Kate Somerville is Acquired by Rare Beauty Brands

Rare Beauty Brands has acquired Kate Somerville — the Los Angeles skincare brand best known for its results-driven formulas and cult clinic on Melrose Place — from Unilever. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The skincare brand was founded in 2004, when celebrity facialist Kate Somerville took what she’d been doing in treatment rooms and bottled it. After years of dealing with eczema, she wanted products that delivered professional-level results but could live in a bathroom cabinet, not a clinic. The result was ExfoliKate, the brand’s first and bestselling line, which is now a fixture at Sephora, Space NK, and other premium retailers.

For Rare Beauty Brands, the move signals both a deeper investment in science-led skincare and a step further into prestige beauty. “The acquisition of Kate Somerville is a significant milestone for Rare Beauty Brands,” said Chris Hobson, President and CEO. “We have long admired the brand’s innovative spirit and its commitment to results-driven skincare, which aligns perfectly with our mission to create products that delight, communities that empower, and brands that inspire … Together, we see a bright future ahead, with new opportunities to grow and reach even more consumers who share our passion for highly efficacious, luxurious skincare.”

Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson, CEO of Unilever Prestige, said the brand’s turnaround over the past 18 months set the stage for this transition. “As the brand enters a new chapter, we believe that its continued growth and success will be best supported by new ownership better aligned to its evolving needs. We are confident that under Chris Hobson’s leadership and the Rare Beauty Brands team, Kate Somerville has a bright future ahead.”

The deal includes the brand’s skincare and body-care lines, along with its flagship Melrose Place clinic, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approval.