Biotherm

What Biotherm does

Biotherm is a premium skincare brand founded in 1952 by biochemist Jeanine Marissal in the French Pyrenees after she discovered the healing properties of thermal plankton and patented its use in skincare. The brand has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1974, is headquartered in Monaco at a seven-storey facility inaugurated by Princess Grace of Monaco, and operates a production plant in Caudry, France targeting a zero-waste-water loop by 2030. Its proprietary technology stack centers on Life Plankton — a 100% natural, renewable, and biodegradable ingredient extracted via the Fermogénèse fermentation process, which Biotherm developed over eight years of research and uses across multiple product lines including Blue Therapy, Life Plankton, Aquasource, and Aqua Super Concentrates for women, and Force Supreme, Aquapower, and T-Pur Anti-Oil & Shine for men.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through biotherm.com, with US operations managed by The Hut.com Limited under a strategic partnership with L'Oréal Travel Retail Americas. Biotherm sells individual skincare, body care, and fragrance products priced $19–$122, along with gift sets tiered under $50, $100, and $200, and operates the Biotherm Blue Club loyalty program (1 point per $1 spent, 150 points = $10 voucher). The brand has held the worldwide #1 position in premium men's skincare since 1985 via its Biotherm Homme line. Biotherm sustains a long-running ocean-positive sustainability program — the Live By Blue Beauty roadmap — with measurable 2025 and 2030 targets, and maintains strategic partnerships with Mission Blue, the Tara Ocean Foundation, Surfrider Foundation Europe, and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco.

Biotherm's product portfolio spans moisturizers, cleansers, serums, toners, masks, eye and lip care, body moisturizers, body washes, fragrances, and gift sets, marketed to both female and male consumer segments concerned with anti-aging, hydration, sensitivity, and oil control. Recent product launches include the 2023 Blue Peptides Uplift Day Cream, Aquasource Hyalu Plump Gel, and Aquasource Hydra Barrier collection, plus the 2024 Drop Collection bundles. The company is part of L'Oréal's portfolio of brands and is led by Global President Grégory Benoit.

Name

Biotherm

Legal name

The Hut.com Limited

Website

https://biotherm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Skincare

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Health and Personal Care Retailers (4561)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Dermocosmetics & Medical-Grade Skincare (CRABAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Body Skincare (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRABAAAD), Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC), Personal Care & Cosmetic Ingredients (IMAEABAJ)

Keywords

• Premium skincare products
• Anti-aging skincare
• Men's skincare line
• Thermal plankton cosmetics
• Biotech skincare ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Glendale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Skincare Product Sales: Biotherm generates revenue through direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of premium skincare products for men and women, including moisturizers, cleansers, serums, eye care, body care, and fragrances. The company operates its own online storefront with pricing ranging from $19 to $122 for individual products and bundled gift sets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Biotherm manufactures and sells premium skincare and body care products for men and women through its own direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (biotherm.com). The portfolio spans moisturizers, cleansers, serums, toners, face masks, eye/lip care, body moisturizers, body washes, fragrances, and gift sets, organized into dedicated collections (Blue Therapy, Life Plankton, Aquasource, Biosource, Force Supreme, Aquapower, T-Pur Anti-Oil & Shine, Lait Corporel). Products are differentiated by the proprietary Life Plankton ingredient, extracted via the Fermogénèse biotechnology process.

Product overview

Biotherm is a premium skincare brand under L'Oréal, offering a comprehensive portfolio of skincare and body care products for both men and women. The company's product architecture includes dedicated sub-brands organized by specific skin concerns: Blue Therapy (women's anti-aging with blue biotechnology), Life Plankton (signature thermal plankton-based products), Aquasource (hydrating women's skincare), and Biosource (daily hydrating routines) for women; and Aquapower (hydration), Force Supreme (anti-aging), and T-Pur (oil control) for men. Core products span moisturizers, cleansers, serums, toners, face masks, eye/lip care, and body care including body oils, lotions, and fragrances. The brand also offers gift sets, product bundles (Aquapower Kits, Drop Collections), and the Biotherm Blue Club loyalty program. Biotherm's products are science-driven, utilizing Blue Biotech expertise and Life Plankton extract as key differentiating ingredients, with a focus on sustainability including refillable options and biodegradable formulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Therapy: Skincare collection using blue algae and biotechnology for anti-aging benefits
• Life Plankton
• Aquasource
• Aqua Super Concentrates
• Biosource
• Force Supreme
• Aquapower
• T-Pur Anti-Oil & Shine
• Lait Corporel

