L’Oréal has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, the Indian digital-first personal care company known for brands Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play. The deal strengthens L’Oréal’s footprint in India and adds a set of science-led, digitally native brands to its Consumer Products Division.
Founded in 2019 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana and Vimal Bhola, Innovist has carved a space in skincare and haircare through clean formulations, ingredient transparency, and in-house R&D and manufacturing. As part of the agreement, the founders will retain minority ownership and continue leading the business alongside L’Oréal India. Innovist’s products currently reach consumers through D2C channels, e-commerce, quick-commerce platforms and offline retail partnerships.
L’Oréal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus said the investment reflects the company’s commitment to growing in India, noting that pairing L’Oréal’s global expertise with Innovist’s consumer insight and science-led portfolio creates an opportunity to shape the country’s beauty future. Fabrice Megarbane, President of the Consumer Products Division, called India one of the world’s most dynamic beauty markets and described the deal as a key growth milestone.
Rohit Chawla said Innovist was built on the belief that Indian consumers deserve transparent, science-backed beauty products, adding that the partnership opens access to global innovation. Co-founders Sifat Khurana and Vimal Bhola echoed the sentiment, calling it a new chapter for Indian beauty built on shared scientific rigour.
The transaction is expected to close in the coming months, pending regulatory approvals, after which L’Oréal will begin consolidating Innovist’s sales and has secured rights to acquire the remaining stake later.
