L’Oreal Celebrates Centenary

An international timeline looks at L’Oreal’s rich history and offers a glimpse as to what lies ahead.

To mark the company’s milestone, L’Oréal launched a limited edition 100th anniversary Elnett hair spray, available exclusively at Target while supplies last.

This month, L’Oréal Paris celebrates a major milestone of 100 years of beauty, with products sold in over 150 countries around the world. The company’s centennial celebration recognizes the vision of its founder, French chemist Eugene Schueller, who developed the first permanent hair color using an oxidation process, and the amazing growth it has generated over the past century, not just in hair care, but in skin care, color cosmetics, skin care and fragrance. Happy Anniversary L’Oréal —your efforts have truly been worth it!

1907
•The history of the company dates from 1907 when Eugène Schueller, a young French chemist, created the first synthetic hair dye. Eugène Schueller registered two names for his product: “Black and Gold”, a logical brand name for a hair colorant with black representing the spectrum of dark shades and gold the warm tones – a brand name which was however never used; “L’Aureale”, a name inspired by a hairstyle in fashion at the time called “L’Aureole” from the Latin aureola, golden crown and by extension a luminous and colored halo. A few months later the name was simplified to “L’Oréal” which interestingly has its roots from the Greek “Orea” which means beauty.

1908
•With just 120 Euros in his pocket, Eugène Schueller registered his company “The Societe Francaise de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux”. He established the company in a two-bedroom apartment in rue d’Alger – the dining room was used as the demonstration room and the bedroom as the laboratory.Eugène Schueller did everything himself – he manufactured his products during the night, then sold them to Parisian hairdressers during the morning and delivered them in the afternoon.

L’Oréal offices in the 1900s.

1909
•Eugène Schueller gained the backing of an accountant from Epernay who loaned him 4000 Euros. This enabled Eugène Schueller to think on a larger scale – he moved the company which he renamed “L’Oréal” to a four bedroom apartment in the rue du Louvre, he recruited his first employee and he began to advertise his products via a trade journal “La Coiffure de Paris”.

1910
•Eugène Schueller soon began to export his products abroad – from 1910 L’Oréal products were sold in Austria and Italy – by 1914 an additional six markets had been added; Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland and Russia and by the 1920s sales had been extended to the Americas, Russia and the Far East.

1929
•During the twenties, fashion changed. Women started getting their hair cut. A short style required shape and, more importantly, color. L’Oréal responded to this need by creating Imédia Liquide.

1934
•Eugène Schueller recognized a huge potential for hygiene and toiletry products for the body and hair. He took over Monsavon and in 1934 launched Dop, the first mass-market shampoo without soap (which left traces on the hair). It became L’Oréal’s philosophy to make technological products available to the largest number of people.

A 1941 advertisement for Maybelline’s Glow with Enchantment featured Rita Hayworth.

1935
•L’Oréal launched the sun tan oil Ambre Solaire, which became very successful the following year as the French started to go on their first paid holidays and enjoy the pleasure of sunbathing.

1946
•L’Oréal launched Oréol, the first cold wave in Europe: a real revolution in the world of hairdressing and the life of its customers.

1951
•Régé-Color became hugely successful with hairdressers. It was the start of the coloring culture among the masses in France.
•L’Oréal began to commercialize its products in broader distribution channels.

1953
•The company Cosmair Inc. was created and became the exclusive licensee of the L’Oréal Group in the USA.Headquartered in New Jersey, it did not move to New York until 1965.


1960
•Elnett hairspray was launched. It was a technological breakthrough in the hairstyling market. Elnett contained certain polymers, which could be removed with light brushing while other products on the market at that time contained lacquer which was very difficult to remove.Today Elnett remains one of the most coveted products of hairstylists around the world.

1964
•Lancôme was acquired, which transported L’Oréal into the world of toiletries, make-up and perfume and gave it access to the selective channels of the perfume sector.
•L’Oréal took over Garnier.


1965
•Guy Laroche Perfumes were created. With the launch of Fidji, the L’Oréal Group became involved in the creation and development of perfumes for the first time.

1966
•L’Oréal introduces Preference, its first mass-market haircolor line.

1970
•L’Oréal acquires Biotherm.

L’Oréal’s Ambre Solaire.

1973
•L’Oreal take-over of the Synthélabo Pharmaceutical Laboratories.
•The Gemey brand was acquired.
•L’Oreal introduces the “Because I’m Worth It” ad campaign, which was created in the US.

1974
•Lancôme introduced in the US.

1975
•Equalia by Vichy was created, the first moisturizer based on an anti-dehydration mechanism. L’Oréal had already signed technical agreements with Vichy in 1954. This company was acquired outright in 1980.

1978
•Anais Anais perfume by Cacharel was launched.

1979
•C.I.R.D (Centre International de Recherches Dermatologiques) was created at Sofia-Antipolis, specializing in the treatment of skin problems and ageing.

1982
•Plénitude was launched, representing the entry of the L’Oreal Paris brand into skincare.Today Plénitude is known as Dermo-Expertise.

