First Aid Beauty

First Aid Beauty is a US skincare company founded in 2009 and built around products for sensitive skin [4]. It was created by beauty-industry veteran Lilli Gordon, who started the business at age 55 to address what she saw as a gap for people managing eczema, redness and other everyday skin problems [5]. Since 2018 the company has been owned by Procter & Gamble, which acquired it for an estimated $250 million; it now operates as a skincare submark within the P&G portfolio [6].

The brand markets itself under the tagline "Sensitive Skin Specialists" and positions its formulas as problem-solving rather than merely soothing. Its products remain widely sold through major retailers and a direct e-commerce site, but its independent ownership ended with the P&G acquisition.

Lilli Gordon founded First Aid Beauty in 2009, locating the company outside Boston, Massachusetts [4]. Gordon framed the idea as a response to a market gap she had noticed: shoppers with sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema were, in her words, "probably shopping the drug stores for Cetaphil, Aquaphor Eucerin" yet struggling to find products that actually solved their concerns. The company set out to fill that space with formulas aimed specifically at reactive, easily irritated skin.

Sources differ on how to record the company's location. Editorial coverage from Glossy and the private-equity firm Castanea Partners places First Aid Beauty "outside of Boston, MA" [4]. A separate account from BeautyMatter listed the headquarters as Cincinnati, Ohio [6] — though that is the corporate home of Procter & Gamble, the brand's later owner, rather than First Aid Beauty's own base. Boston is used here as the operating headquarters.

After launching in 2009, the company drew outside investment from the private equity firm Castanea Partners, which backed it from 2015 [6]. By the time of its sale it was generating roughly $50 million in net sales.

In 2018, Procter & Gamble acquired First Aid Beauty for an estimated $250 million [6]. According to the company's account, the deal was driven by a desire to expand internationally — particularly into Asia — and to draw on a larger partner's research and development resources. Gordon remained chief executive after the acquisition, noting in one interview that it was the first time she had reported to a boss.

First Aid Beauty is owned by Procter & Gamble following the 2018 acquisition [5]. Within P&G's beauty and personal-care holdings it sits alongside brands such as Olay, SK-II, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Old Spice and Gillette. Before the P&G deal, the company had been backed since 2015 by Castanea Partners [6].

The company presents itself as a sensitive-skin specialist focused on solving common concerns rather than simply calming them. "We don't just soothe skin problems, we solve them," it states, describing its formulas as designed for sensitive skin and "backed by clinically proven results." The brand frames its range around "everyday skin concerns + SOS moments." It also describes itself as an early entrant in clean beauty, with Gordon characterising it as "really one of the first clean brands out in the beauty space" [4]. That clean-beauty framing remains central to how the company describes its early role in the market.

According to the company, its products are allergy-tested and free of parabens and artificial fragrance, using only natural fragrances in the few scented items it offers.

First Aid Beauty's catalogue centres on moisturisers, cleansers, exfoliators and targeted treatments for skin concerns including dryness, dullness, acne and keratosis pilaris. Its most prominent product is the Ultra Repair Cream, a hydrating moisturiser that the brand features first on its homepage. Other named products include the KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA and the Brighten + Glow Facial Radiance Pads, which combine glycolic and lactic acids.

The company says its products are made in the United States. It also describes itself as a "100% Cruelty-Free company" and a PETA-certified Beauty Without Bunnies partner, and states that 85% of its products are vegan.

First Aid Beauty makes several stated environmental claims on its site. According to the company, all of its facial pads are made from wood pulp rather than plastic, roughly 70% of its products ship without extra boxes, and all of its cartons are FSC-certified, indicating paper sourced from responsibly managed forests.

First Aid Beauty remains commercially active, with a live direct-to-consumer site, a current product catalogue and "Trusted Since 2009" positioning. It is, however, no longer independent: the company has operated as a submark of Procter & Gamble since the 2018 acquisition [5]. Its products are distributed through retail partners including Sephora, Ulta and QVC in the United States, and internationally through channels such as Sephora Southeast Asia and Tmall Global [6].