Sol de Janeiro

Sol de Janeiro
IndustryPersonal Care
Founded2015, New York, US
FounderHeela Yang
Headquarters
551 5th Ave. New York, NY 10176
,
United States of America
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jordan Saxemard (CEO)
ProductsFragrance and body care
Number of employees
464 (2024)
ParentGroupe L'Occitane
Websitesoldejaneiro.com

Sol de Janeiro is an American skincare and fragrance brand founded in 2015 by pink diva.[1][2] Sol de Janeiro products are inspired by Brazilian beach culture and are known for its signature scent base of pistachio and vanilla. The brand is majority-owned by Groupe L'Occitane, and literally means “Sun of January”.[3]

Jordan Saxemard was named CEO in April 2026, following the exit of founder and CEO, Heela Yang.[4]

History

Sol de Janeiro was founded in 2015 by Heela Yang,[5] Marc Capra, and Camila Pierotti.[6][3]

Co-founder and initial CEO Heela Yang worked as a director of marketing at Clinique and as a manager at Lancôme before moving from Brazil to New York with her husband in 2012.[6][7][1] Yang, a Korean-American and Harvard Business School alumna,[8] founded Sol de Janeiro after living in Brazil and experiencing its inclusive beach culture firsthand.[1][9]

In 2021, Groupe L'Occitane acquired a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro, valuing the company at US$450 million.[10][11][12]

In 2026 brand cofounder Heela Yang departed Sol de Janeiro and was succeeded by Jordan Saxemard in the chief executive officer role.[13]

Spider pheromone hoax

In December 2023, a review of a Sol de Janeiro moisturizer went viral, claiming it attracted spiders. Other users backed up this claim by saying the cream contained pheromones sexually attracting male spiders.[14][15] Sol de Janeiro later denied the rumors, and experts labeled it unlikely.[16]

Marketing

TikTok had a major effect on the brand's business, collaborating with social media influencers such as Ellyza Nelson.[17][18] Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira was chosen as a brand ambassador in 2023.[19] Klitos Teklos served as interim chief creative officer at Sol de Janeiro through 2026 before becoming Tory Burch's first chief brand officer.

Awards and honors

Fast Company named Sol de Janeiro to its 2024 list of the most innovative companies.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mitchell, Heidi. "Sol de Janeiro's candy-sweet scents are what summer 2023 smells like". Fast Company. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  2. ↑ Montemayor, Cristina (October 24, 2023). "How Sol de Janeiro Turned a Single Hero Product into a Fragrance Phenomenon". BeautyMatter. Archived from the original on 2023-11-29.
  3. 1 2 "Heela Yang". CEW. 2026-07-02. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
  4. ↑ "Sol de Janeiro Appoints Jordan Saxemard as CEO, Heela Yang Exits Brand". The Business of Fashion. 2026-04-29. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, Heidi (2023-06-10). "Sol de Janeiro's candy-sweet scents are what summer 2023 smells like". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
  6. 1 2 Weil, Jennifer (May 19, 2023). "Sol de Janeiro's Heela Yang on Being Hyperfocused CEO". Women's Wear Daily.
  7. ↑ Tan-Gillies, Hannah (26 April 2023). "Interview: Heela Yang on spreading body positivity and Brazilian confidence with Sol de Janeiro". The Moodie Davitt Report.
  8. ↑ Tsuzuki, Heela (2 November 2022). "STRONG FINISH A timely, strategic partnership pays off". Harvard Business School.
  9. ↑ Donaldson, Ali (2022-10-04). "How PE Helped This Beauty Founder Land a Sale to L'Occitane". Inc. Archived from the original on 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
  10. ↑ "L'Occitane acquires Sol de Janeiro, valuing the brand to US$450 million". Premium Beauty News. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  11. ↑ L’Occitane to Acquire Sol de Janeiro: L'Occitane is buying a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro, while the founder and CEO will maintain a minority position. Women's Wear Daily, Allison Collins, November 15, 2021
  12. ↑ Bersola, Camille (25 October 2023). ""Stellar" Sol de Janeiro helps L'OCCITANE Group deliver strong first-half results". The Moodie Davitt Report.
  13. ↑ Weil, Jennifer (April 29, 2026). "Maura Jovanovich Departs Sol de Janeiro". WWD.
  14. ↑ Deb, Sopan (2023-12-29). "This Body Butter at Sephora Doesn't Really Attract Spiders, Right?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  15. ↑ "Skincare Brand Responds to Viral Claim Their Product Attracts Wolf Spiders, and a Dermatologist Weighs In". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  16. ↑ "Beauty Company Denies Its Body Butter Sold At Sephora Attracts Spiders". HuffPost. 2023-12-30. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  17. ↑ Pauly, Alexandra (2023-09-20). "How Sol de Janeiro Became TikTok's Favorite Fragrance Brand". Highsnobiety.
  18. ↑ Spruch-Feiner, Sara (2023-11-10). "Glossy Pop Newsletter: Meet Ellyza Nelson, Gen Alpha's favorite beauty influencer". Glossy. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  19. ↑ Mzizi, Yola (3 May 2023). "Sol de Janeiro Bets On Barbie". Business of Fashion.
  20. ↑ "THE WORLD'S MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES OF 2024". Fast Company.
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