Sol de Janeiro is an American skincare and fragrance brand founded in 2015 by Heela Yang.[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.
Co-founder and 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.[3][4][1]
In 2021 L’Occitane Group acquired a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro, valuing the company at US$450 million.[7][8][9][10]
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.[11][12] Sol de Janeiro later denied the rumors, along with experts labeling it unlikely to be true.[13]
TikTok had a major effect on the brand's business, collaborating with social media influencers such as Katie Fang.[14][15] Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira was chosen as a brand ambassador in 2023.[16]
Fast Company named Sol de Janeiro to its 2024 list of the most innovative companies.[17]
