Indonesia's beauty industry is in mourning. Martha Tilaar, founder of Martha Tilaar Group and the legendary Sariayu cosmetics brand, passed away on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 06:22 a.m. Western Indonesia Time at Medistra Hospital in Jakarta, at the age of 89. The news was announced by the extended family of Martha Tilaar Group in an official press statement.
In the statement, the family described the passing of Dr. (HC) Martha Tilaar as a profound loss for her family, the entire Martha Tilaar Group family, and Indonesia's beauty industry, a sector that was a central part of her life's journey and devotion.
Martha Tilaar's beauty journey began in 1970, when she opened a modest salon in her parents' garage in Menteng, Jakarta. Armed with modern beauty knowledge from the United States and inspired by her family's traditional wisdom about jamu, Indonesian herbal medicine, and the beauty recipes of the Javanese royal courts, she pioneered an approach blending science, natural resources, and Indonesian local wisdom.
Two years later she opened Martha Griya Salon. In 1977, together with Bernard Pranata and Theresia Harsini Setiady, she founded PT Martina Berto and launched Sariayu, a modern cosmetics and jamu brand rooted in Indonesia's natural wealth and local wisdom. A production facility followed in Jakarta's Pulogadung industrial area in 1981.
From a single brand, Martha Tilaar's business grew into Martha Tilaar Group, encompassing Sariayu, Biokos, Caring Colours, Mirabella, Belia, PAC, and Dewi Sri Spa, alongside cosmetics manufacturing, beauty education through Puspita Martha International School, and salon-spa services. She studied at IKIP Jakarta, the Indonesian Institute of Teacher Training and Education, and at the Academy of Beauty Culture in Bloomington, Indiana (1968), and earned a Doctor Honoris Causa in Fashion and Artistry from World University in Tucson, Arizona (1984).
Martha Tilaar's dedication earned her honors, including Women Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (2008), Honorary Principal Engineer from BPPT, Indonesia's Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (2012), Ganesa Widya Jasa Utama from the Bandung Institute of Technology (2012), and the Bintang Budaya Parama Dharma decoration from the Government of the Republic of Indonesia (2016). Globally, she received The Outstanding Contribution 2000-2010 from the United Nations Global Compact (2010) and was named an SDG Pioneer in 2018.
"Her dedication, work, and spirit in advancing beauty and Nusantara heritage will continue to live on and inspire us forever," Sariayu's management wrote in a condolence post on its official Instagram account @sariayu_mt. Tiara Kusuma, the Indonesian Association of Beauty Experts and Salon Entrepreneurs, also expressed its grief: "She was an inspirational figure, a mentor, and an irreplaceable champion of traditional Indonesian beauty. Her service and guidance as a member of our Advisory Board will always be remembered."
Martha Tilaar lies in state at the family residence in Patra Kuningan, South Jakarta, with condolences shared on Instagram by singer Krisdayanti and Tiara Kusuma. She will be laid to rest on Friday, October 16, 2026, at San Diego Hills Memorial Park in Karawang, West Java.
