L'Oréal

L'Oréal is a beauty group that has worked only in cosmetics and skincare for more than a century. Focusing on a single category is unusual for a consumer goods company of this size, since many large competitors spread across food, household and personal care. The group, whose shares trade under the ticker OR.PA, has set itself the mission of offering women and men worldwide cosmetics innovation in terms of quality, efficacy and safety.

Its 37 international brands sit in four divisions: Luxe, Consumer Products, Dermatological Beauty and Professional Products. The portfolio includes Lancôme, Kiehl's, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Prada Beauty, Aesop, Maybelline New York, Garnier, L'Oréal Paris, Essie, Urban Decay, Kérastase, Redken, Vichy and La Roche-Posay. The divisions roughly follow distribution channels: prestige department stores and boutiques for luxury lines, supermarkets and drugstores for mass brands, pharmacies and dermatologists for dermocosmetics, and hair salons for professional products.

The company has about 90,000 employees across 150 countries on five continents and recruits at every level, from interns to senior roles. Its stated purpose is creating the beauty that moves the world, and it aims to win over another one billion consumers with cosmetic and skincare products that meet a wide diversity of beauty needs. Reaching consumers at that scale usually means adapting formulas, shades and price points to local skin types, hair textures and budgets. Beyond consumers, the group provides dedicated information for suppliers, journalists, job seekers, and investors and shareholders, and presents its work under themes including commitments and beauty science.