The deal includes Edgewell's well-known brands Carefree, Stayfree, and o.b. in the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean, and global feminine care rights for the Playtex brand.
Nov. 12, 2025 - Essity today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Edgewell Personal Care's feminine care business, which offers liners, pads, and tampons, through an asset deal. The acquisition includes the well-known brands Carefree, Stayfree, and o.b. in the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean, global feminine care rights for the Playtex brand, as well as a production facility in Dover, Delaware.
The purchase price for the assets amounts to USD 340 million (approximately SEK 3.2 billion) on a cash and debt-free basis.
Essity said the acquisition supports its strategy to focus on high margin categories and to grow market positions in the US, the world's largest hygiene market.
"I´m looking forward to further grow these well-known brands, using our established recipe for success within Feminine Care," said Ulrika Kolsrud, President and CEO of Essity. "With this acquisition we are building a stronger personal care business in North America, in line with our strategy to focus on high yielding categories in attractive geographies."
For the 12 months ending on June 30, 2025, Edgewell Personal Care's feminine care business reported net sales of USD 261 million (approximately SEK 2.5 billion) with a segment operating profit of USD 17 million (approximately SEK 160 million). The business has approximately 500 employees, whereof approximately 450 are based at the production facility in Dover, Delaware.
The deal is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.
Edgewell is a leading pure-play consumer products company with an attractive, diversified portfolio of established brand names such as Schick®, Wilkinson Sword® and Billie® men's and women's shaving systems and disposable razors; Edge and Skintimate® shave preparations; Playtex®, Stayfree®, Carefree® and o.b.® feminine care products; Banana Boat®, Hawaiian Tropic®, Bulldog®, Jack Black®, and CREMO® sun and skin care products; and Wet Ones® products. The Company has a broad global footprint and operates in more than 50 markets, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and Australia, with approximately 6,700 employees worldwide.
Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company with products, solutions and services used by a billion people around the world every day. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa.
SOURCE: Essity