"L'Oréal's beauty tech is not technology for technology's sake. The future we envision always starts with "people." We want to help consumers have healthy hair and skin and, through that, feel more confident. Science and technology are means to realize our goals accurately and responsibly."
Guive BALOOCH, global vice president of augmented beauty and open innovation at L'Oréal Group, said this in an interview with ChosunBiz on the 8th (local time) at the site of CES 2026, the world's largest IT exhibition, in Las Vegas. Asked why L'Oréal focuses on beauty tech, he said, "Our consistent goal is to deliver beauty experiences that are meaningful to everyone, grounded in scientific evidence."
Founded in France in 1909, L'Oréal is the world's largest cosmetics corporations. Fashion and beauty trade journal WWD ranked it No. 1 among the top 100 cosmetics and beauty corporations based on 2024 annual sales. During this period, it posted sales of 43.48 billion euros (about 75 trillion won), accounting for 18.7% of the total sales of the top 100 cosmetics and beauty corporations. It is a global corporations with about 90,000 employees in 150 countries.
L'Oréal is known domestically as a "cosmetics manufacturer," but in the industry it is famous as a "leader in beauty tech." L'Oréal operates 21 research centers across 13 countries, and it has 8,000 tech and digital experts. Balooch said, "We invest more than 3% of total sales every year in research and development, advancing technology across science, formula (the combination of ingredients), and digital," adding, "We are a company that pursues innovation in quality, efficacy, and safety through technology."
That is why L'Oréal has attended CES, which is centered on tech corporations, every year since 2016. Notably, at CES 2024 it became the first cosmetics corporations to deliver a keynote address, symbolically showing that beauty tech has begun to be included in the consumer technology space. At CES 2026, it also won "Innovation Awards" with eight products not only in beauty tech but also in artificial intelligence (AI), accessibility and sustainability, and imaging institutional sector.
Balooch said, "In the era of digital and AI transformation, L'Oréal is accelerating its leap to a beauty tech corporations," adding, "We are focusing on strengthening 'hyper-personalized beauty solutions' tailored to diverse consumer needs." He added, "The vast beauty data L'Oréal holds is a major asset that can create differentiation in the AI era," and "We will expand beauty experiences that are personalized, inclusive, and responsible."
The following is a Q&A with Balooch.
- It feels a bit unusual for a cosmetics manufacturer to operate a pavilion at CES 2026.
"L'Oréal sees CES as a stage of innovation where we can show that technology can deliver precise beauty experiences to consumers. Since 2018, we have focused investment in AI and have been advancing beauty tech products. With the acquisition of the Augmented Reality (AR) and AI corporations Modiface, we have rapidly expanded digital services such as virtual try-ons and skin diagnostics.
L'Oréal operates 37 global brands and is confident it has built the world's richest beauty databases. We train AI algorithms with a vast asset totaling 16,000 terabytes. This means we can advance personalized services across various areas, including skin, hair, formulation science, and beauty routines. Services such as consumer-tailored diagnostics and condition prediction have also been developed based on this. Leveraging the power of AI and data, L'Oréal is creating beauty that is personalized, inclusive, and responsible. CES is a stage where we can showcase L'Oréal as a tech corporations."
- What did you focus on showcasing at this exhibition?
"What we wanted to show at this year's CES is that beauty tech grounded in science can deliver "real performance." A representative case is the "Light Straight Multi Styler," a hair styler. Instead of high-temperature heated metal plates, it uses infrared technology to minimize hair damage while supporting efficient hair styling. Because it incorporates infrared technology, it enables long-term hair protection. Typical hair straighteners (flat irons) see performance degrade after about two to three years of use. This product uses sustainable materials and is designed to be repairable.
We also focused on introducing the LED face mask. Co-developed with iSmart, it uses red light (630 nm) and near-infrared (830 nm) wavelengths to help improve visible signs of aging, such as fine lines, loss of elasticity, and uneven skin tone. We plan to launch it in Asia and Europe starting in 2027."
- Safety is crucial because beauty products can have a direct impact on the human body.
"Safety is the foundation of beauty tech. L'Oréal has a responsibility to ensure consumers can use products with confidence. Both the "Light Straight Multi Styler" and the "LED Face Mask" were developed under strict international safety standards. We conducted extensive testing not only to verify efficacy but also to ensure user safety. Clinical evaluations and long-term use assessments were also conducted. For the LED face mask, factors such as light wavelength, exposure time, and output are precisely controlled to deliver safe and effective results with regular use."
- Were there partners you wanted to meet at CES 2026?
"We are always open to finding beauty tech opportunities. We are also pursuing open innovation with various partners. In particular, Korea's IT startup ecosystem is highly innovative and agile, and we are always exploring opportunities to collaborate."
- What does Korea mean to L'Oréal? Please explain from the beauty tech perspective.
"Korea is a strategic hub where global beauty innovation starts and is validated the fastest. As the birthplace of K-beauty, it has a strong ecosystem of brands, research, manufacturing, and startups. Consumers also tend to quickly embrace new beauty solutions. Korea is a very important market for L'Oréal to test and advance its beauty tech strategy.
A representative example is "Lancôme Cell Bio-Print," developed through collaboration between L'Oréal's longevity science (a skin-aging research organization) and NanoEntek, which was unveiled through CES 2025. Using proteomics technology that analyzes how protein composition affects skin aging, it provides personalized skin analysis in five minutes.
L'Oréal is also running the "L'Oréal Big Bang" program with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. It helps Korea's innovative technologies expand onto the global stage. We will continue to propose new beauty paradigms through close collaboration with the Korean market."
- What value do you want to deliver to consumers through the advancement of beauty tech?
"L'Oréal's ultimate goal is to realize "Beauty for Each." We are committed to offering inclusive beauty solutions to meet the infinite diversity and aspirations of beauty. We are developing beauty tech to provide consumers with a "journey of delight.""
- Is the beauty tech business institutional sector being operated to complement cosmetics sales, or is there a possibility it will grow into an independent business pillar in the long term?
"Technology is changing people's lives. It is transforming everyday life, including how we shop, create, and connect with one another. The role of tech within L'Oréal is the same. We operate the beauty tech business institutional sector to expand and enhance beauty experiences for everyone. Rather than separating it as a standalone business, we plan to focus on strengthening our innovation capabilities by applying technology to beauty."
- What will beauty tech look like in five to 10 years?
"The world stands at a "turning point of change" due to various factors such as science, technology, social shifts, and environmental issues. Beauty tech is no exception. In this field, we expect "longevity" and "AI-biotechnology convergence" to emerge as key themes.
Interest will grow in "how to age well," with integrated solutions spanning skin care, ingestible supplements, and advanced devices, as well as deep understanding of biological pathways. The convergence of biotechnology and AI-based hyper-personalized solutions is expected to realize sustainable beauty with high-value-added ingredients and biodegradable materials that leverage living organisms such as the microbiome. We also expect consolidation and participation with consumers to be maximized through digital platforms. Many services will emerge that, in collaboration with top experts, design a future that can positively impact people's lives."