Alba in talks to sell Honest for about $1B: report

Jessica Alba is in talks to sell her diaper and household goods company — although the actress may be a bit disappointed at how much her Honest Co. is worth.

The five-year-old company, which was valued at $1.7 billion after a capital raise last year, is in talks to sell itself to consumer products giants Unilever for just over $1 billion, according to a report Friday.

The 35-year-old brunette explored an IPO earlier this year, and may still decide to go that route if the early-stage negotiations with Unilever — whose vast products stable includes Hellman’s mayonnaise, Dove soap, Lipton tea and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream — fall through, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported on the talks and the price range.

Last week, a report by Recode had Alba talking with a big consumer package company on a deal. It said the talks were likely with Unilever or Procter & Gamble.

Honest, which sells more than 100 nontoxic products like diapers, toiletries, baby formula and household cleaners, has raised $222 million altogether, $100 million of which came in just last year.

Sold in over 700 stores, including Whole Foods, Costco and Nordstrom, Honest’s products are also sold via monthly subscriptions.

Alba faced a barrage of negative press and lawsuits over the ingredients in some of her products — allegations that they are not as wholesome as advertised — and that her company’s sunscreen product is ineffective. Honest has denied those allegations.