Karo Healthcare’s acquisition of Aco Hud Nordic approved with remedies

The company commits to divesting the rights to market and sell products under the Locobase brand in the Nordic region. 

The Norwegian Competition Authority received notification of Karo Healthcare’s acquisition of Aco Hud Nordic on October 26, 2025. Both companies offer a wide range of personal care brands, and they overlap in the supply of therapeutic skincare products. 

Therapeutic skincare products include ointments, creams and lotions aimed at customers with various types and severities of skin conditions, ranging from dry skin and mild eczema to more serious conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. 

– The transaction would significantly impede effective competition in the market, as the competitive pressure the parties currently exert on each other would be eliminated. In response to the Authority’s concerns, Karo Healthcare has proposed to divest the Locobase brand in the Nordic region to a suitable and independent buyer, says Marita Mæland Skjæveland, Director of the Department for Construction, Industry and Energy. 

The remedies include, among other elements, the artwork of all Locobase products commercialised in the Nordic region, as well as existing customer and supply agreements, to the extent that these can be transferred. Karo Healthcare also commits to maintaining the ongoing operation, marketing and sales of the Locobase brand in the Nordic region until completion of the divestiture. 

The acquisition cannot be completed until the Norwegian Competition Authority has approved the buyer and the sale agreements. 

– It is the Norwegian Competition Authority’s assessment that the remedies proposed by the parties will ensure continued effective competition in the market for therapeutic skincare products, which is important for consumers who rely on these products. Therefore, the Authority has approved the acquisition on these conditions, says project manager Ingvild Nordtveit.