L'Oréal (EPA: OR) is a publicly listed company headquartered in Clichy, France that owns 21 consumer brands, and has 6 recorded transactions.[1]
L'Oréal was founded in 1909 by chemist Eugène Schueller, who had developed a hair dye. It is the largest cosmetics company in the world and is organised into consumer products, luxe, dermatological beauty and professional products. The Bettencourt Meyers family and Nestlé are its two largest shareholders.
L'Oréal bought Kering Beauté, completing on 31 March 2026 a deal valued at €4 billion and payable in cash at closing. It took ownership of the House of Creed perfume business outright and signed fifty-year exclusive licences to create and sell fragrance and beauty products under the Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga names from closing; the right to a fifty-year Gucci licence begins when Coty's existing Gucci licence expires. The fashion houses themselves remain Kering's, so only Creed changed owner.
L'Oréal acquired the Australian skincare brand Aesop from Natura &Co for $2.525 billion, its largest acquisition. Natura sold to reduce the debt it had taken on buying Avon and The Body Shop, so one group's retrenchment funded another's expansion.
L'Oreal acquired Thayers Natural Remedies, which has made witch hazel preparations since 1847 and whose alcohol-free toner became a substantial seller after online skincare communities recommended it. The price was not disclosed.
L'Oreal acquired CeraVe along with two other skincare brands from Valeant for $1.3 billion in cash. CeraVe had been developed with dermatologists around ceramides and was recommended by them far more than its advertising would explain, which is what made it worth the price.
L'Oreal acquired shu uemura, founded by a Japanese makeup artist who created the first cleansing oil in 1967 after seeing how heavy studio makeup damaged actors' skin. Cleansing oil is now the first step of the double cleanse standard across Japanese and Korean routines. Only the year is documented here.
L'Oreal acquired Matrix, founded in 1980 by two hairdressers and selling colour and care products through salons at prices below Redken and Kerastase. Salon brands are sold to stylists rather than to the public, so their pricing and distribution work differently from retail hair care. Only the year is documented here.
3 recall notices from government regulators matched to L'Oréal.
Each applies to the specific products, sizes and lot codes named in the notice, not to every product sold under the name.
Reason given: cGMP Deviations: The recall was initiated due to detected trace levels of benzene in a specific lot of this product lot (MYX46W), however out of an abundance of caution, the firm…
Reason given: cGMP Deviations: The recall was initiated due to detected trace levels of benzene in a specific lot of this product lot (MYX46W), however out of an abundance of caution, the firm…
Matched automatically from FDA, USDA FSIS, UK Food Standards Agency and CPSC records only when the recalling firm corresponds to this ownership record and, for a brand, the brand name appears in the product description. Check the linked notice for exact products and lots. Method.
Frequently asked questions
What brands does L'Oréal own?
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L'Oréal owns 21 consumer brands tracked here, including Creed, Thayers, L'Oréal Paris, Mixa, Garnier and Kiehl's.
Is L'Oréal a French company?
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Yes. L'Oréal is headquartered in Clichy, France and was founded in 1909.
Who owns L'Oréal?
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L'Oréal is a publicly listed company owned by its shareholders; it trades as OR on the EPA.
What was L'Oréal's most recent acquisition?
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The most recent completed acquisition recorded here is Creed on 31 March 2026.
Sources (5) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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