Banking on the future of beauty

For the eighth consecutive time, L'Oreal took center stage at the 8th China International Import Expo with the theme "Essentiality of Beauty", bridging cutting-edge global beauty achievements with the daily aesthetic needs of ordinary consumers.

This year, the group showcased 25 of its sub-brands, premiering its strongest-ever lineup, with three brands making their Asia debut, four exclusive beauty tech innovations for China and the rest of the world, and 19 new product launches, ensuring that global beauty essentials are available to Chinese consumers in "real time".

"The CIIE is an incredible event that displays the dynamism, energy, and potential of this great country and market," said Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L'Oreal Group, during his first in-person visit to the expo. "When you are the leader of one of the most competitive markets in the world, you love being here in China."

For consumers, this vitality translates into tangible new choices: Dr. G offers targeted solutions for Korean-style skincare, Miu Miu caters to luxury-focused consumers craving refined daily makeup, and Shu Uemura provides customized haircare for those with damaged hair. As Vincent Boinay, president of L'Oreal North Asia and CEO of L'Oreal China, notes, "The CIIE is a unique platform to bring the 'new' into China — new brands, new products, new technologies. And we are investing in China, with China, and for China."

L'Oreal's four new beauty tech innovations launched at this year's CIIE focus on addressing real skincare challenges for everyday users. Among them, Lancome's Cell Bio-Print skin decoder, debuting in China, integrates "understanding your skin" into a daily routine.

"The process is simple," explains Lu Chunyao, manager of L'Oreal China's research and innovation center. "A small adhesive patch collects proteins from the stratum corneum, which are then stabilized with nucleic acid-like reagents. After placing the sample on a test card and inserting it into the device, data, such as your skin's biological age, is generated in 10 to 20 minutes." This data helps consumers choose products based on their unique skin aging patterns, moving beyond guesswork.

"We hope consumers will gain a deeper, personalized understanding from a lifestyle perspective," adds Lu.

Additionally, Kerastase's first salon-grade anti-hair-loss device increases hair volume greatly even after one use, offering salon-quality care at home. Lancome's Nano-Resurfacer facial device has over 400 nanoscale contacts to create micro-channels on the skin, enhancing skincare absorption.

"Our sense of purpose is to create beauty that moves the world. It's not only about success, but also about bringing happiness to people," says Hieronimus, encapsulating the intent of these technologies, making professional skincare accessible to all.

At this year's CIIE, L'Oreal's "The Beauty of Longevity" concept shifted the perception of "beauty" from a single focus on fighting aging to a daily philosophy of coexisting with time.

"Age is a number. Aging is an art," Boinay remarks, voicing the aesthetic aspirations of many in the "longevity era" that beauty should not be exclusive to the young, but span every life stage.

Yue-Sai Kan, founder of the Yue-Sai cosmetics brand and honorary vice-president of L'Oreal China, echoes this sentiment: "True longevity isn't just living to 100; it's living a healthy, wonderful life even at 100."

Prior to the expo, L'Oreal partnered with Shanghai University for the Elderly to launch "The Beauty of Longevity" public image management courses, teaching seniors how to style outfits and adjust their skincare routines.

During the CIIE, the launch of the Beauty of Longevity China Initiative Alliance will further extend such aesthetic services to more communities by collaborating with government, industry, academic, and research partners.

"We advocate for society to move beyond 'anti-aging' and embrace the idea of 'coexisting with time'," explains Peng Xizhe, dean of the Fudan University Institute of Aging Studies.

During the CIIE, L'Oreal also released the Essentiality of Beauty book, one of the first sociological monographs on the economics of beauty that explains the link between "beauty" and daily life in accessible terms.

The book outlines a four-dimensional framework — exploring beauty as a "cultural symbol" through history, analyzing its role in shaping lifestyles at the individual level, illustrating its value in driving employment from an economic perspective, and highlighting its role as a bridge for China-France cultural exchange on a global scale.

One statistic in the book stands out: "One job at L'Oreal China creates 20 additional jobs in related fields, generating over 330,000 direct and indirect jobs in total." This means beauty consultants in local stores, couriers delivering skincare products, and designers creating product packaging are all part of "bringing beauty into daily life".

According to Hieronimus, L'Oreal has already become the first beauty enterprise to sign up for the 9th CIIE.

It also plans to leverage the CIIE's "spillover effect" to turn "exhibition products into bestsellers". Items like Dr. G skincare and anti-hair-loss devices showcased this year may soon appear in community supermarkets and livestreaming rooms, becoming everyday purchases for ordinary consumers.

As Hieronimus states: "Investing in China is investing in the future."