Beloved British skincare brand is vanishing from shelves TODAY as consumer giant pulls plug after quarter of a century

The Sun

6 days ago

A POPULAR British skincare brand is shutting down today, after 25 years in business leaving fans devastated.
The company, which was purchased by Unilever in 2015, is closing down after its parent company cited "internal factors and market challenges".
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Announcing the closure via an Instagram post on June 23, REN Skincare, which launched in 2000, said: "We will soon be closing our doors....
"Born in London in 2000, we've been proud to put clean skincare on the agenda, creating positive change for out people and planet.
"We thank you, our community for your support over the years.
"You can still shop with us over at renskincare.com until 31st July 2025."
Customers devastated
The post was flooded with comments from gutted fans, sad to see the skincare brand go.
One person said: "I'm actually gutted. The AHA daily glow tonic is my holy grail!"
A second person said: "I'm so gutted. REN products have left my skin in better condition than any product I have ever used and they are a dream to use."
A third said: "Devastated. My go to skincare brand for the last 15 years.
"Never once had a reaction to any REN products and loved that they are animal cruelty free."
Ahead of the closure, REN, which is stocked in Boots, launched a huge 50% off sale, and customers can still grab bargains until 23:59pm tonight.
British skincare brand sold in Boots launches 50% off sale as it prepares to close down this month
Among the deals on offer, customers can nab the Radiance Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream for £24.50 down from £49 and the Evercalm Global Protection Cream for £42, down from £29.40.
Pioneering brand
The pioneering brand which was ahead of the 'clean beauty' trend was founded by Rob Calcraft and Anthony Buck in 2000.
Some of its prestigious products, such as Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Toner (£30,) and the Evercalm range (£75), developed a cult following.
Its innovative approach to skincare attracted the attention of Unilver's prestige Brand director, Vasiliki Petrou.
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Unilever bought the company for an undisclosed amount in 2015.
Under Petrou's mentorship, the 2023 turnover ballooned to £1.2bn.
However, last year she left the department, and almost immediately, profits started to dip.
After she left, REN reduced the number of its skincare products by a third in an attempt to 'modernise' and crack the US market.
But just last August, trouble was in the works as the division reported 'muted' profits.
Under Petrou Unilever's Prestige department also gobbled up other clean beauty brands such as Dermalogica and Kate Somerville, which are currently still available.