Unilever Taps Growth From Algae-Based Skin-Care Takeover (1)

Unilever agreed to buy skin-care brand Tatcha, which makes creams based on a foundation of green tea, rice and algae, seeking to ride a wave of demand for Asian-influenced cosmetics.

Tatcha, founded a decade ago in San Francisco, has an innovation center in Japan. The country’s skin-care labels have been vying with South Korean brands for the attention of consumers looking for high-end alternatives to western brands.

A price wasn’t disclosed. Bryan Garnier estimates Tatcha’s 2018 sales of $70 million.

The world’s largest cosmetics companies have been acquiring upstart brands in recent years as they search for the next ...