European Heritage Days 2026

Download PDF format

03.09.2026 - Groupe

European Heritage Days 2026

L’Oréal Group opens five iconic French sites to the public,

celebrating France’s heritage of beauty science and innovation.

 

 

 


Levallois-Perret, France, Monday, August 31, 2026 - To mark the 43rd edition of the European Heritage Days, taking place on September 19 and 20, L’Oréal Group will open five of its iconic sites to the public for the fourth consecutive year: the Episkin research center in Lyon, the luxury skincare manufacturing plant in Caudry, Le Visionnaire, L’Oréal’s historic Paris headquarters, the La Roche-Posay Thermal Center, and the Domaine de la Rose in Grasse. Through these guided tours, visitors gain rare access to the world of beauty science – a cornerstone of French heritage, grounded in more than a century of innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence, quality, and safety.

 

FIVE ICONIC L’ORÉAL SITES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR TWO DAYS ONLY 

For two days only, on September 19 and 20, five exceptional sites will open their doors to the public. Booking is required and opens on September 3.

 

Le Visionnaire – L’Oréal’s historic headquarters, Paris (8th arrondissement)

At the corner of Rue Saint-Honoré and Rue Royale, L’Oréal has occupied a remarkable 18th-century building since 1938. Designed by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel and listed as a historic monument for its façades and roofs, it reopened in 2023 as Le Visionnaire – Espace François Dalle following a transformation led by architect Alain Moatti. The redesign preserves the building’s heritage while bringing it into dialogue with the future of beauty, most visibly through a striking contemporary ovoid form that evokes the creative process.

 

 

The Domaine de la Rose by Lancôme – a perfumery estate in Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes           
Domaine de la Rose is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the natural and cultural heritage of perfumery, while showcasing the unique expertise of Grasse, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 

Visitors to the site will discover the secrets of perfume creation, from flower to bottle, during a guided tour in four stages. First, they will walk through the fields of fragrant flowers before visiting the distillery. They will then explore Maison Rose and its centerpiece, the perfumer’s organ, before discovering a first-of-its-kind temporary exhibition created to mark Lancôme’s 90th anniversary and devoted to the art of the perfume bottle.

 

 

Episkin – L’Oréal’s advanced research center for reconstructed human skin, Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes                   
Located within Lyon’s Lyonbiopôle competitiveness cluster, Episkin, part of L’Oréal Research & Innovation, is a world-leading center dedicated to tissue engineering and reconstructed human skin.

Research has always been central to innovation at L’Oréal. The center’s work has played a key role in developing alternatives to animal testing – an approach the Group pioneered when it banned animal testing on its products in 1989, 14 years before the relevant European regulations came into force. The tour offers visitors a close look at the reconstructed skin models developed at Episkin and now used around the world, alongside new bioprinted models designed to replicate the complexity of human skin.

 

The Caudry plant – luxury skincare manufacturing, Hauts-de-France

The Caudry plant is a specialist manufacturing site for L’Oréal Luxe, producing skincare emulsions and foundations for markets across Asia, Europe and the Americas. As part of L’Oréal Luxe’s French Centre of Excellence, it is also a key production site for Aesop.

 

The expertise of its teams and the mastery of its manufacturing processes make the Caudry plant a compelling example of demanding, innovative French industry, deeply rooted in its local community. Visitors will discover the art of blending and the industrial know-how that have helped build the international reputation of French cosmetics

 

 

The La Roche-Posay Thermal Center – dermatological thermal spa, Vienne

Set within a protected 348-hectare (860-acre) thermal park, the La Roche-Posay Thermal Center is Europe’s leading dermatological thermal center, having welcomed more than500,000 guests over the past century.

 

The Center’s dermatological expertise is built around La Roche-Posay thermal spring water, a natural resource whose unique, scientifically proven therapeutic properties have earned it official recognition as being of public interest. This expertise has been passed down through generations and continues to evolve through dermatological research and scientific innovation.

 

 

BEAUTY SCIENCE, A FRENCH HERITAGE

 

Founded on the vision of a chemist, L’Oréal has always placed scientific innovation at the heart of its development. From safe hair color formulations and early sun-protection products to today’s AI-supported research into skin ageing, science is both part of the Group’s legacy and a driving force for its future.

 

By opening these five scientific, industrial and thermal sites to the public, L’Oréal offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore a heritage shaped by more than a century of innovation. Deeply rooted in their regions, the sites showcase the diverse expertise that has shaped the Group’s vision of beauty for more than 117 years, underpinned by a commitment to the highest standards of performance, quality and safety.

 

L’Oréal is a heritage company and a longstanding pillar of the French industrial landscape, distinguished by its unique ability to bring together cutting-edge scientific research and industrial expertise. Much of this strategic capability is anchored in France, where the Group operates 11 industrial sites, invests almost €1 billion annually in Research & Innovation, and maintains seven dedicated research centers – where 2,700 scientists are able to drawon one of the most extensive bodies of scientific knowledge in the beauty industry.

 

“By taking part in the European Heritage Days once again, we are celebrating the unique bond between L’Oréal and France. For more than 117 years, France is where we innovate, where we manufacture, and where we invest in research and innovationtocreate high-performing, safe beauty products that are found in the bathrooms of 44 million people,” says Céline Brucker, Managing Director of L’Oréal France.

 

L’Oréal France press contacts

 

Anass BENDAFI

Media Relations Manager

+33 6 80 42 51 84

[email protected]

 

About L’Oréal France

L’Oréal France brings together all of the activities of the L’Oréal Group, the world leader in beauty, on the French market, with a portfolio of more than 50 brands (L’Oréal Paris, Lancôme, La Roche-Posay, Kérastase, etc.), more than 20 of which are sold mainly in France (such as Mixa, DOP, Narta, and Cadum), across its 4 operating divisions (Consumer Products France, Professional Products France, Dermatological Beauty France, and L’Oréal Luxe France).

The ties between L’Oréal and France have never been stronger and continue to deepen. Since the company was born in France more than 115 years ago, it has grown to more than 15,500 employees, with strategic, industrial (11 plants) and scientific roots in the country (67% of the Group’s worldwide Research is carried out there), and it makes a significant contribution to France’s economic competitiveness and international influence. France is the Group’s 3rd largest market worldwide and the flagship of its investments in the decarbonization of industry.

 

“This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy L’Oréal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L’Oréal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, also available in English on our website www.loreal-finance.com. This press release may contain some forward-looking statements. Although the Company considers that these statements are based on reasonable hypotheses at the date of publication of this release, they are by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or projected in these statements.”