The Almay Brand was originally established in 1931 and was named after the founders, Alfred and Fanny May Woititz. The creation of this cosmetic brand began when Fanny May Woititz was in need for cosmetic products that did not irritate her sensitive skin. Her husband Alfred, who was a professional chemist, started experimenting with makeup to find ingredients that were more pure and gentle. With the help of dermatologist Dr. Marion Sulzberger, they developed the first cosmetic brand that uses hypoallergenic ingredients.Almay was the first brand to introduce skincare safety by producing 100% fragrance-free products, by showing all the ingredients used on its product labels, and by testing for allergy, as well as irritation. It was also the first to create a cosmetic line for consumers with specific skin types and those who wear contact lenses. In 1987, Almay was acquired by Revlon and today, has expanded to a full line of skincare and makeup products.
Almay has products for skincare, face, lips and eyes. The natural ingredients used include Meadowsweet (Spirael ulmaria) for oily skin, Grape Seed (Vitis vinifera) for normal skin and Cucumber (Cucumis sativa) for dry skin. Anti-aging ingredient used in products is Story of Moringa (Moringa oleifera}, also known as "The Miracle Tree". Other natural ingredients in the products are Aloe (Aloe barbadensis), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Soybean (Glycine max) and Rosehips (Rosa canina).
Almay is a cosmetics brand owned by Revlon, along with other brands including Revlon, Ultima II, ColorStay, Flex, New Complexion, Revlon Age Defying, and Charlie.