Essity has entered into an agreement to acquire Edgewell Personal Care’s feminine care business in a USD 340 million asset deal that expands the company’s North American footprint.
The transaction includes the well-known brands Carefree, Stayfree and o.b. in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, as well as global feminine care rights to the Playtex brand. Essity will also acquire Edgewell’s production facility in Dover, Delaware.
The acquisition strengthens Essity’s focus on high-margin personal care categories and supports its ambition to grow in the United States, the world’s largest hygiene market. The business being acquired offers a broad range of liners, pads and tampons and employs roughly 500 people, including about 450 at the Dover plant.
“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 twelve months ending June 30, 2025, the acquired business generated USD 261 million in net sales and USD 17 million in segment operating profit. The USD 340 million purchase price represents an EBITDA multiple of 12.1x on a pro-forma IFRS basis, or 8.3x including expected run-rate synergies.
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.
Essity is already a fast-growing player in feminine care, with a portfolio that includes Libresse, Bodyform, Nana, Saba, Libra and Nosotras. The company offers pads, liners, tampons, intimate care products, leakproof apparel and menstrual cups across multiple regions.
Essity is a global hygiene and health company that develops and sells products and solutions in personal care, consumer tissue and professional hygiene. The company operates in more than 150 countries with strong brands such as TENA, Tork, Tempo, Libresse, Bodyform, Nana, Nosotras and Jobst. Essity is headquartered in Stockholm and employs around 46,000 people worldwide.
Source: Essity
