Celebrating 115 Years of the L'Oréal Groupe and the Launch of the Collective 100 000 Years of Beauty by Éditions Gallimard

Montreal, Tuesday November 12th, 2024 — Founded in 1909 by the chemist Eugène Schueller, L'Oréal celebrates its 115th anniversary. Produced with the support and participation of the Fondation L'Oréal to mark this anniversary, Éditions Gallimard is launching the collective work 100 000 Years of Beauty.

Beauty, an essential human need
We know that beauty has been an essential human need since the birth of humankind. There is no culture, no era, no civilization that has survived without beauty.

The quest for beauty has obsessed mankind for more than 100 000 years, and the human body is its privileged medium. The extravagant variety of appearances forms a language that can indicate cultural belonging, gender, era, age, and social status.

Throughout our lives, every moment is marked by beauty rituals. Beauty is essential to self-expression and helps us feel good about ourselves. When we think about it, we realize that our day begins and ends with beauty rituals. They allow us to pause and connect with the person we see in the mirror.

The L'Oréal Groupe, 115 years of innovation to meet everyone's aspirations
As the world leader in beauty, the L'Oréal Groupe has always placed science at the heart of its innovations.
Since the very first hair dye conceived by its founder Eugène Schueller in 1909, L'Oréal has continuously innovated to meet the infinite diversity of consumer aspirations and needs, everywhere in the world.
Our history is marked by world firsts: the first sunscreen oil (1935), the first reconstructed skin (1979), the first eco-designed formula (2000), the first robotic makeup applicator for people with reduced mobility, HAPTA (2023), the first environmentally friendly perfume extraction process (2024).
Today, L'Oréal's 4,000 researchers file an average of 600 patents each year and imagine innovative beauty products and experiences.

100 000 years of beauty by Éditions Gallimard
A hymn to beauty on the occasion of L'Oréal Groupe's 115th anniversary, a collective work entitled 100 000 Years of Beauty is launched this November by Éditions Gallimard. This work was produced with the support and participation of the Fondation L'Oréal and brings together contributions from 400 authors from diverse cultures and approximately 35 nationalities.

A reference work on human beauty, 100 000 Years of Beauty deals with a universal subject by drawing on the study of a large number of ancient and contemporary civilizations and develops a forward-looking reflection on the challenges of beauty in the 21st century. A unique cultural project, 100 000 Years of Beauty is introduced by an essay by Michel Serres and comprises 5 volumes designed under the scientific direction of a specialist for each period: Pascal Picq (Prehistory), Georges Vigarello (Antiquity, Classical Age), Marc Nouschi (Modernity), Elisabeth Azoulay and Françoise Gaillard (Future).

Each contribution is illustrated, or even based on the commentary of a work, in order to facilitate the understanding of the ideas: sculptures, paintings, photographs, archival documents, jewelry, and everyday objects...
The book 100 000 Years of Beauty was first published 15 years ago, in 2009, on the occasion of L'Oréal Groupe's 100th anniversary. Presented in a brand-new format and, above all, with a brand new take on the future, it is a true work of art and the perfect gift for any collector and beauty lover in your entourage!

About L’Oréal Canada
L'Oréal Canada is a subsidiary of the L'Oréal Groupe, the world's leading beauty company celebrating 115 years, managing 40 iconic beauty brands. The Canadian subsidiary includes a head office, plant and distribution center in Montreal, and employs over 1,640 people from 82 different nationalities. Its products are available in all distribution channels, including hair salons, department stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, medi-spas and e-commerce. Its sense of purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines its vision of beauty that is inclusive, ethical, generous and responsible. With ambitious social and environmental commitments set out in the L'Oréal for the Future program, the subsidiary also actively supports L'Oréal Foundation programs such as L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science. For more information, visit www.loreal.ca.

About Éditions Gallimard
Éditions Gallimard was founded in 1911 by Gaston Gallimard, André Gide, and Jean Schlumberger, as an extension of La Nouvelle Revue française (1909). With a catalog of nearly 50,000 titles, 9,000 authors, and 240 collections of literature and essays, Gallimard is today the leading independent French publisher and the literary foundation of the Madrigall family publishing group, chaired by Antoine Gallimard.

For information, please contact :

L’Oréal Canada
Isabelle Randez
External communication director
[email protected]

Madrigall Canada
Laurène Guillemin
Communications director
[email protected]