The global beauty industry has faced many challenges over the past couple of years from the Covid-19 pandemic to rising inflation. But the dynamism and innovation of the major players has more than lived up to the task.

The industry as a whole contributes US$100 billion to the worldwide economy and a significant chunk of it comes from the top 10 companies that dominate the beauty and personal care space.

Let’s look at the sales performances of the top ranked multinationals for 2022.

  1. L’Oréal – US$34 billion – The French giant covers the beauty spectrum from mass to prestige with bestselling brands such as L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York and Lancôme.
  2. Unilever – US$26 billion – The European multinational owns major food and household brands, but its beauty and personal care portfolio contains global names such as Dove, Sunsilk, TRESemmé, Dermalogica and Murad.
  3. The Estée Lauder Companies – US$16 billion – The US pure-play beauty company offers 25 prestige brands, including Estée Lauder, Clinique, M.A.C, La Mer, Jo Malone London and Aveda.
  4. Procter & Gamble – US$14.4 billion – Like Unilever, the US multinational has fingers in other lucrative sectors, but its beauty and personal care division includes mega brands like Gillette, Olay, Head & Shoulders, Old Spice, Pantene and Herbal Essences.
  5. Shiseido – US$9 billion – The Japanese titan has sold off a clutch of brands recently, including bareMinerals and Laura Mercier, to re-focus on high-end brands such as Cle de Peau, the Shiseido core brand, NARS and Drunk Elephant, which the company acquired for US$845 million in 2019.
  6. Bath & Body Works – US$7.9 billion – In 2021, L Brands split from Victoria’s Secret and started to operate solely as Bath & Body Works. The company has thrived and its fragrances, body lotions and home fragrances enjoyed 22 per cent growth in 2022.
  7. Johnson & Johnson – US$7.7 billion – A major presence in the beauty and personal care category, J&J’s powerhouse brands include Aveeno, Neutrogena, OGX and Johnson’s babycare.
  8. LVMH – US$7.5 billion – Fashion may be the major focus for the world’s largest luxury goods group, but beauty contributes a lot to the bottom line through luxe brands such as Christian Dior, Guerlain and Benefit Cosmetics.
  9. Natura & Co – US$7.1 billion – The Brazilian giant scooped up Avon, The Body Shop and Aesop to add to its home-grown beauty business to become a truly global corporation.
  10. Beiersdorf – US$7 billion – The parent company of Nivea also owns La Prairie, Eucerin and Coppertone and has made skincare an engine of growth for its e-commerce ambitions.

Read the current issue of our digital magazine below:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *