L'Oréal — Brand origin, manufacturing, and ownership

L'Oréal was founded in 1909 in France by Eugène Schueller as a company originally focused on hair-color formulations. Over the 20th century it expanded into a global cosmetics and beauty group offering skincare, haircare, makeup, fragrance, and professional salon products.

Manufacturing and R&D

L'Oréal operates manufacturing plants and research centers across multiple countries and regions (Europe, the Americas, Asia‑Pacific, Africa and the Middle East). Because production is decentralized, individual product packaging or the product label should be checked for the specific "Made in" or "Manufactured in" country for that SKU.

Ownership and corporate structure

The original company behind the brand is L'Oréal S.A., which remains the ultimate owner. L'Oréal S.A. is a publicly traded French multinational headquartered in Clichy, Hauts‑de‑Seine, France. The company manages a broad portfolio of owned brands and regional subsidiaries and is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange with a diversified global shareholder base.

Subsidiaries and distribution

The L'Oréal Group owns many global and regional brands (examples include L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Lancôme, Kiehl's, Maybelline New York, NYX, La Roche-Posay, Vichy, Matrix, Essie, among others). Distribution and local subsidiary arrangements differ by market and may include direct subsidiaries, joint ventures, or third‑party distributors.

How to verify product origin for a specific item

For SKU‑level origin information check the product packaging for a "Made in" statement and the batch/lot code. Those on‑pack details indicate the actual factory country that produced that specific item.