Saltyface acquisition: Gauge Capital buys founder-led self-tan brand
Representative image: andreas160578 / Pixabay
Gauge Capital said on 13 October 2026 it has acquired Saltyface, the self-tan brand founded in 2020 by Bethany and David Menzel; terms were not disclosed.
What Happened
Saltyface, a self-tanning brand started in 2020 by Bethany Menzel and her husband David Menzel, has been bought by the private equity firm Gauge Capital, the companies announced on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. The price was not disclosed. The Vancouver-based brand, which sells self-tanning products for the face and body priced at about $22 to $59, joins Gauge's Soleil Collective, a group of tanning brands that already includes Loving Tan and Coco & Eve. Gauge says it will pay to widen Saltyface's distribution across online and store channels and to develop new products.
Key Facts
- Gauge Capital announced the acquisition of Saltyface on 13 October 2026; financial terms were not disclosed.
- Saltyface was founded in 2020 by Bethany and David Menzel and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
- Its products sell for roughly $22 to $59 through its own website, Amazon and retailers including Credo Beauty and Revolve.
- The brand joins Gauge's Soleil Collective alongside Loving Tan, which Gauge partnered with in 2022, and Coco & Eve, which it acquired in 2024.
- It is Gauge's first beauty deal since Andrew Stanleick, a former L'Oreal, Unilever and Coty executive, joined the firm in July as managing director and operating partner for consumer investments.
- Market intelligence firm Spate reported that interest in the sunless tanning category grew 188.6% year on year on social media, as of May.
Why It Matters
Saltyface is a small brand, but its path is one that many beauty founders, including women building brands in India, now study closely. It began as a founder-led, direct-to-consumer label, built a following online, won shelf space with selected retailers, and within six years became an acquisition target for an investor assembling a group of brands in the same category. Gauge's Soleil Collective follows a group approach: it now owns or backs three tanning brands, and the idea behind such groups is that brands in one category can share retail relationships and know-how as they grow.
The deal also says something about where demand is moving. Gauge's case for the purchase rests on the idea that self-tanning is shifting from a seasonal, holiday-only product to a year-round part of a skin care routine. Saltyface sells tanning products for both face and body, and its price band places it in the premium tier rather than the mass market. Investors are paying for that positioning, not only for sales.
For founders, the details are instructive. Saltyface sells through its own website and Amazon and has added selected retailers such as Credo Beauty and Revolve. That combination of owned sales and carefully chosen stockists is what made it attractive to a buyer that can now fund a wider rollout. David Menzel said Gauge would help the brand reach more customers while keeping its identity, a promise founders typically seek when they sell to a larger group.
| Detail | Saltyface deal |
|---|---|
| Announced | 13 October 2026 |
| Buyer | Gauge Capital |
| Founded | 2020, by Bethany and David Menzel |
| Price range of products | About $22 to $59 |
| Sister brands | Loving Tan, Coco & Eve |
Impact
Short-term: Saltyface gains capital and the backing of a group that already runs two tanning brands, which should speed its entry into more stores and markets. Shoppers may see the brand in more places and new products added to the range.
Long-term: The deal strengthens Gauge's position as a consolidator in self-tanning. If the category keeps moving towards year-round skin care use, more founder-led brands in this space are likely to receive similar offers, and the gap between independent labels and investor-backed groups may widen.
Who is affected: The brand's founders and staff; Saltyface customers and its retail partners; competing independent tanning and skin care brands; and beauty entrepreneurs watching how founder-led labels are valued and sold.
Key Takeaway
Gauge Capital's purchase of the six-year-old, founder-led Saltyface shows how quickly a focused beauty brand with loyal online buyers can become a target for investors building groups of brands.
Questions and Answers
Who bought Saltyface and when?
Private equity firm Gauge Capital announced on 13 October 2026 that it had acquired Saltyface. The price was not disclosed.
Who founded Saltyface?
Saltyface was founded in 2020 by the husband-and-wife team Bethany Menzel and David Menzel. The brand is based in Vancouver, Canada.
What is Gauge Capital's Soleil Collective?
It is Gauge's group of tanning brands. Before Saltyface it included Loving Tan, which Gauge partnered with in 2022, and Coco & Eve, which it acquired in 2024.
What can beauty founders learn from the Saltyface acquisition?
The brand stayed in the premium price tier, sold through its own website, Amazon and a few selected retailers, and placed itself in a category where online interest is growing fast. That mix made it attractive to a buyer able to fund wider distribution and new products.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
