L'Oréal SA
Company History
L'Oreal History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1909 in Clichy, France
When was L'Oreal founded?
L'Oreal was founded in 1909 in Clichy, France by Eugène Schueller, making it 117 years old.
- Founded
- 1909
- Founding place
- Clichy, France
- Founders
- Eugène Schueller
- Headquarters today
- Clichy, France
- Milestones documented
- 15 (1909–2026)
- Current CEO
- Nicolas Hieronimus
- Acquisitions
- 6
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1909 | Company Founded |
| 1912 | First International Expansion |
| 1929 | Imédia First Consumer Hair Dye |
| 1963 | Euronext Paris IPO |
| 1971 | 'Because You're Worth It' Campaign Launched |
| 1991 | Acquisition of La Roche-Posay |
| 1996 | Maybelline Acquisition |
| 2000 | Matrix and Kiehl's Acquisitions |
| 2017 | CeraVe Acquisition $1.3 Billion |
| 2018 | ModiFace Acquisition Beauty Tech |
| 2021 | Nicolas Hieronimus Becomes CEO |
| 2023 | Aesop Acquisition $2.5 Billion |
| 2025 | FY2025 Sales Reach 44.052 Billion |
| 2026 | Kering Beauté Acquisition Completed |
| 2026 | Record First-Half Margin |
- Where was L'Oreal founded?
- L'Oreal was founded in Clichy, France in 1909.
- Who founded L'Oreal?
- L'Oreal was founded by Eugène Schueller.
- When did L'Oreal start?
- L'Oreal was founded in 1909.
- How old is L'Oreal?
- L'Oreal is 117 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1909, 28-year-old French chemist Eugène Schueller registered the Société Française de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux in Paris to sell a synthetic hair dye he had formulated, branded Auréale. He mixed it himself and sold it to Paris hairdressers. The company took the name L'Oréal in 1939. Schueller's daughter Liliane Bettencourt inherited control, and her family, through Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and the holding company Téthys, remains the largest shareholder.
Founders
Eugène Schueller
L'Oréal possesses a scientific, chemical founding story, rooted not in the glamorous salons of Paris, but in the rigorous, heavily experimental laboratories of an effective young chemist desperately trying to solve a specific cosmetic problem. The company was founded in 1909 in Paris by Eugène Schueller. Schueller was an effective, intensely ambitious young graduate of the prestigious national chemical engineering school in Paris. At the time, women who wanted to dye their hair faced a dangerous problem: traditional hair dyes contained toxic levels of lead and other harsh chemicals that frequently burned the scalp or ruined the hair. Schueller possessed a 'eureka' moment. Working alone in his tiny Parisian apartment (which he transformed into a primitive laboratory), he formulated the world's very first safe, effective synthetic hair dye. He called his invention 'Auréole.' His foundational key move was not just the invention, but his aggressive, personal sales strategy. He would physically carry bottles of his chemical dye across Paris, selling it directly to skeptical Parisian hairdressers. He officially registered his company as the Société Française de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux (the literal 'French Society of Inoffensive Hair Dyes'), which eventually became L'Oréal. Schueller's foundational obsession with rigorous scientific research established the DNA of the company. By focusing on aggressive R&D rather than just marketing, Schueller transformed a tiny, experimental apartment laboratory into the foundational architecture of the multi-billion dollar modern global beauty industry. Education: Chimie ParisTech. Eugène Schueller was born in 1881.
Key Milestones
Company Founded
Eugène Schueller registers the Société Française de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux in Paris with 800 francs in capital, beginning commercial sale of his Oréale hair dye formula to Parisian hairdressers.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst International Expansion
L'Oréal hair dyes reach distribution in the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy, establishing the international distribution ambition that would eventually span 150 countries.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgImédia First Consumer Hair Dye
L'Oréal introduces Imédia, the world's first hair dye product formulated for home application by consumers, marking the company's pivot from purely professional B2B to consumer-facing distribution.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgEuronext Paris IPO
L'Oréal lists on the Paris Stock Exchange, providing capital for accelerated international expansion and establishing the public shareholder structure that persists today alongside the Bettencourt family's controlling stake.
