Sol de Janeiro

Sol de Janeiro is an American skincare and fragrance brand founded in 2015 and inspired by Brazilian beach culture.^[1][2] Sol de Janeiro products carry its signature base of almond and vanilla scents.^[3]

History

Co-founder and CEO Heela Yang worked as a director of marketing at Clinique and as a manager at Lancôme before moving from New York City to Brazil with her husband in 2008.^[4][5][1] Yang, a Korean-American and Harvard Business School alumna,^[6] founded Sol de Janeiro after living in Brazil and experiencing its inclusive beach culture firsthand.^[1][7]

In 2021 L’Occitane Group acquired a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro, valuing the company at US$450 million.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Marketing

TikTok had a major effect on the brand's business, collaborating with social media influencers such as Katie Fang.^[12][13] "Euphoria" star Barbie Ferreira was chosen as a brand ambassador in 2023.^[14]

Awards and honors

Fast Company named Sol de Janeiro to its 2024 list of the most innovative companies.^[15]

Controversies

In December 2023, a review of a Sol de Janeiro moisturizer went viral, claiming it attracted spiders. Other users backed up this claiming by saying the cream contained pheromones sexually attracting male spiders.^[16][17] Sol de Janeiro later denied the rumors, along with experts labeling it unlikely to be true.^[18]

References

1. Mitchell, Heidi. "Sol de Janeiro's candy-sweet scents are what summer 2023 smells like". Fast Company. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
2. Montemayor, Cristina (October 24, 2023). "HOW SOL DE JANEIRO TURNED A SINGLE HERO PRODUCT INTO A FRAGRANCE PHENOMENON". BeautyMatter.
3. Shatzman, Celia (July 19, 2021). "How CEO Heela Yang Infused 6 Brazilian Beauty Lessons Into Sol De Janeiro". Forbes.
4. Weil, Jennifer (May 19, 2023). "Sol de Janeiro's Heela Yang on Being Hyperfocused CEO". Women's Wear Daily.
5. Tan-Gillies, Hannah (26 April 2023). "Interview: Heela Yang on spreading body positivity and Brazilian confidence with Sol de Janeiro". The Moodie Davitt Report.
6. Tsuzuki, Heela (2 November 2022). "STRONG FINISH A timely, strategic partnership pays off". Harvard Business School.
7. Ali Donaldson, How PE Helped This Beauty Founder Land a Sale to L'Occitane Inc magazine, October 2022
8. Press Release L’OCCITANE acquires majority stake in Brazilian-inspired premium beauty brand Sol de Janeiro 15 November 2021
9. "L'Occitane acquires Sol de Janeiro, valuing the brand to US$450 million". Premium Beauty News. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
10. L’Occitane to Acquire Sol de Janeiro: L'Occitane is buying a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro, while the founder and CEO will maintain a minority position. Women's Wear Daily, Allison Collins, November 15, 2021
11. Bersola, Camille (25 October 2023). ""Stellar" Sol de Janeiro helps L'OCCITANE Group deliver strong first-half results". The Moodie Davitt Report.
12. PAULY, ALEXANDRA. "HOW SOL DE JANEIRO BECAME TIKTOK'S FAVORITE FRAGRANCE BRAND". Highsnobiety.
13. Spruch-Feiner, Sara (2023-11-10). "Glossy Pop Newsletter: Meet Katie Fang, Gen Alpha's favorite beauty influencer". Glossy. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
14. MZIZI, YOLA (3 May 2023). "Sol de Janeiro Bets On Barbie". Business of Fashion.
15. "THE WORLD'S MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES OF 2024". Fast Company.
16. Deb, Sopan (2023-12-29). "This Body Butter at Sephora Doesn't Really Attract Spiders, Right?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
17. "Skincare Brand Responds to Viral Claim Their Product Attracts Wolf Spiders, and a Dermatologist Weighs In (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
18. "Beauty Company Denies Its Body Butter Sold At Sephora Attracts Spiders". HuffPost. 2023-12-30. Retrieved 2024-01-22.

External links

• Official website
• When Sol de Janeiro Rules Supreme, Is There Room for The Body Shop? Business of Fashion, Priya Rao, 23 February 2024