The primary goal of the Beauty Brains is to help you, our readers, become smarter shoppers by educating you about cosmetic products. While most of our posts deal with the science and technology of these products, we will occasionally post about the business side of the beauty industry as well.

So, this post discusses who owns the beauty brands that we’re all so fond of. You just might be surprised when you learn your favorite salon brand comes from the same people who bring you Pantene. Let’s start with hair care brands. Did you know that consumer products GIANT Procter & Gamble (makers of everything from Tide to Pantene) also markets a large number of drug store AND professional salon brands? Yep, they do! Here’s a list of the hair care companies and brands that P&G owns:

Aussie

Clairol Herbal Essences and all other Clairol products

Graham Webb

Gillette

Head & Shoulders

Infusium

Pantene

Physique

Sebastian

Vidal Sassoon

Wella

Now, we’re not saying there’s anything wrong with P&G owning all these brands, we just think it’s important you know who’s really selling you the stuff you’re putting on your head.

In future posts we’ll cover the other major marketers in the industry.