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Organization

L'Oréal

French beauty company, founded in 1909.

24 links, 22 backed by primary records

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Dates
1909 –
Place
Paris
Also known as
L'Oréal Groupe, L’Oréal
Over time
  1. Active 1909 –
  2. acquired Helena Rubinstein (brand) 1988–2005
  3. acquired La Roche-Posay 1988–2005
  4. acquired Kiehl's 1988–2005
Who holds L'Oréal

Each line is from its own filing and date, so they do not add up. Some filings report a number of shares and no percent.

Legal records

ASA ruling on a Lancôme foundation advertisement

  1. 2011 Sanctioned by Advertising Standards Authority: advertisement featuring Julia Roberts banned 4The ASA's annual report captions the ad as banned and ties its bans of two L'Oréal ads to its guidance that digital retouching must not mislead; the ruling itself was not found.

In the Matter of L’Oréal USA, Inc., File No. 122 3016

  1. 30 Jun 2014 Charged by U.S. Federal Trade Commission: alleged unsubstantiated claims for Lancôme Génifique and L’Oréal Paris Youth Code 5
  2. 30 Jun 2014 Settled with U.S. Federal Trade Commission: proposed consent order, placed on the public record for comment 5
  1. Sep 2026 Charged by Arizona Attorney General's Office: sued by the State of Arizona under its Consumer Fraud Act; the allegations are untested 6

A charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt.

Connections 24

founded by

  • Eugène Schueller 1909 Primary record 7

    Founded the firm that, by L'Oréal's account, became L'Oréal in 1939.

board members

charged by

settled with

sanctioned by

  • Advertising Standards Authority 2011 advertisement featuring Julia Roberts banned Primary record 4

    The ASA's annual report captions the ad as banned and ties its bans of two L'Oréal ads to its guidance that digital retouching must not mislead; the ruling itself was not found.

stakeholders

  • Nestlé 7 Dec 2021 23.3%, as of 7 Dec 2021 Primary record 2

    The stake before L'Oréal repurchased 4.0 per cent of its own shares from Nestlé for €8,904 million.

  • Financière L’Arcouest SAS 31 Dec 2024 27,650,000 shares, as of 31 Dec 2024 Primary record 3
  • Françoise Bettencourt Meyers 31 Dec 2024 34.76%, as of 31 Dec 2024 Primary record 1

    L'Oréal's report counts the family together, with two family holding companies.

  • Nestlé 31 Dec 2024 20.14%, as of 31 Dec 2024 Primary record 1
  • Téthys SAS 31 Dec 2024 152,514,292 shares, as of 31 Dec 2024 Primary record 3

    Of 534,312,021 L’Oréal shares at that date. L’Oréal’s report counts this and the family’s other holdings together as 34.76 per cent.

acquired

  • Helena Rubinstein (brand) 1988–2005 Primary record 7

    L'Oréal's history dates the purchase to the period 1988 to 2005 without a year.

  • La Roche-Posay 1988–2005 Primary record 7
  • Kiehl's 1988–2005 Primary record 7
  • CeraVe 2017 $1.3B Scholarship & press 8

    Announced 9 January 2017 with AcneFree and AMBI; Valeant, the seller, is now Bausch Health.

involved in

includes

headquartered in

  • Paris Primary record 7

    As of 1939, by L'Oréal's own history; the page names 14 Rue Royale, Paris.

