Colgate-Palmolive to divest mass-market personal care lines

USA – Colgate-Palmolive is considering selling several mass-market personal-care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring, Speed Stick, and Lady Speed Stick, as the consumer-goods company reassesses its portfolio amid growing competition in the US.

Colgate-Palmolive is reportedly working with Goldman Sachs on the potential transaction.

The review concerns selected brands within the company’s personal-care division rather than the entire unit. 

The division covers deodorants and antiperspirants, bar and liquid soaps, shower gels and skin care. 

Colgate-Palmolive also operates businesses in oral care, home care and pet nutrition.

The brands reportedly being considered for sale include Softsoap, Irish Spring, Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick. 

Their portfolios cover liquid hand soap and body wash, bar soap and body wash, and deodorants and antiperspirants.

Colgate-Palmolive’s wider international personal-care portfolio includes Palmolive, Protex, Sanex and Tom’s of Maine. Its prestige and professional skin-care brands include EltaMD, Filorga and PCA Skin.

Personal care accounted for 17% of Colgate-Palmolive’s global net sales in 2025, compared with 18% in 2024 and 19% in 2023, according to the company’s annual report.

With total 2025 net sales of USD 20.38 billion, the personal-care category generated about USD 3.5 billion. 

Oral care remained the company’s largest category, representing 44% of sales, followed by pet nutrition at 23% and home care at 16%.

A divestment could let Colgate-Palmolive focus investment on higher-margin core businesses while reducing exposure to highly competitive mass-market categories. 

In its annual report, Colgate-Palmolive said it would prioritize investment in high-growth and high-margin segments across oral care, personal care and pet nutrition. 

It also said it would make careful decisions concerning its brand portfolio.

The company’s latest results indicate continued pressure in its domestic market. 

Group net sales rose 4.9% to USD 5.36 billion in the second quarter of 2026, while organic sales increased 2.4%. 

The weakness extends beyond the latest quarter. Colgate-Palmolive’s North American net sales decreased by 1.6% in 2025, mainly because of weaker performance in the US. 

The company partly attributed the decline to lower personal-care sales in skin health, body wash and underarm protection.

Against this backdrop, selling selected mass-market brands could release capital and management resources for businesses more closely aligned with Colgate-Palmolive’s current growth priorities.

The company increased advertising expenditure by 15% in the second quarter. 

It said the additional investment would support premium and science-led innovation, as well as omnichannel demand generation.

The review forms part of a wider effort among consumer-goods companies to streamline their brand portfolios as tariffs, higher input costs and financially pressured consumers weigh on earnings.

Colgate-Palmolive had a market capitalization of approximately USD 70 billion when Reuters reported the potential sale on September 11. 

Its shares had risen by about 11% since the beginning of 2026, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group.

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