Source: en.wikipedia.org'Because You're Worth It' Campaign Launched
Copywriter Ilon Specht creates the 'Because You're Worth It' tagline for L'Oréal Paris one of the most enduring advertising phrases in consumer goods history, reframing beauty products as expressions of female self-worth rather than instruments of male approval.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of La Roche-Posay
L'Oréal acquires La Roche-Posay, the French dermo-cosmetic brand founded in 1975, establishing its first significant presence in the pharmacy channel and laying groundwork for what would become the Dermatological Beauty division.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMaybelline Acquisition
L'Oréal acquires Maybelline New York from Wasserstein Perella for approximately $758 million, instantly becoming the global leader in mass-market color cosmetics and significantly expanding its North American market position.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMatrix and Kiehl's Acquisitions
L'Oréal acquires professional hair care brand Matrix and American apothecary brand Kiehl's Since 1851, broadening both the professional channel and the prestige specialty retail presence in the U.S. Market.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCeraVe Acquisition $1.3 Billion
L'Oréal acquires CeraVe, AcneFree, and Ambi from Valeant Pharmaceuticals for $1.3 billion. CeraVe's ceramide-based formulations and dermatologist recommendation heritage would prove transformational, growing the brand to an estimated $3 billion in annual retail sales by 2024.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgModiFace Acquisition Beauty Tech
L'Oréal acquires ModiFace, a Toronto-based augmented reality and artificial intelligence beauty technology company, establishing a proprietary virtual try-on and skin diagnostic platform deployed across brand apps, retail partner websites, and social media platforms.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNicolas Hieronimus Becomes CEO
Nicolas Hieronimus, a 30-year L'Oréal veteran who led the Luxe division's transformation, succeeds Jean-Paul Agon as Chief Executive Officer, bringing strategic continuity while accelerating digital commerce and sustainability investment.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAesop Acquisition $2.5 Billion
L'Oréal completes the acquisition of Aesop, the Australian premium natural beauty brand, from Natura &Co for $2.525 billion the company's largest acquisition in over a decade and a strategic entry into the premium wellness and natural beauty segment.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFY2025 Sales Reach 44.052 Billion
LOral reported 44.052 billion in FY2025 sales, 4.0% like-for-like growth, 8.892 billion in operating profit, 6.127 billion in net profit after non-controlling interests, and more than 95,000 employees.
Source: loreal.comKering Beauté Acquisition Completed
L'Oréal closed the ~$4.52 billion (€4 billion) purchase of Kering Beauté, including Creed, with 50-year licences for Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and, from July 2027, Gucci.
Source: loreal.comRecord First-Half Margin
H1 2026 sales reached ~$26.9 billion (€23.77 billion), up 6.8% like-for-like, with a record 21.3% operating margin.
Source: loreal.comMajor Acquisitions
Maybelline New York
1996L'Oréal acquired Maybelline from Wasserstein Perella & Co. To immediately establish leadership in the global mass-market color cosmetics category, a segment where L'Oréal lacked a dominant consumer brand. Maybelline's New York positioning, mascaras, and foundation franchise gave L'Oréal instant scale in the U.S. Drugstore beauty channel and a platform for international expansion. The acquisition also provided entry into the American consumer market at a scale that organic brand building could not have achieved within a competitive timeframe.
CeraVe, AcneFree, and Ambi (from Valeant Pharmaceuticals)
2017L'Oréal acquired the CeraVe, AcneFree, and Ambi brands from Valeant Pharmaceuticals in January 2017 to establish a dominant position in the rapidly growing dermo-cosmetic skincare segment, particularly in U.S. Drugstore and pharmacy channels where L'Oréal lacked a clinically positioned brand. CeraVe's proprietary MultiVesicular Emulsion technology and ceramide delivery system represented genuine scientific innovation, and its strong foundation of dermatologist recommendations provided a credibility base that could not be manufactured through advertising alone.
