L'Oreal vs Procter & Gamble: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: L'Oreal and Procter & Gamble side by side

1. 1837Procter & Gamble

   Company Founded in Cincinnati

   William Procter and James Gamble sign a partnership agreement on October 31, 1837, establishing Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, with combined capital of approximately 7,192 dollars.

2. 1862Procter & Gamble

   Civil War Army Contracts Fuel Expansion

   P&G wins contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles, generating significant revenue that enables manufacturing expansion and introduces millions of American soldiers to P&G products for the first time.

3. 1882Procter & Gamble

   Ivory Soap Launches Nationally

   Harley Procter and James Norris Gamble introduce Ivory soap, promoted as 99 and 44/100 percent pure and notable for its floating characteristic.

4. 1890Procter & Gamble

   Company Incorporates and Expands Nationally

   Procter & Gamble incorporates in Ohio with capital of 4.5 million dollars and begins building manufacturing capacity outside Cincinnati, establishing the operational infrastructure for national distribution that the Ivory soap advertising campaign had created…

5. 1909L'Oreal

   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.

6. 1911Procter & Gamble

   Crisco Shortening Introduced

   P&G launches Crisco vegetable shortening, the first hydrogenated vegetable oil product marketed to American consumers as an alternative to lard and butter.

7. 1912L'Oreal

   First 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.

8. 1929L'Oreal

   Imédia 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.

9. 1931Procter & Gamble

   Brand Management System Invented

   P&G executive Neil McElroy writes a famous internal memo proposing that each brand have its own dedicated management team responsible for competing against all rivals including other P&G brands.

10. 1946Procter & Gamble

    Tide Detergent Launches

    P&G introduces Tide synthetic detergent, which rapidly becomes the best-selling laundry product in the United States and establishes the template for all future P&G brand development: superior product performance, heavy consumer advertising, and sustained mark…

11. 1961Procter & Gamble

    Pampers Diapers Introduced

    P&G introduces Pampers disposable diapers, transforming the infant care category and creating what will become one of the company's most globally significant brands.

12. 1963L'Oreal

    Euronext 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.

13. 1971L'Oreal

    '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 approva…

14. 1991L'Oreal

    Acquisition 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.

15. 1996L'Oreal

    Maybelline 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.

16. 2000L'Oreal

    Matrix 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.

17. 2005Procter & Gamble

    Gillette Acquired for 57 Billion Dollars

    P&G completes the acquisition of Gillette Company for approximately 57 billion dollars in an all-stock transaction, adding Gillette razors, Braun appliances, Oral-B dental products, and Duracell batteries to the P&G portfolio.

18. 2014Procter & Gamble

    Portfolio Transformation Announced

    CEO A.G. Lafley announces P&G's plan to divest more than 100 brands and focus the company on approximately 80 core brands in ten product categories.

19. 2017L'Oreal

    CeraVe Acquisition $1.3 Billion

    L'Oréal acquires CeraVe, AcneFree, and Ambi from Valeant Pharmaceuticals for $1.3 billion.

20. 2018L'Oreal

    ModiFace 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 pla…

21. 2019Procter & Gamble

    Portfolio Simplification Completed

    P&G completes the brand portfolio simplification, having divested more than 100 brands and consolidated around approximately 65 core brands.

22. 2021L'Oreal

    Nicolas 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.

23. 2023L'Oreal

    Aesop 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.

24. 2024Procter & Gamble

    Fiscal Year 2024 Net Sales Reach Approximately 84 Billion Dollars

    P&G reports fiscal year 2024 net sales of $84.0 billion and net earnings attributable to P&G of about $14.9 billion, and raises its quarterly dividend 7% to $1.0065 per share, its 68th consecutive annual increase.

25. 2025L'Oreal

    FY2025 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.

26. 2026L'Oreal

    Kering 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.

27. 2026L'Oreal

    Record 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.

Acquisitions

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