Nina Jobst
Research expert covering South Korea
L'Oréal - statistics & facts
The beauty industry is filled with many companies, but not all of them are influential enough to shape it. Among these, the L'Oréal Group has become the undisputed leader of the cosmetics and beauty market.
Founded in 1909, L'Oréal's journey started in France, more precisely in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, with the creation of "Oréale", a hair dye formula. To this day, the company has not only become a consumer favorite, but it is also seen as the leading beauty manufacturer worldwide, with revenues amounting to about 44.5 billion U.S. dollars as of 2023. L'Oréal is primarily focused on perfumes, hair care, make-up, and skin care, with the latter generating nearly 39 percent of its global cosmetic sales during fiscal year 2024.
L'Oréal's contribution plays a very big role in the fast-paced world that is the beauty industry, to the point where it becomes almost impossible not to wonder what its next move will be.
L'Oréal's impact
L'Oréal currently owns more than 30 brands and registered over 690 patents in 2024 alone. Among its brands, L’Oréal Paris is the most successful, followed by Lancôme and Garnier. In the year 2024, L'Oréal's market share in Europe was estimated to amount to about 28 percent, and consolidated sales in that region reached a value of over 14 billion euros. However, L’Oréal’s fame is not limited to Europe: some of its brands are among the most chosen health & beauty brands worldwide.Innovating the world of beauty
L'Oréal's research and development expenses have increased overtime, reaching a peak of 1.35 billion euros in 2024. The company has been working towards the innovating the world of beauty in recent years, focusing especially on beauty tech, using AI and AR to produce devices or software aimed at improving the beauty consumer's journey. L'Oréal is also expanding through different acquisitions: in 2023, the purchase of beauty brand Aesop for over two billion U.S. dollars was announced, while in 2024 the company acquired a ten percent stake in skin care company Galderma, and the list goes on.L'Oréal's contribution plays a very big role in the fast-paced world that is the beauty industry, to the point where it becomes almost impossible not to wonder what its next move will be.