Products and services

• Aquapower Gel Advanced Moisturizer Premium men's moisturizer gel providing long-lasting hydration with up to 72-hour moisture effect.
• Aquapower Lotion Lightweight men's body and facial lotion for hydration and skin smoothness.
• Aquapower 72 Hour Moisturizer Long-lasting men's moisturizer providing 72-hour hydration for dry skin.
• Aquapower Facial Cleanser Gentle foaming facial cleanser for men that effectively removes impurities while maintaining skin hydration.
• Aquapower Starter Kit Complete skincare starter kit for men including cleanser and moisturizing gel with sample tubes.
• Aquapower Advanced Kit Comprehensive men's skincare set with cleanser, gel moisturizer, cream, shower gel, and sample tubes.
• Force Supreme Anti-Aging Moisturizing Gel Premium anti-aging moisturizer for men with anti-wrinkle and firming benefits.
• Force Supreme Lotion Men's anti-aging lotion with firming and wrinkle-reducing properties.
• Blue Peptides Uplift Day Cream Premium anti-aging day cream with blue peptides for uplifting and firming effects on women's skin.
• Aquasource Hydra Barrier Cleanser Cream-to-foam face wash specifically formulated for sensitive skin with soothing properties.
• Aquasource Hydra Barrier Cream Moisturizing cream for sensitive skin providing barrier protection and hydration.
• Aquasource Hyalu Plump Gel Hydrating gel moisturizer with hyaluronic acid for plumping and deep hydration.
• Biosource Hydrating & Softening Toner Facial toner for women that hydrates and softens skin, preparing it for subsequent skincare products.
• Aqua Glow Flash Mask Single-use hydrating sheet mask providing quick flash hydration and glow to facial skin.
• Biotherm Power Drop The Drop Collection featuring a water bottle with skincare products for fitness hydration.
• Biotherm Aqua Drop The Drop Collection set including water bottle, lip balm, body milk, cleanser, and face gel.
• Life Plankton Multi-Corrective Body Oil Body oil with Life Plankton extract for multi-corrective benefits and skin nourishment.
• L'eau The Fragrance of Lait Corporel Body fragrance inspired by the classic Lait Corporel body milk, featuring bright blue liquid in elegant glass bottle.
• Lait Corporel Active Recovery Body milk for active recovery with 400ml pump bottle for daily body moisturization.
• Lait Corporel Moisturizing Lotion Daily moisturizing body lotion for hydration and skin softness.
• Lip Balm Beurre De Levres Nourishing lip balm for lip care and hydration.
• Blue Fountain Refillable Skin Experience Refillable skincare packaging program under the Blue Beauty sustainability initiative, offering consumers refillable formats of select Biotherm skincare products to reduce packaging waste.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71% biobased ingredients in 2021, targeting >95% by 2030
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oceanographic Institute of MonacocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Biotherm became Major Executive Partner of the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, based on shared goal to inspire love and protection for oceans. This represents a homecoming for Biotherm, originally headquartered in Monaco.
• Surfrider Foundation EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with Surfrider Foundation Europe to raise public awareness of plastic pollution and beach cleaning operations. Supported Ocean Initiatives program bringing together nearly 20,000 participants across 540 beach cleanings, collecting over 465 m3 of waste.
• Tara Ocean FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Biotherm partnered with Tara Ocean Foundation, a research organization dedicated to studying climate change impact on oceans. The partnership supports Mission Microbiomes, Tara's 12th scientific mission focused on studying ocean microbiome.
• Mission BluecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership created in 2012 as part of Biotherm's Water Lovers program to work toward a better future for oceans and raise awareness about ocean plastic pollution.
• L'OréalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1974L'Oréal acquired Biotherm and helped establish its cutting-edge research center and production plant in Monaco. Biotherm is part of the L'Oréal USA, Inc. family of brands and L'Oréal Travel Retail Americas.
• The Hut GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Hut Group manages and operates websites on behalf of Biotherm/L'Oréal Travel Retail Americas, handling e-commerce platform operations.
• KlarnaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKlarna provides payment services allowing customers to pay later in 30 days or in 3 interest-free installments at checkout.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Tatcha: Unilever-owned premium skincare brand with Japanese botanical/biotech heritage and strong DTC e-commerce — comparable premium positioning, brand-storytelling depth, and DTC flywheel to Biotherm, but younger brand with smaller scale.
• Drunk Elephant: Shiseido-owned premium clinical/biotech skincare brand targeting younger consumers with ingredient-transparency positioning — comparable premium pricing and biotech storytelling, but distinct distribution model and demographic focus.

Direct peers

• Clinique: Estée Lauder-owned clinical/diagnostic skincare brand with dermatologist-rooted positioning and broad men/women portfolio; comparable premium mass-prestige positioning, multi-channel distribution, and biotech-adjacent brand narrative to Biotherm.
• Kiehl's: Premium skincare brand owned by L'Oréal with strong DTC e-commerce, apothecary-style heritage, and loyalty programs — directly comparable positioning, distribution model, and parent-company synergies to Biotherm.
• Vichy: L'Oréal-owned dermo-cosmetic skincare brand sold through pharmacy and DTC channels with a thermal-spa ingredient heritage (Vichy Mineralizing Water) — highly comparable biotech/sensitive-skin positioning and parent-company context to Biotherm.
• Lancôme: L'Oréal-owned premium skincare and fragrance brand selling directly to consumers through e-commerce and department stores; comparable premium positioning, multi-category (face/body/men) portfolio architecture, and global distribution footprint to Biotherm.
• Clarins: French family-owned premium skincare brand with plant-based ingredient platform and strong European heritage — directly comparable premium positioning, body-care focus, and DTC-plus-retail distribution model to Biotherm.
• La Mer: Estée Lauder-owned ultra-premium skincare brand with proprietary marine-derived ingredient story (Miracle Broth) — directly comparable biotech-narrative, premium pricing, and sustainability positioning to Biotherm's Life Plankton platform.

Broad incumbents

• Shiseido: Japanese premium skincare conglomerate with proprietary biotechnology ingredient platforms and global distribution — broader incumbent with overlapping premium skincare positioning, comparable ingredient-IP investment, and men/women portfolio breadth to Biotherm.
• Estée Lauder: Global premium skincare and cosmetics conglomerate (parent of La Mer, Clinique) — comparable premium-skincare positioning, multi-brand portfolio architecture, and global retail/wholesale distribution at a larger scale than Biotherm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/biothermusa
• Facebookfacebook.com/biothermusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Biotherm