Skincare brand Deciem shuts

Toronto-based beauty brand Deciem has closed its doors.

Brandon Truaxe said in a video on Instagram that they were closing more recent citing "major criminal activity". He did not give details.

The company produces The Ordinary brand, which has become a global cult hit for its ingredients-focused and affordable skincare options.

It has stores in Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia.

The company website shows many of the stores were closed on Tuesday following Mr Truaxe's rambling post on the brand's Instagram account about "financial crimes and much else".

The company was founded in Canada in 2013, launching a number of brands including The Ordinary.

In 2017, beauty giant Estée Lauder acquired a stake in Deciem, citing its "consumer-centric focus that is already impacting the world of beauty".

In a statement to the BBC, Estée Lauder said; "We are deeply concerned by the fact that we have been a minority investor."

Deciem has seen rapid international expansion and was projected to earn $ 300m (£ 228m) in sales in 2018.

This latest upheaval is not the first disruption for the brand.

Mr Truaxe fired his co-CEO in February, and the Instagram message announcing the current shutdown is the latest in a string of controversial online postings by the founder, who took over the social media account this year.

He has used the social platform to collaborate with other people, engaging with other online marketers, and other behaviors.