Estée Lauder Companies takes minority stake in 111SKIN

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has taken a minority stake in 111SKIN, the London-founded clinical skincare brand created by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides. Terms of the investment have not been disclosed.

111SKIN was founded in 2012 and originally developed by Alexandrides to support post-procedure healing in his Harley Street patients. The brand is built around its NAC Y2 complex, an antioxidant blend designed to support skin repair, and now sells more than 30 products anchored by its Black Diamond and Reparative collections, with prices ranging from $50 to $1,000.

The deal sits in the upper end of clinical luxury, a segment that has expanded steadily as consumers cross over between in-clinic procedures and at-home regimens. ELC said roughly 40 per cent of 111SKIN's 2025 sales came from North America, with the rest split across China, the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific. Direct-to-consumer sales account for around 20 per cent of the business, with the balance running through retailers and hospitality partners including Harrods, Bluemercury, Nordstrom, Mandarin Oriental and Aman.

Stéphane de La Faverie, president and chief executive of The Estée Lauder Companies, framed the deal as a bet on the convergence of clinical and consumer skincare. "Skin care is entering a new phase, shaped by the convergence of procedures, longevity and beauty, as consumers increasingly seek products that deliver visible, treatment-inspired results," he said. "111SKIN exemplifies this shift, translating Dr Alexandrides' more than 35 years of surgical and aesthetic treatment experience into high-performance luxury skin care inspired by in-clinic treatments and built on clinical insight, next-generation actives, powerful formulas and proven efficacy."

Co-founders Dr Yannis and Eva Alexandrides said the deal opened the next stage for the brand. "We are thrilled to be partnering with The Estée Lauder Companies and to unlock an exciting new chapter for 111SKIN," they said. Vanessa Goddevrind, chief executive of 111SKIN, added that the company looked forward to building on its momentum with ELC's backing.

Alexandrides will remain actively involved in the brand and will continue to lead 111SKIN alongside Goddevrind and the existing management team.

The 111SKIN deal is one of the more closely-watched moves ELC has made in the clinical skincare segment, and lands at a sensitive moment for the group. ELC is due to publish its third quarter fiscal 2026 results on 1 May, and confirmed earlier this month that it is in early discussions with Puig over a potential business combination, although no agreement has been reached.

For 111SKIN, the deal places a British surgeon-founded brand inside the world's largest prestige beauty portfolio without changing the founder's day-to-day involvement. For ELC, it adds a credentialed clinical name to a stable that already includes The Ordinary, NIOD, La Mer and Dr.Jart+, and gives the group another route into the post-procedure and longevity end of the market.

Natalia Kulak