Unilever to buy Blueair air purifiers

LONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Unilever (NYSE: UL - news) plans to buy Sweden's Blueair, stepping into the air purification business, the company said on Tuesday.

Unilever, whose large brands include Dove soap, Lipton tea and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, has been very active on the acquisition front. Last month it announced a deal for Dollar Shave Club, following a string of smaller cosmetic and skin care deals including Dermalogica and Ren.

Blueair is a leading maker of premium air purifiers in markets including China, the United States, Japan, South Korea and India. It had annual turnover of $106 million last year.

Unilever said the purchase will complement its water purification business. It did not disclose financial details.

(Reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Adrian Croft)