Fragrance house

Ayer

Ayer traces its stated history to 1887 and attributes its founding to Harriet Hubbard Ayer, who developed a cosmetics business after obtaining a cream formula in Paris. After her death in 1903, Vincent Benjamin Thomas organized a corporation using her name and secured its rights in 1907. Lever Brothers acquired the American company in 1947, while the French-based business followed a separate path under Unilever ownership. In 1985, Unilever sold that European business to Imperial Kosmetic GmbH, and it remains active in Europe under Imperial ownership. The current operating legal entity, HARRIET HUBBARD AYER Parfümerie & Kosmetik GmbH, is based in Sauerlach, Germany. Today, Ayer presents itself primarily as a skincare brand shaped by accumulated experience, balance, compatibility, and a restrained approach to skin needs. Its fragrance history includes a first perfume launched in 1922, alongside cosmetics and toiletries.