Shiseido diversifies its skin care portfolio by acquiring microbiome brand Gallinée

Japanese beauty giant Shiseido is set to acquire London-based microbiome skin care brand Gallinée as it continues to diversify its beauty portfolio. 

Shiseido Europe S.A., a subsidiary of Shiseido Company Limited, entered into an agreement on 28 September to acquire all of the outstanding shares of the microbiome specialist skin care brand. 

Gallinée was founded in 2014 by Dr Marie Drago, a skin microbiome specialist, offering beauty products featuring a patented complex of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics that strengthen the skin’s microbiome. 

It currently offers 17 products across skin care, body care, hair care and supplements, which are primarily sold in the UK and France. 

As part of the Shiseido group, Gallinée will be able to leverage resources across Shiseido’s commercial infrastructure, access extensive research and development capabilities to lead the development of the skin microbiome within the EMEA territory, and use cross-functional expertise to continue to drive brand growth.

Following the transaction, Drago will continue to support Gallinée as Chief Creative Officer of the brand, reporting directly to Franck Marilly, President and CEO of Shiseido EMEA and Global Fragrance.

Sheseido said in a statement on its website that the acquisition of Gallinée highlights the company’s commitment to the skin beauty category, “helping us realise our mission to integrate skin beauty and inner beauty, as we continue to position ourselves to ‘be a global winner with our heritage’.” 

This is part of the company’s “WIN 2023 and Beyond” strategy to continue to position itself to become the world’s number-one company in the category by 2030. 

Shiseido has previously expressed an interest in diversifying its portfolio to address every skin care need, with the Japanese beauty heavyweight stating last year that it will step up its acquisitions of skin care brands in markets further afield than China. 

The company also unveiled its new design and creative agency, Shiseido Creative, earlier this year, which is responsible for the Japanese conglomerate's branding communication, from new product design to user experience.