It was another strong year for the skin care specialist, which CEO Vincent Warnery said was “the best performing skin care company globally” for the second year in a row.
Bolstered by strong business from Nivea and the ongoing growth of its Derma brands, especially Eucerin, the German company was on a roll.
Eucerin surpassed €1 billion in sales for the first time, fueled by growth in face care thanks in part to its expanded Thiamidol line targeting skin pigmentation and the introduction of antiaging innovation Epicelline, based on the firm’s research into epigenetics, in the second half. It was the biggest launch in the Derma division’s history. Eucerin entered India and Eucerin Face launched in the U.S.
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Nivea gained across geographies and categories both in volume and value. Its Luminous630 range grew 34% on an organic basis.
On a down note, the difficulties continued for luxury brand La Prairie, weighed by its Chinese business. The company noted, however, that its 6.2% sales decline on an organic basis was an improvement versus 2023. Chantecaille, meanwhile, grew 4.5% organically, driven by its expansion in Asia. The brand launched in mainland China during the year.
Beiersdorf doubled down on skin research and innovation in line with its ambition to become “the best skin care company in the world.” Its focus is on three main areas of skin care innovation: hyperpigmentation, aging and acne.
It invested in a multi-year research partnership with Rubedo Life Science, which specializes in “cellular senescence,” to develop a breakthrough antiaging solution for face care. With Macro Biologics Inc., in which it also invested through its Oscar & Paul Corporate Venture Capital Unit, it will collaborate on the development of biodegradable antimicrobial peptides for use in skin care and health care.
It also signed a five-year partnership with Columbia University to fund skin care research, allocating €5 million in total to the collaboration, and partnered with the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy, to create a new professional development program for professionals in skin research.
The company announced the launch of a new patented active ingredient to fight glycation, the aging effect of sugar on the skin, which it said was the result of 10 years of research. The April launch of Nivea Q10 Dual Action Serum combines the new ingredient Glycostop with antiwrinkle co-enzyme Q10, which Beiersdorf was the first to introduce to the mass market more than 25 years ago.
Proprietary ingredient Thiamidol 630, which was launched in 2018 to fight dark spots and hyperpigmentation, was approved for use in China. Products using the hero ingredient were only previously available there via cross border e-commerce.
Beiersdorf also broke ground on its new €200 million logistics center near its plant north of Leipzig, with construction due for completion in 2027.
Despite significant investment in its brands, the company improved its profitability, with an operating margin of 13.9%, compared with 13.4% a year earlier.
When it published its 2024 results in late February, Beiersdorf said it had extended Warnery’s contract as CEO until the end of 2030. Former Estée Lauder Cos. executive Estelle Létang was named CEO of La Prairie Group, effective April 1 last year.