Analysis: What’s next for Kate Somerville under new owners Rare Beauty Brands?

Rising to fame in the 2000s, Kate Somerville is considered one of the OG aesthetician-created prestige skin care brands.

The founder of the eponymous brand became well known as the architect behind the glowing skin of celebrities such as actresses Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore, and later on the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle..

It is no wonder that Kate Somerville captured the eye of Unilever, which acquired the brand in 2015 as one of the foundational brands for building out its Prestige Beauty division, along with Dermalogica, Murad and the now-shuttered REN Clean Skincare.

Despite Kate Somerville building a loyal following in the years following the deal, with popular products such as the Goat Milk Moisturising Cleanser and EradiKate Blemish Treatment, Unilever has changed its tune.

The consumer giant announced the sale of the premium skin care brand after a decade of ownership last week, after first exploring a sale last year.

New owner Rare Beauty Brands – an independent brand owner which is also home to spot patch-focused skin care brands Patchology and Dot Dot Dash –  has promised a “bright future ahead” for the skin care line.

But Kate Somerville faces stiff competition in the world of high-end skin care and amid the rise in science-led lines to become relevant again.

Life after Unilever

Rare Beauty Brands needs to course correct the business as it emerges from under Unilever’s rather crowded umbrella.

“At Unilever, Kate Somerville was one brand among a very crowded prestige portfolio, which meant that they were competing for attention against faster-growing names like Tatcha, Dermalogica and Hourglass, and never quite got the investment or attention it needed to stand out,” Amy Kapolnek, Growth Strategist at consultancy the fwrd group, tells Cosmetics Business.