Colgate-Palmolive is exploring a potential divestment of several mass-market personal care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring, and Speed Stick, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The consumer goods giant is working with investment bank Goldman Sachs to manage the sale process, which could fetch over $1 billion.
The targeted divestments form part of Colgate’s personal care unit, which encompasses deodorants, bar and liquid soaps, shower gels, and skin care products. While the entire personal care segment generated approximately $3.5 billion in net sales in 2025—representing 17% of total company revenues—Colgate currently plans to unload only select mass-market assets.
The potential sale reflects a broader trend across consumer conglomerates streamlining their brand portfolios to mitigate rising energy costs, tariff pressures, and weakening consumer spending. Offloading non-core brands allows companies to redirect capital toward higher-performing core operations, such as Colgate’s dominant oral care division, which accounts for nearly half of its total net sales.
The strategic pivot comes as Colgate confronts market headwinds in North America, where organic sales fell 3% despite a overall net sales increase of 4.9% in its most recent quarter. Colgate Chief Executive Officer Noel Wallace recently noted that the company faces escalating domestic competition, describing the efforts to re-establish growth in North America as a long-term turnaround process. Both Colgate and Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the ongoing process.