Timeline 16 dates
  1. 1909 – L'Oréal
  2. 1909 Eugène Schueller founded L'Oréal
  3. 1988–2005 L'Oréal acquired Helena Rubinstein (brand)
  4. 1988–2005 L'Oréal acquired La Roche-Posay
  5. 1988–2005 L'Oréal acquired Kiehl's
  6. 2011 L'Oréal sanctioned by Advertising Standards Authority
  7. 30 Jun 2014 L'Oréal charged by U.S. Federal Trade Commission
  8. 30 Jun 2014 L'Oréal settled with U.S. Federal Trade Commission
  9. 2017 L'Oréal acquired CeraVe
  10. 7 Dec 2021 Nestlé owns a stake in L'Oréal
  11. 31 Dec 2024 Françoise Bettencourt Meyers board member of L'Oréal
  12. 31 Dec 2024 Financière L’Arcouest SAS owns a stake in L'Oréal
  13. 31 Dec 2024 Françoise Bettencourt Meyers owns a stake in L'Oréal
  14. 31 Dec 2024 Nestlé owns a stake in L'Oréal
  15. 31 Dec 2024 Téthys SAS owns a stake in L'Oréal
  16. Sep 2026 L'Oréal charged by Arizona Attorney General's Office
Proof 11 sources
  1. L'Oréal, 2024 universal registration document, section 1.1.3 Stable governance, L'Oréal. Primary record
    Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and family ( 1 ) : 34.76%
    Nestlé: 20.14%
    three Directors (one of whom is the Board’s Vice-Chairman) from the Bettencourt Meyers family, which owns 34.76% of the share capital –
  2. L'Oréal, Agreement between L'Oréal and Nestlé for the repurchase by L'Oréal of 4% of its own shares held by Nestlé (page also carries the brands menu), L'Oréal, 7 Dec 2021. Primary record
    At the end of the transaction and after cancellation of the repurchased shares, Nestlé’s stake in the capital of L’Oréal will be reduced from 23.3% to 20.1%.
    L’Oréal’s Board of Directors meeting on December 7, 2021 unanimously approved a strategic transaction consisting of the repurchase by L’Oréal, as part of its share buyback program, of 22.26 million of its own shares - representing 4.0% of its capital - from Nestlé.
    La Roche-Posay Skinbetter Science Vichy CeraVe SkinCeuticals
    Prada Urban Decay Helena Rubinstein Carita Biotherm
    Lancôme Yves Saint Laurent Armani Valentino Kiehl's Since 1851
    Dermatological Beauty Division La Roche-Posay Skinbetter Science Vichy CeraVe SkinCeuticals
    Luxe Division Explore Luxe Division Lancôme Yves Saint Laurent Armani Valentino Kiehl's Since 1851
  3. L'Oréal, 2024 universal registration document, 7.3 Shareholders and changes in the share capital (page 389), L'Oréal. Primary record
    152,514,292 L’Oréal shares held in absolute ownership by Téthys SAS, a company controlled by Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and her family
    27,650,000 L’Oréal shares held in absolute ownership by Financière L’Arcouest SAS, also controlled by Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and her family
  4. Advertising Standards Authority, Annual Report 2011, Advertising Standards Authority. Primary record
    One of the banned L’Oreal ads featuring Juila Roberts, promoting Lancôme foundation
    The ASA has banned several ads since the new guidance, including two L’Oreal ads for foundation and face cream.
    The guidance clarifies that advertisers shouldn’t use digital retouching or products like hair extensions or false eyelashes in a way that could mislead consumers.
  5. Federal Register notice: L'Oréal USA, Inc.; Analysis of Proposed Consent Order to Aid Public Comment (File No. 122 3016), ftc, 10 Jul 2014. Primary record
    The Commission’s complaint alleges that L’Oréal advertised that Génifique and Youth Code provided anti-aging benefits by targeting users’ genes
    The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
    Part I of the proposed order prohibits L’Oréal from making claims that any Lancôme brand or L’Oréal Paris brand facial skincare product targets or boosts the activity of genes
    Part VIII provides that the order will terminate after twenty (20) years, with certain exceptions.
  6. State of Arizona ex rel. Mayes v. L'Oréal USA, Inc., and others: complaint, Maricopa County Superior Court, Arizona Attorney General (filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, posted by Courthouse News). Primary record
    Through the conduct alleged herein, Defendants violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act, A.R.S. § 44-1521, et seq.
  7. L'Oréal, Our History, L'Oréal. Primary record
    The L’Oréal story begins in 1909, when Eugène Schueller, a chemist with a vision, founded the Société Française des Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux.
    Further strategic acquisitions extended its portfolio to include Helena Rubinstein, the licence for Giorgio Armani perfumes, La Roche-Posay, Maybelline, Kiehl's, and SkinCeuticals.
    1939, the company became L'Oréal and moved to 14 Rue Royale in Paris.
  8. L'Oréal Buys CeraVe, AcneFree and AMBI from Valeant, Practical Dermatology, 9 Jan 2017. Scholarship & press
    Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. is selling CeraVe, AcneFree and AMBI skincare brands to L'Oréal for $1.3 billion in cash.
  9. The Autorité de la concurrence fines concerted practices between manufacturers a total of 345,2 € millions and 605,9 € millions on each market concerned (decision 14-D-19), Autorité de la concurrence, 18 Dec 2014. Primary record
    Colgate-Palmolive, Henkel, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Sara Lee, Laboratoires Vendôme, Gillette, L’Oréal, Beiersdorf and Vania participated at varying extents.
  10. Paris Court of Appeal, judgment of 18 June 2020, L’Oréal v. Autorité de la concurrence, on remand from the Cour de cassation (RG 19/08826), Paris Court of Appeal, 18 Jun 2020. Primary record
    INFLIGE, en conséquence, à la société L’Oréal S.A., à titre personnel et en sa qualité d’ayant droit de la société Lascad, une sanction pécuniaire de 189 494 000 euros
  11. Arizona Accuses L'Oreal of Concealing Cancer Risks Linked to Hair Relaxers (Reuters, via Insurance Journal), Reuters, via Insurance Journal, 14 Sep 2026. Scholarship & press
    A spokesperson for L’Oreal USA said the company is confident in the safety of its products and believes the claims are without legal or scientific merit.
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