Suave was started by National Mineral Company in the United States in 1937 as a hair tonic. The brand was later acquired by Helene Curtis Industries.
- In North America, the Suave brand is owned by Suave Brands Company (SBC), which is a new entity controlled by Yellow Wood Partners LLC after they acquired the brand from Unilever in 2023. Yellow Wood Partners is a Boston-based private investment firm that invests exclusively in the consumer industry in the middle market.
- Unilever: Unilever owned Suave for nearly 30 years, buying then-owner Helene Curtis Industries in 1996 for $770 million. It still retains ownership of the Suave brand outside of North America.
