With beauty and wellness continuing to merge as consumers look for “healthy” products, NBTY, Inc., a global purveyor of vitamins, nutritional supplements and sports nutrition, has announced an agreement to acquire Dr. Organic, a naturally inspired skin care line in the UK. The deal is expected to close later this year.
 
The Dr. Organic brand, which was first sold exclusively at NBTY’s Holland & Barrett retail chain in the UK, experienced rapid success and was brought to the U.S. in 2013 under the Organic Doctor name. In the U.S., Organic Doctor is sold exclusively through NBTY’s Vitamin World retail division, where the brand has caught on with consumers. The Dr. Organic and Organic Doctor brands have won multiple beauty awards in both the UK and the U.S. for their organic-based personal care products.
 
“We are extremely enthusiastic about the strategic acquisition of Dr. Organic. We have a tremendous opportunity to expand our health and wellness portfolio and to broaden the distribution of these highly regarded products. We believe the acquisition will allow us to accelerate NBTY’s entry into the mass-market beauty and skincare category particularly in the U.S., an area which we believe can be an important growth engine for our business, as evidenced by the success of our Nature’s Bounty Optimal Solutions product line,” said NBTY president & CEO Steve Cahillane.
 
Founded in 2008, all Dr. Organic products are free from parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, perfumes, artificial fragrances, petrochemicals, genetically modified organisms, animal ingredients and animal testing. The Dr. Organic product portfolio includes personal care products such as Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo, Manuka Honey Body Butter, Coconut Oil Moisture Melt and Organic Snail Gel.