What Groupe Sothys does

Groupe Sothys is a French family-owned professional cosmetics group headquartered at 128 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris, with administrative headquarters in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Corrèze. Originally founded as a brand in 1946 by Dr. Holtz and relaunched in 1966 under the ownership of the Mas family, the group develops personalized skincare, masks, creams and beauty treatments through two consumer-facing brands — Sothys (professional cosmetics for institutes and spas) and Bernard Cassière (natural, eco-refillable cosmetics) — and a CDMO arm, SIMAH, which offers formulation, manufacturing, decoration, packaging and shipping services to third-party cosmetic brands. The group controls the full value chain internally through SOREDEC (R&D laboratory in Brive), biometrology and sensory expertise units, SIMAH's GMP/BPF-compliant production sites in Meyssac and Ussac, a logistics base, and Sothys Academy for professional training, supplemented by Jardins Sothys, a botanical garden in Auriac used for ingredient cultivation and brand storytelling.

The business operates a hybrid B2B/B2B2C/DTC model. Its primary go-to-market is enterprise field sales through wholly-owned subsidiaries in the USA, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, UK, Italy, Spain, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, with regional sales managers animating selective distribution networks of beauty institutes, spas, hotels and clinics across 120+ countries. The Paris flagship Institut on Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Les Jardins Sothys in Auriac generate direct-to-consumer revenue, while SIMAH sells CDMO contract manufacturing services directly to enterprise clients. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the B2B professional channel runs on recurring distribution relationships, CDMO contracts are quote-based, and consumer pricing is set at retail. With 294 employees in France and additional international subsidiary staff (headcount band 251-500), the group is positioned as a mid-sized, vertically integrated player targeting leadership in professional cosmetics.

Name

Groupe Sothys

Legal name

SOTHYS INTERNATIONAL

Website

https://groupesothys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Groupe Sothys is a French family-owned professional cosmetics group developing personalized skincare and treatments under the Sothys and Bernard Cassière brands, sold through beauty institutes, spas, and subsidiaries in 120+ countries, with in-house R&D (SOREDEC), CDMO manufacturing (SIMAH), and consumer retail at its Paris flagship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Cosmetics

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC)

Keywords

• Professional cosmetics
• Skincare products
• Beauty institute supplies
• Contract manufacturing
• Natural beauty treatments

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Cosmetic Products: Sale of professional cosmetics through beauty institutes, spas, clinics, and hotels. Sothys brand (since 1946) and Bernard Cassière brand targeting professional beauty market.
2. CDMO Services: Contract Development Manufacturing Organization services through SIMAH, covering formulation, decoration, manufacturing, packaging and shipping for third-party cosmetic brands
3. Retail Consumer Products: Consumer-facing product sales through the Paris flagship institute and eco-refillable packaging model (Bernard Cassière brand)

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Groupe Sothys develops and manufactures personalized professional cosmetic solutions (skincare, masks, creams, perfumes) for beauty institutes, spas, clinics, and hotels under its Sothys and Bernard Cassière brands. The group also operates a CDMO (Contract Development Manufacturing Organization) through its SIMAH subsidiary, providing custom formulation, manufacturing, packaging and shipping services to third-party cosmetic brands.

Product overview

Groupe Sothys is a cosmetics group with over 70 years of expertise developing personalized cosmetic solutions. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio consisting of Sothys (professional cosmetics for beauty institutes and spas), Bernard Cassière (natural eco-designed cosmetics), and provides CDMO services through SIMAH for custom cosmetic product development and manufacturing. The Group controls the entire value chain including R&D through SOREDEC, production and logistics, and professional training via Sothys Academy. Supporting operations include Les Jardins Sothys for ingredient sourcing and the flagship Institut Sothys in Paris.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sothys: Professional cosmetics brand representing French excellence in treatments for beauty institutes and spas since 1946. Known for impeccable technology combined with outstanding sensory experience.
• Bernard Cassière
• SIMAH
• SOREDEC

Products and services

• Sothys Professional Cosmetics Professional cosmetics brand offering skincare, masks, creams, and perfumes for beauty institutes, spas, and clinics. Combines advanced formulation technology with sensory experience, targeting estheticians and their clients.
• Bernard Cassière Natural Cosmetics Creative professional natural cosmetics brand featuring eco-designed products with eco-refillable packaging, incorporating natural ingredients like chocolate, spirulina, and honey from own beehives. Targeted at beauty professionals seeking sustainable cosmetic options.
• SIMAH CDMO Services Contract Development Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services for third-party cosmetic brands, covering formulation, decoration, manufacturing, packaging and shipping of cosmetic products. Complies with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
• Institut Sothys Paris Flagship institute located at 128 Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, Paris 8ème, offering personalized beauty treatments and direct retail sales of Sothys products to end consumers.
• Sothys Academy International training center dedicated to training beauty professionals worldwide on Sothys products, treatments, and care protocols.
• Les Jardins Sothys Garden and ingredient sourcing operation located in Auriac, Corrèze, cultivating active ingredients and serving as a restaurant and boutique destination for visitors.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Environmental Organizations (Unnamed)minorOthersEach Group brand has developed partnerships to fund organizations working to protect the environment. Specific organizations not named in source materials.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Intercos Group: Italy-headquartered global CDMO supplying color cosmetics, skincare and personal-care formulation/manufacturing to third-party brands. Provides relevant benchmarking for SIMAH's contract development and manufacturing economics.
• Clarins: Long-established French professional/skincare brand with selective spa and institute distribution. Historically family-owned and closely overlaps Sothys in target customer (estheticians, spas) and full-size professional skincare offerings.
• Dermalogica: US-originated professional skincare brand sold through skin therapists, spas and estheticians with strong training/academy infrastructure. Operates the same institute-channel-first model as Sothys, with category training at its core.
• Fareva: French family-owned CDMO with significant cosmetics manufacturing operations and full formulation, packaging and regulatory capabilities. Closest direct comparable to SIMAH's third-party cosmetic contract manufacturing business.
• Alès Groupe: French mid-sized beauty group owning professional brands such as Phyto Specifics, Carita and Roger & Gallet. Directly comparable as a French multi-brand professional beauty portfolio targeting institutes, spas and selective retail.
• Yon-Ka (Laboratoire Multiderm): French phyto-aromatic professional skincare brand selling through spas, beauty institutes and aesthetic clinics, with in-house R&D. Highly comparable professional-channel model and spa-led go-to-market.
• Sisley Paris: French family-owned luxury professional skincare brand sold through institutes and spas, with vertically integrated R&D and selective distribution. Closest comparable to Sothys in ownership structure, positioning, and professional channel model.
• Thalgo: French marine-cosmetics brand focused on professional spa treatments and professional skincare products. Comparable in its reliance on the spa/hospitality channel and in pairing treatments with branded retail SKUs.
• Babor: German family-owned professional skincare and spa brand with in-house biotech research, sold through beauticians and spas in 70+ countries. Closely matches Sothys in vertical integration, R&D investment, and international professional distribution.

Broad incumbents

• L'Oréal (L'Oréal Professional Products Division): Global beauty conglomerate whose Professional Products Division (L'Oréal Professionnel, Kérastase) competes for the same institute and salon channels as Sothys. Larger incumbent framing the competitive ceiling for share-of-voice and academy partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupesothys

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Groupe Sothys