100 ranking of the world’s largest beauty companies, its skin care business hit $7.1 billion in net sales in 2025, while makeup came in at $4.2 billion for the time period, both showing 5 percent dips from 2024 sales levels.
