Professional tanning brand Vita Liberata has been sold to US pharmaceutical firm Crown Laboratories in a deal estimated to be in the region of £30m.
The purchase was backed by Hildred Capital Partners and made by Vita Liberata’s former investor, Irish Venture capital firm Broadlake.
Alyson Hogg, who founded the Irish tanning brand in 2003, has been promoted to president of consumer brands for Crown Laboratories, looking after Vita Liberata as well as Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen.
Hogg said: “Crown and Hildred have a genuine understanding of the sun care market and a very impressive vision for the Vita Liberata brand.
“We’re thrilled to partner with them to leverage Crown’s strong positioning within the dermatology space and advance our mission of making self-tanning a viable alternative to sun exposure for all.”
Jeff Bedard, Crown Laboratories President and CEO, added: “We believe the Vita Liberata product line and the company’s strength in premium retail are a terrific complement to Crown’s Blue Lizard sunscreen brand and builds on Crown’s consumer healthcare products strategy in the dermatology space.
“Alyson and her entire team have done a remarkable job disrupting the self-tanning space, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Crown family. We will work together to continue to provide high-quality products that are at the forefront of skincare innovation.”
Crown Laboratories is a privately held speciality pharmaceutical company focused in dermatology.