PARIS — Amerikas, a beauty products distributor, has acquired the vegan, cruelty-free and natural skin care brand Skyn Iceland from a group of French and Swiss investors.
Financial terms of the deal, which was made through Amerikas’ new investment branch, were not disclosed.
Amerikas plans to lend Skyn Iceland its know-how in distribution and brand acceleration.
“This new chapter in the development of Skyn Iceland will see the brand returning to its original Nordic beauty positioning,” Amerikas and Skyn Iceland said in a joint statement.
Sarah Kugelman founded the brand best known for its Hydracool Firming eye gels and Microneedle eye patches 17 year ago. Skyn Iceland products contain formulations including fruits, plants and mineral water from — as the name suggests — Iceland.
In June 2022, entrepreneur Antoine de Larocque acquired Skyn Iceland from Frédéric Boulet with the support of investor Jacques Veyrat, through Veyrat’s holding company Impala. Subsequently, Boulet remained a core shareholder and Kugelman served as a consultant. At the time, the brand generated $10 million annually.
Skyn Iceland today is sold in select doors worldwide, including in the U.S. and U.K.
Amerikas bills itself as the exclusive omnichannel distributor for internationally well-known and niche beauty brands in the U.S., offering end-to-end services across every distribution channel. Its stated mission is to “make international beauty brands accessible in the U.S. market.”
Amerikas was included in the 2024 Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing U.S. companies.
Palix Unlimited, the boutique M&A office of Joël Palix, and Olivier Dupont, founder of Olivier Dupont Law office, advised the transaction.