REN Clean Skincare, which was founded in London by Rob Calcraft and Antony Buck in 2000, was an original pioneer for clean beauty standards.
Many industry experts would say the brand essentially invented the ‘clean’ beauty sector. Its skin and hair care formulations were free from petrochemicals, parabens, sulphates, synthetic fragrances and dyes a long time before ‘free from’ became a fashionable marketing term.
Much like The Body Shop, another visionary brand that sadly went into administration in the UK market last year, REN was created because its founders genuinely cared about people and the planet and wanted to make cosmetics safer and more sustainable.
The company had a focus on making skin care and hair care for sensitive and reactive skin types. In 2018, again ahead of the curve, it pledged to become the first Zero Waste beauty brand by the end of 2021, and to only produce recycled, recyclable or reusable packaging.
Why is REN Clean skincare closing?
In 2023, REN Clean Skincare discontinued 29 products as part of a wider strategy to streamline its portfolio and put more emphasis on products for sensitive skin, while refocusing efforts on key areas, such as the US market.
In early 2025, rumours circulated that the brand was undergoing a strategic review and may close.
Unilever said it has decided to close the business “following the conclusion of a collective consultation period.”
It stated that: “a combination of internal factors, compounded by market challenges in recent years has left the brand unable to sustain success in the long term.”
Unilever also said there is no fixed date for final closure, but that it expected to cease trading by the end of Q3 2025.
