VO5 is owned by Unilever (the United Kingdom, LSE: ULVR), which acquired the brand on 10 May 2011 for $3.7 billion from Alberto Culver.[1][2] Before Unilever, VO5 was owned by Alberto Culver to 2011.[2]
VO5 is a hair styling and conditioning brand introduced in 1955 by Alberto Culver, whose founder bought the formula from a Hollywood hairdresser who used it on actresses. The name refers to its five conditioning oils. Unilever acquired it with Alberto Culver in 2011, though United States regulators required the divestiture of the Alberto VO5 line there.
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Unilever bought Alberto Culver for $37.50 a share in cash, adding TRESemmé, VO5, Simple, St. Ives and Nexxus to its hair and skin portfolio. Regulators required Unilever to divest the Alberto VO5 and Rave brands in the United States.
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The parent company of VO5 is Unilever, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United Kingdom.
VO5 originated in the United States in 1955, but it is owned today by Unilever, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom. So VO5 is an American-origin brand under British ownership.
Unilever completed its acquisition of VO5 on 10 May 2011, after announcing the deal on 27 September 2010. The deal was valued at $3.7 billion.
Before Unilever, VO5 was owned by Alberto Culver until 2011.
Yes. As of 16 September 2026, VO5 is still owned by Unilever. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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