L’Oréal Groupe is seeing the near-infrared light.
The French beauty conglomerate has unveiled two light-powered innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including a Light Straight + Multi-styler flat iron, which uses near-infrared light technology to straighten and style hair at reduced temperatures, and LED eye masks meant to combat visible signs of under-eye aging.
Both products will launch in 2027 under respective, yet-to-be-confirmed brands within L’Oréal’s portfolio, which includes Lancôme, Vichy, SkinCeuticals and more in skin, and L’Oréal Professionnel, Redken and Color Wow, among others, in hair.
The Light Straight builds on the patented technology powering L’Oréal Professionnel’s AirLight Pro hair dryer, which L’Oréal unveiled at CES 2024 and has since rolled out to salons in the U.S., Europe and Asia, as well as on Amazon and Ulta Beauty, where the tool sells for $475.
“We’re using the same type of technology to straighten the hair three times faster [than a traditional flat iron], make it two times smoother and use up to 100 degrees less heat,” said Guive Balooch, global vice president, augmented beauty and open innovation at L’Oréal.
The Light Straight features glass plates which never exceed 320 degrees Fahrenheit and work in tandem with the near-infrared technology to style the hair while reducing the risk of heat damage. It can also be maneuvered to create waves and curls.
While the AirLight Pro was developed in partnership with hardware start-up Zuvi, the Light Straight was developed in-house, added the executive.
The LED Eye Masks, developed in partnership with iSmart Developments, deliver red light and near-infrared light treatment in timed, 10-minute sessions. There are 16 LED chips per silicone-based eye mask, totaling 32 LED chips in both.
“Because the material is so thin and so flexible, we can make masks that are targeted to different parts of the face — like the chin, the neck,” said Balooch, adding that L’Oréal is also developing a full-face version of the mask, which features 208 LED chips and “sits on the skin like a sheet mask would.”
LED masks and facial devices have become increasingly popular in recent years, with prominent players including Therabody — which recently signed Kendall Jenner as an ambassador for its $379 TheraFace Mask Glo; Shark Beauty, and Solawave, known for its $169 red light therapy wand.
L’Oréal’s eye masks, which are still prototypes, will mark the company’s first foray into the category. In terms of pricing, the masks “will be within the middle-range of premium products,” said Balooch.
Last year at CES, L’Oréal introduced its Cell Bioprint device. Developed in partnership with Korean start-up NanoEnTek, the device requires a consumer to place a strip of facial tape on their cheek, which is then placed in a protein-isolating buffer solution, then deposited in the Cell Bioprint cartridge to determine the person’s current and future skin needs. That device will be brought to market this year via Lancôme, starting at beauty counters in Europe and Asia, said Balooch.
