Brandtree

Who owns Sanex?

Sanex is owned by Colgate-Palmolive (the United States, NYSE: CL), which acquired the brand on 1 June 2011 for €672 million from Unilever.[1][2]

Key facts

Current owner
Colgate-Palmolive Company verified
Owned since
· deal details
Acquisition price
€672 million (enterprise value)
Previous owner
None recorded
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, New York
Origin
🇪🇸 Spain
Founded
1977
Category
Personal care & beauty › Bath, soap & hand care › Bar soap & body wash
Parent ticker
NYSE: CL
Last verified
· 2 sources

About Sanex

Sanex is a European body care brand created in Spain in 1977 and positioned around skin health rather than fragrance, with pH-balanced formulations. Colgate-Palmolive acquired it from Unilever in 2011 in an exchange that also saw Unilever take Colgate's Colombian laundry detergent business.

Ownership timeline of Sanex

Owners of Sanex over 1977 to 2026 Colgate-Palmolive 2011–present Colgate-Palmolive 19801990200020102020
  1. 2011 – present Colgate-Palmolive — acquired 1 June 2011 [1][2] verified

Where Sanex sits in Colgate-Palmolive

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where Sanex sits in Colgate-Palmolive Tree of 15 brands under Colgate-Palmolive. Colgate-Palmolive Sanex Ajax Colgate Colgate Total elmex Fabuloso and 9 more

Open the full Colgate-Palmolive ownership tree →

Other brands owned by Colgate-Palmolive in personal care & beauty

See the full Colgate-Palmolive brand portfolio (15) →

Deals involving Sanex

Acquisition closed

Colgate-Palmolive acquires Sanex

Colgate-Palmolive bought Sanex from Unilever for about EUR 672 million. Unilever was selling because competition authorities required it to divest Sanex before it could complete its purchase of Sara Lee's personal care business, so one company's remedy became another's acquisition.

Value
€672m
Seller
Unilever
Regulatory
None recorded

Latest news about Sanex

No tagged news items yet. Deals, regulatory actions and recalls are added from SEC filings, regulators and trade press; only titles and links are stored.

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Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Sanex?

The parent company of Sanex is Colgate-Palmolive, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.

Is Sanex Spanish or American?

Sanex originated in Spain in 1977, but it is owned today by Colgate-Palmolive, which is headquartered in the United States. So Sanex is a Spanish-origin brand under American ownership.

When did Colgate-Palmolive buy Sanex?

Colgate-Palmolive completed its acquisition of Sanex on 1 June 2011, after announcing the deal on 27 September 2010. The deal was valued at €672 million (enterprise value).

Is Sanex still owned by Colgate-Palmolive?

Yes. As of 16 September 2026, Sanex is still owned by Colgate-Palmolive. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (2) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Colgate-Palmolive Company Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-23 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 23 February 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.
  2. [2] Colgate-Palmolive Company Form 10-K - Sanex acquisition — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 16 February 2012; retrieved 16 September 2026.

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