Kiehl's Proud Of Its History, Readies For More Growth As Part Of L'Oreal Family

Personal care company Kiehl’s traces its origin to Brunswick Apotheke, a neighborhood pharmacy that opened in New York City in 1851. Then apprentice John Kiehl bought the company and renamed it Kiehl Pharmacy in 1884. In 1921, Irving Morse purchased the pharmacy from Kiehl and added skin and hair care products to its lineup. Morse encouraged customer sampling, with “try before you buy” becoming the pharmacy’s motto. In the 1960s, the company integrated Aaron Morse’s collection of vintage motorcycles to the pharmacy’s décor to help attract male customers. In 2000, Kiehl’s was sold to Cosmair, which later became L’Oreal USA.