Private Equity Firm Acquires Olaplex

Private equity firm Advent International has agreed to acquire Olaplex. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Olaplex was founded in 2014 by beauty industry veterans Dean and Darcy Christal, who commercialized a revolutionary, patented technology that protects and repairs hair from damage. Word of “The Power of Olaplex” spread among hair stylists, and the brand quickly became a global sensation, paving the way for a completely new category of hair care called “bond-building.” 

“Damaged hair is a universal problem. Having grown up in the beauty business, I was inspired to disrupt the hair care industry by developing a technology that protects hair from damage,” said Christal in a statement. “With Advent’s shared vision and deep experience in supporting high-growth businesses, we look forward to enhancing our company’s strong customer loyalty globally and across channels and realizing our ambitious growth plan.”

“Olaplex has differentiated itself by offering superior products backed by patents. It is rare that we see brands of this size growing so rapidly and with such a passionate consumer base,” noted Tricia Glynn, a managing director at Advent. “We believe the company has significant runway for growth by increasing its brand awareness globally, broadening its product line of innovative ‘hero’ products, and further developing its ability to speak and sell to consumers directly.”

Olaplex won a major lawsuit earlier this year over L'Oréal.