Beauty Notes | 14 October
Galderma to Buy ZO Skin Health
Galderma, the company behind Cetaphil and Restylane, is buying ZO Skin Health for $1.5 billion. ZO was started by dermatologist Dr Zein Obagi nearly 20 years ago and is best known for its retinol- and acid-based routines. The deal still needs to be approved and should go through by early 2027. Once this happens, Galderma plans to spend its first year putting serious investment behind ZO, from new product development to securing more clinics, with the goal of getting it back on a growth track by year two.
Boka and Olipop Drop Soda-Flavoured Toothpaste
Oral care brand Boka and prebiotic soda brand Olipop have joined forces on a limited-edition toothpaste inspired by Olipop’s new seasonal flavour, Pomegranate Sparkle. Like the soda, it’s a fruity mix of pomegranate, quince, and passionfruit, with a hit of yuzu and lemon, plus a touch of vanilla to round it off. Underneath the fun flavour is Boka’s usual fluoride-free formula, made with probiotics and nano-hydroxyapatite, a mineral the brand says helps strengthen teeth. It’s available now at boka.com and TikTok Shop in the US, with Walmart and Target following later this autumn.
The Inkey List Launches a Retinol Stick
If you’ve got tiny, hard bumps around your eyes that just won’t budge, The Inkey List has a new product aimed squarely at them. Its Retinol & PHA Treatment Stick was created with pharmacist and skincare creator Nori Moteirek, and it’s designed for those small bumps often linked to milia, as well as general uneven texture. The balm combines 0.3% retinol to support skin renewal with 2% PHA (a gentle exfoliant), and the stick format means you can apply it exactly where it’s needed rather than across your whole face. The brand recommends starting with one or two nights a week and building up from there. It’s available now, exclusively at Boots, with no word on a US launch.
K-Beauty Brand Byur Brings Its Glow Stick to the US
Korean beauty brand Byur is expanding its makeup range into the US for the first time, starting with its beloved Glow Stick. Already available across Asia, the multi-use stick can be swiped onto cheeks, eyes, and lips for a dewy, natural-looking glow. True to the brand’s skincare roots, the formula is designed to be moisturising, and it can be used under or over makeup whenever your skin needs a lift. It’s available now at byur.us.
Karen Betts Launches The KB Pen
HD Brows founder Karen Betts is back with a new launch, and this time it carries her initials. The KB Pen is a stainless steel makeup pen built to last, with twist-in cartridges for brows, eyes, and lips that you swap out when they run out. It’s part of what Betts calls ‘beauty without occasion’, the idea that the nice things in your makeup bag should be used every day rather than saved for best. The case comes in three jewellery-inspired finishes that can be mixed and matched, and there are 19 cartridge shades to choose from, including 12 lip liners. Read the full story here.
Saltyface Acquired by Gauge Capital
Saltyface, the Vancouver-based brand known for its face tanning water, has been bought by US private equity firm Gauge Capital. Founded by Bethany and David Menzel, the brand made its name by treating self-tan more like skincare, with lightweight formulas that develop gradually so you can build up your glow. Its hero Tanning Water combines sugar beet-derived DHA with soothing ingredients like aloe, cucumber, and chamomile. The investment will go towards creating new products, raising awareness of the brand, and securing more retailers, with Gauge saying it sees huge potential to reach a much wider audience.
John Bell & Croyden Welcomes First Japanese Beauty Brand
London pharmacy John Bell & Croyden has added Japanese beauty to its shelves for the first time, with Kyoto-made brand Ruiia Kyoto. Founded in 2024 by Emily Dorling, the brand works with local farmers and producers, some of whom have been perfecting their craft for generations, including a fifth-generation tea farmer in the Uji Hills and a family of beekeepers in Kyotango. The three-product range — a cleanser, cream, and serum — uses ingredients like Uji green tea, Kyoto honey, and sake lees, a by-product of sake making, in keeping with the Japanese principle of mottainai, or avoiding waste.