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.
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.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Sanex?
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The parent company of Sanex is Colgate-Palmolive, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.
Is Sanex Spanish or American?
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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?
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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?
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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.