IT Cosmetics
2016L'Oréal acquired IT Cosmetics an U.S. Direct-to-consumer beauty brand founded in 2008 by Jamie Kern Lima, which had built a $182 million revenue business primarily through QVC television shopping and DTC digital channels to gain expertise in founder-led, authentic brand building and to extend the Luxe division's reach into the American prestige mass-market consumer who shops at Ulta Beauty rather than department stores. IT Cosmetics was the largest brand acquisition L'Oréal had completed in years and validated the premium multiple that founder-led DTC beauty brands could command.
Aesop
2023L'Oréal acquired Aesop from Brazilian beauty group Natura &Co in August 2023 for $2.525 billion to establish a credible position in the premium natural and wellness beauty segment a fast-growing category where L'Oréal's existing portfolio lacked a brand with Aesop's specific combination of minimalist aesthetics, sustainability credentials, anti-commercial brand values, and intensely loyal cult consumer following. Aesop's boutique retail presence in premium urban locations worldwide and its intellectual brand identity represented a consumer relationship L'Oréal could not create organically.
Kering Beauté (including Creed)
2026Announced 19 October 2025 and closed 31 March 2026 for ~$4.52 billion (€4 billion) in cash. L'Oréal gained the Creed fragrance house and 50-year exclusive beauty and fragrance licences for Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga, plus a 50-year Gucci beauty licence effective 1 July 2027.
The Body Shop
2006L'Oréal SA acquired The Body Shop in 2006.
Keep researching L'Oreal
L'Oreal Company History FAQ
What are the major historical milestones of L'Oréal from 1909 to today?
Milestones include founding by Eugène Schueller (1909), launch of Dop shampoo (1934), launch of Ambre Solaire (1935), public listing on Paris Bourse (1963), launch of 'Because You're Worth It' (1971), acquiring Maybelline (1996), acquiring CeraVe (2017), acquiring ModiFace (2018), and acquiring Aesop (2023).
When did L'Oréal become a publicly traded company on the Paris stock exchange?
On October 8, 1963, CEO François Dalle took L'Oréal public on the Paris Bourse (now Euronext Paris: OR), raising capital to accelerate international laboratory expansion while maintaining majority family control.
How did Nestlé become a major long-term shareholder in L'Oréal in 1974?
In 1974, fearing potential nationalization of private companies by the French socialist party, Liliane Bettencourt and François Dalle partnered with Swiss food giant Nestlé, with Nestlé acquiring a major stake in L'Oréal to ensure stable, independent private ownership.
How did L'Oréal create the world-leading hair color brand 'Préférence' in 1971?
In 1971, L'Oréal introduced Préférence premium home hair color in the United States, paired with the well-known feminist slogan 'Because You're Worth It', dethroning incumbent Clairol and capturing global market leadership.
When did L'Oréal pioneer reconstructed human skin models (Episkin)?
In the 1980s, L'Oréal acquired and developed Episkin and SkinEthic, in-vitro reconstructed human skin tissues grown in laboratories, enabling the company to end all animal testing for cosmetic safety in 1989.
How did L'Oréal handle the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020?
During 2020, L'Oréal converted factory production lines to manufacture millions of bottles of hand sanitizer for hospitals, supported small salon owners with payment freezes, and saw e-commerce sales surge by over 62%, emerging with record market share.
When did Nicolas Hieronimus become CEO of L'Oréal?
On May 1, 2021, Nicolas Hieronimus became the sixth Chief Executive Officer in L'Oréal's history, setting an ambitious roadmap to transform L'Oréal into the global leader in Beauty Tech, dermatological science, and sustainable beauty.
What is L'Oréal's ultimate corporate purpose 'Create the beauty that moves the world'?
Articulated as its global manifesto, L'Oréal's purpose is to 'Create the beauty that moves the world', celebrating beauty as an essential human quest for self-expression, confidence, and well-being through uncompromising science, diversity, and environmental responsibility.
How did L'Oréal start?
L'Oréal was founded in 1909 in Paris by Eugène Schueller, a highly brilliant young French chemist. At the time, hair dyes were highly toxic and often contained lethal chemicals. Schueller invented "Auréole"—the first safe, highly effective synthetic hair dye. He began manufacturing it in his apartment and selling it directly to Parisian hairdressers, laying the absolute foundation for the largest beauty empire on Earth.
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