Innovating For People

There are as many forms of beauty as there are people on Earth and it is our mission to provide a range of cosmetic experiences that acknowledges individuality. Our goal, which is to address all of our customer’s needs, in their infinite diversity, is ambitious but crucial. Embracing this challenge, our Research and Innovation teams continuously broaden their knowledge of skin and hair types to better comprehend a variety of beauty rituals and to offer tailored solutions. Science is our best ally to achieve our goal.

Passed down through generations, influenced by climate and repeated a thousand times over, beauty routines are also inherently tied to tradition. That’s why we develop cosmetics based on the analysis of those rituals. What we learn from these observations inspires us to use ingredients from all over the world, creating cross-cultural innovations that are grounded in science and in our understanding of inclusive Beauty.

The development of beauty apps has created controversies over the safety of cosmetic products directly accessible to consumers, without providing them with all the elements for them to make an enlightened opinion. The assessment of the safety of a cosmetic product should not under any circumstances be based on the sole presence or absence of certain ingredients. Taking into account consumers’ concerns, our researchers have reconsidered the way in which they develop new products. They take account of this perception of safety, whilst remaining intransigent over ingredient safety and product quality and efficacy, and the accuracy of product claims.

Similarly, L’Oréal’s teams have accelerated the provision of qualitative information on all product ingredients to consumers: why they are used in a cosmetic product, their useful concentration, origin and traceability, their procurement with the lowest possible environmental impact, and the ethical and social conditions of their production.

To be closer to our customers around the world, we have strengthened our global presence. It includes 21 research centers worldwide, organized into 7 clusters. The European cluster includes the global center for Advanced Research as well as the 3 global centers that define, for each of the 3 lines of business - hair, skin care and make-up - a global strategy and that also develop the portfolio of innovations. These global centers serve as the hub for a network that includes 6 other regional clusters in the United States, Japan, China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

The mission of these clusters? To adapt the global strategy to the specific features of their markets. But they are also there to invent new products that may inspire global innovations. In addition, 13 evaluation centers are tasked with observing and listening to local consumers. Finally, some 60 scientific and technical-regulatory departments ensure compliance of the products with local regulations.