1984
•L’Oréal acquires Ralph Lauren Fragrances

1986
•Niosome by Lancôme was launched. The niosomes, created and patented by the L’Oréal Group’s research division, are part of the liposome family.

1989
•Helena Rubinstein was acquired.
•Take-over of La Roche-Posay Pharmaceutical Laboratories, specialists in skin care.

1990
•Trésor, the iconic Lancôme women’s fragrance was launched.

1993
•Redken was acquired by L’Oréal, which manufactures and distributes products for professional hairdressers.
•Capital Soleil by Vichy, which contains the new filter Mexoryl SX, was launched.


1994
•Cosmair became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the L’Oréal Group.

An archival ad for L’Oréal D’Or, the first bleaching product designed to give hair a sun-kissed look.

1996
•The L’Oréal Group acquired the American mass-market make-up company, Maybelline.In the same year, L’Oréal bought the Chilean company, Unisa.One year before, the Group had taken over the company, Jade, in Germany within the same market. With these acquisitions, L’Oréal became the world leader in the mass-market make-up sector.
•L’Oréal brought together its cosmetic activities in Japan under one subsidiary, Nihon L’Oréal.

1998
•Soft Sheen Products, the American company, which specializes in ethnic hair products, was acquired by L’Oreal USA
•L’Oréal signed a partnership with UNESCO bringing to the forefront women’s fundamental role in research, notably in the life sciences.The program was called For Women in Science.

1999
•L’Oréal acquired Maybelline in Japan. As a result of the acquisition L’Oréal now had the world rights to Maybelline.

2000
•L’Oréal acquired Miss Ylang, the leading mass-market make-up company in Argentina
•L’Oréal acquired the US company Carson (the world leader in ethnic hair products).As well as Matrix (the number 1 brand in the American professional haircare market) and Kiehl’s Since1851.
•L’Oréal acquired the shampoo brand Respons.
•Cosmair Inc. changes its name to L’Oréal USA.

2001
•L’Oréal acquires the US company BioMedic which specialized in skin care products to accompany dermatology and plastic surgery treatments.
•L’Oreal announces the acquisition of Colorama, the Brazilian mass-market make-up and shampoo brand.
•L’Oréal acquired a 35% interest in the Japanese company shu uemura.

2002
•L’Oréal and Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf enter into a partnership for the launch of new fragrances.
•L’Oréal acquired the US company ARTec, which markets hair care and hair color products for the professional salon industry.


2003
•L’Oréal entered Fortune Magazine’s annual All-Star list of the world’s 50 “Most Admired Companies.”
•L’Oréal inaugurated the first ethnic hair and skin research center in Chicago.The Institute was the first research center in the world uniquely dedicated to studying the skin and hair of different ethnic groups.
•L’Oréal joined the « Global Compact » an international sustainable development initiative launched by United Nations’ Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2000.
•L’Oréal acquired the majority share in shu uemura Cosmetics Inc., the company that manufactures and markets shu uemura brand cosmetics in Japan (4 years after acquiring 35% of shu uemura’s Japanese operations and the international rights to the brand outside of Japan).
•The L’Oréal Group signed an agreement to acquire one of the top three skincare brands in China: Mininurse. At the time of acquisition, this mass-market brand was distributed throughout approximately 280 000 outlets across the country.

2004
•L’Oréal acquires the Chinese make-up and skincare brand Yue-Sai
•L’Oréal inaugurates a new manufacturing plant in Pune, India which has been especially conceived to apply the most stringent international regulations for quality and hygiene in cosmetics manufacturing
•A new agreement between the majority shareholders of L’Oréal for the absorption of the holding company Gesparal by L’Oréal. Upon completion of the transaction, the Bettencourt family and Nestlé become direct shareholders of L’Oréal. Mrs. Bettencourt remains the largest shareholder of L’Oréal
•L’Oreal receives the Diversity Best Practices Global Leadership Award which was accepted by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones.

2005
•Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones received the Anti-DefamationLeague’s International Leadership Award in recognition of his career, community leadership, and commitment to diversity.
•Mexoryl approved in the US
•L’Oréal opens a research center in Pudong, China to support basic scientific research to understand the structure and behavior of Chinese hair and skin.
•L’Oréal acquires the US company, SkinCeuticals and integrates it into the Active Cosmetics Division.

2006
•L’Oreal acquires The Body Shop.Remaining a separate business within L’Oreal, it became the 7th largest brand with a distinct positioning in the high growth “naturally oriented” segment.It was the perfect fit with L’Oréal’s existing diverse portfolio of international brands with different cultural origins.
•Mexoryl gets FDA approval for use in the US

2007
•L’Oréal acquires the US company PureOlogy, a luxury brand sold through hairdressers in the professional market.The products are uniquely developed for hair colorists to use and recommend to their clients.The brand is notable for its range of highly concentrated sulfate free shampoos.

2008
•After obtaining the necessary authorizations from all the competition authorities, L’Oréal and PPR signed a definitive agreement for the effective transfer of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté to L’Oréal.YSL Beauté was incorporated into the Luxury Products Division.

2009
•L’Oréal celebrates 100th anniversary