L’Oréal around the world

L’Oréal continued to outpace a robust beauty market, with a particularly strong finish, thanks to the continued success of e-commerce.

Momentum was especially strong in the Spain-Portugal and Germany-Austria-Switzerland clusters, Italy and in most medium-sized countries; the UK-Ireland cluster significantly accelerated in the second half.

Consumer Products outpaced the market in makeup thanks to strong innovations, notably from L’Oréal Paris and NYX Professional Makeup. Haircare was boosted by successful launches such as L’Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss and Garnier Fructis Keratin Sleek.

L’Oréal Luxe significantly outperformed its market, thanks primarily to the outstanding performance of its fragrance portfolio. L’Oréal holds the top three positions in female fragrances with Libre, La Vie est Belle and Paradoxe. In male fragrances, Prada’s Paradigme was off to a very strong start.

Professional Products grew strongly, propelled by the continued dynamism in premium haircare – with a particularly impressive performance from Kérastase.

Dermatological Beauty progressively accelerated in the second half, helped by the gradual alignment of sell-in and sell-out. La Roche-Posay cemented its leadership across its strategic channels. SkinCeuticals was particularly dynamic, fuelled by successful launches.

Growth accelerated from +2% in the first to almost +5% in the second half as market conditions improved and key innovations were successfully rolled out. It was broad-based with all Divisions contributing.

In Consumer Products, momentum improved quarter after quarter, resulting in significant outperformance in the back half of the year. Haircare remained the most dynamic growth engine, led by L’Oréal Paris Elvive and Ever. Makeup improved strongly, driven by innovations like L’Oréal Paris’ Plump Ambition and Faux Brow, as well as NYX Professional Makeup’s Lip IV and Brow Glue Crazy Lift.

Professional Products outpaced the market thanks to the continued strength of Kérastase in premium haircare, boosted further by the successful launch of Gloss Absolu. The recently acquired Color Wow is off to a good start.

In Luxe, fragrances remained dynamic, significantly outpacing the market. The category was powered by the ongoing success of Couture brands as well as the rollout of new launches including Prada’s Paradigme, Miu Miu’s Miutine and YSL’s MYSLF Absolu.

In Dermatological Beauty, momentum significantly improved in the second half of the year with all key brands contributing. Growth was led by SkinCeuticals, boosted by the continued success of P-Tiox and strong momentum in D2C. CeraVe maintained its upward trajectory, driven by continued strength in haircare and a gradual improvement in skincare.

E-commerce remained the primary growth engine, delivering robust performance across all four Divisions.

Excluding Travel Retail, where the overall ecosystem remained challenging, L’Oréal’s growth improved from flat in the first to +4% in the second half. The Group outperformed in all markets, including Travel Retail, thanks to its unrivalled brand portfolio and step-up in innovation.

The improvement was driven by mainland China, where growth accelerated from low to mid-single digits over the period, supported by gradually stabilising market conditions. L’Oréal outperformed the market both online and offline. In a selective market that saw a clear recovery in the second half, Luxe continued to outperform, boosted by its strong innovation pipeline. Growth remained dynamic in Professional Products and, even more so, Dermatological Beauty, where SkinCeuticals strengthened its leadership position. L’Oréal Paris once again confirmed its position as the number one beauty brand in the Chinese market.

In North Asia, Dermatological Beauty posted double-digit growth with all brands contributing – gaining share across all markets. Professional Products outperformed the market, boosted by the ongoing strength of Kérastase and e-commerce. In Luxe, growth saw a sharp recovery in the second half and continued to outpace the market, propelled by strong innovations and outstanding consumer experiences with Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Maison Margiela and Aesop particularly dynamic.

In SAPMENA, growth was broad-based with all Divisions contributing. Dermatological Beauty was the most dynamic Division, led by La Roche-Posay and CeraVe. Professional Products advanced strongly, boosted by Kérastase. The performance of Luxe was powered by Yves Saint Laurent, Armani, and Prada. Consumer Products, the region’s single largest growth contributor, was driven by L’Oréal Paris.

By category, haircare, makeup and fragrances all posted double-digit growth. Haircare led the way with strong performances in both, the professional and mass channels – the latter fuelled by successful Elvive launches. The rebound of makeup continued, boosted by innovations and the successful expansion of 3CE in the region. Fragrances grew strongly, powered by the Couture brands.

By country, key contributors were GCC, followed by the Australia-New Zealand cluster, Vietnam, India, and Thailand.

Across the region, online remained the main growth driver, notably in India, South-East Asia and GCC.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) demonstrated robust growth, driven by both, volume and mix. Momentum was broad-based across all Divisions: main contributors were Consumer Products and Dermatological Beauty. Skincare, haircare and makeup achieved remarkable momentum, driven by La Roche-Posay, L’Oréal Paris and CeraVe. South Africa remained the key growth contributor and continued to outpace its market.

This strong growth was achieved despite softening market conditions, demonstrating L’Oréal’s resilience.

All Divisions advanced. Professional Products and Luxe continued to deliver outstanding growth, driven by strong innovation in premium haircare and fragrances and makeup, respectively. Consumer Products was the leading growth contributor, fuelled by haircare, makeup and hair colour, led by L’Oréal Paris, where the Elvive Dream Sleek blockbuster innovation fortified the brand’s market share throughout the region.

All key categories advanced. Fragrances maintained exceptional momentum, powered by the Couture brands. The all-important haircare category was the number one growth contributor, advancing in double digits across all relevant Divisions and brands – boosted by a strong innovation pipeline.

Progress was broad-based across all countries, with particularly strong performances in Mexico and Brazil.

Both brick-and-mortar and online grew. E-commerce maintained its strong momentum across the region, allowing L’Oréal to reach new consumers.