When people hear L’Oréal Paris, they may think of makeup, hair colour, skincare, cosmetics or the famous words “Because You’re Worth It.”

But behind the global beauty name is a story that stretches back more than a century — one that began not on a fashion runway, but in a laboratory.

Today, L’Oréal is one of the world's largest beauty companies, while L’Oréal Paris has become its flagship consumer brand. The company’s journey from a small French hair-dye business to a global beauty empire reflects the changing relationship between science, beauty, fashion and women’s social identity.

The latest expression of that journey was visible at Paris Fashion Week 2026, where L’Oréal Paris staged its annual Le Défilé runway show, presenting beauty alongside a message of inclusion, sisterhood and women's empowerment.

The L’Oréal story officially began in 1909 with French chemist Eugène Schueller.

Schueller developed hair-colouring products that were designed to provide fashionable shades while being gentler on hair and skin. He founded the Société Française des Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux, or the French Society for Safe Hair Dyes.

One of his early products was called L’Auréale, a name inspired by the popular “Auréole” hairstyle of the period. The name eventually evolved into L’Oréal.

Schueller's approach was significant because he connected beauty with scientific research. Rather than treating cosmetics simply as fashion products, he built the business around chemistry, experimentation and innovation.

That philosophy would become one of L’Oréal's defining characteristics.

Over the following decades, the company expanded beyond hair colour. In 1934, L’Oréal introduced what it describes as the first soap-free shampoo, followed by Ambre Solaire sun protection oil in 1935.

By 1939, the company officially adopted the name L’Oréal.

L’Oréal's expansion accelerated during the second half of the 20th century.

The company acquired and developed numerous beauty brands, eventually building a portfolio spanning haircare, skincare, makeup, fragrances and professional beauty.

Its portfolio eventually included names such as Lancôme, Garnier, Maybelline, Kiehl’s, La Roche-Posay and Giorgio Armani fragrances, among many others.

This expansion helped transform L’Oréal from a specialist hair-dye company into an international beauty group.

Research remained central to the company's strategy. L’Oréal describes its history as a continuing “science of beauty” journey, with research and innovation driving the development of new products and technologies.

Today, L’Oréal Paris says its scientific heritage spans roughly 120 years, supported by thousands of researchers and research centres around the world.

Perhaps no beauty slogan has become more recognizable than:

“Because You’re Worth It.”

The phrase became part of L’Oréal Paris' identity in the 1970s, during a period when advertising and society were experiencing significant changes in how women were represented.

According to L’Oréal Paris, the original campaign was notable because it presented beauty as something women could claim for themselves, rather than simply as something designed to appeal to others.

The campaign was created in 1971 by female copywriter Ilon Specht for a Préférence hair-colour advertisement. L’Oréal Paris now describes the phrase as a long-running feminist brand manifesto.

Over the decades, the slogan evolved from an advertising line into a broader message around self-worth, confidence and individuality.

That idea continues to shape how L’Oréal Paris presents its ambassadors and campaigns today.

L’Oréal's approach to women’s empowerment extends beyond advertising.

The company says its initiatives focus on areas including education, entrepreneurship, scientific research, protection from harassment and violence, social inclusion and representation.

One major example is the L’Oréal Fund for Women, launched in 2020.

According to L’Oréal, the fund focuses particularly on vulnerable women, including those affected by poverty and gender-based or sexual violence. The company says the programme has supported more than 530 organisations in 90 countries, directly helping more than 4.8 million women and girls.

The company also works through its Inclusive Sourcing initiatives, which are intended to create employment and income opportunities for people from vulnerable communities. L’Oréal says that two-thirds of beneficiaries of its Inclusive Sourcing projects are women.

These initiatives illustrate an important shift in the beauty industry's role: empowerment is increasingly presented not only through advertising, but also through economic opportunity and social programmes.

Another major L’Oréal Paris initiative is Stand Up, created in partnership with the NGO Hollaback!

The programme focuses on street harassment and teaches people how to intervene safely when they witness or experience harassment in public spaces.

For L’Oréal Paris, the initiative connects directly with its wider idea of women's self-worth.

The message is straightforward: empowerment is not only about feeling confident in one's appearance; it also involves having the freedom and safety to participate fully in public life.

L’Oréal's commitment to women also extends beyond the beauty industry.

The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme supports female researchers and aims to increase recognition of women's contributions to scientific research.

This reflects an interesting connection to the company's own history.

L’Oréal was founded by a chemist, and scientific research remains fundamental to the company's beauty products. Supporting women in science therefore connects the company's heritage with a broader effort to recognize women as researchers, innovators and leaders.

L’Oréal Paris has also expanded its women-focused initiatives into the film industry.

The Lights on Women’s Worth Award, launched in 2021, supports emerging female filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival.

L’Oréal Paris says women remain underrepresented in key filmmaking positions. The award provides a €20,000 grant along with mentorship and support to a promising female short-film director.

The initiative demonstrates how the brand has expanded its concept of “worth” beyond beauty and into creative careers and representation.

The latest chapter of this story arrived at Paris Fashion Week 2026.

L’Oréal Paris presented its Le Défilé show as an event centred on beauty, fashion, sisterhood and women's empowerment. The brand says the 2026 edition marked the ninth Le Défilé since 2017.

The 2026 lineup included global ambassadors and personalities such as Viola Davis, Jane Fonda, Kendall Jenner, Eva Longoria, Andie MacDowell, Aishwarya Rai, Cara Delevingne, Simone Ashley and Kristen Bell, alongside Paralympic and sporting figures including Bebe Vio Grandis and Marie Bochet.

The diversity of the participants is central to the show's message. Rather than presenting one definition of beauty, L’Oréal Paris uses the runway to showcase different ages, backgrounds, professions and forms of representation.

Reuters reported that Celine Dion made a special appearance at the 2026 event, which took place against the backdrop of the illuminated Eiffel Tower.

The show also reflects L’Oréal Paris' effort to make fashion-week culture more accessible. The brand says the event is open to the public and livestreamed globally through platforms including Instagram, TikTok and its digital channels.

L’Oréal's evolution shows how a beauty company can build its identity around more than products.

Its original business was based on hair dye and chemistry. Its modern identity encompasses cosmetics, skincare, haircare, beauty technology, scientific research, fashion, entertainment and social initiatives.

At the centre of the L’Oréal Paris brand is the idea that beauty should contribute to self-expression and self-confidence.

The company's empowerment initiatives also show how that message has expanded into areas such as women's education, scientific careers, protection from harassment, economic opportunity and filmmaking.

Of course, L’Oréal remains a commercial beauty company, and its empowerment messaging is also part of its global brand strategy. But its philanthropic and social programmes represent tangible initiatives alongside its marketing campaigns.

More than a century after Eugène Schueller began experimenting with hair dyes, L’Oréal's name now appears on products used around the world and on one of fashion's most visible stages.

The company's journey from a 1909 French hair-dye business to a global beauty group mirrors the transformation of the beauty industry itself.

And at Paris Fashion Week, L’Oréal Paris continues to turn that history into a public statement: beauty is not presented only as appearance, but also as confidence, identity, diversity and self-worth.

That evolution may explain why a slogan created more than five decades ago — “Because You’re Worth It” — remains at the centre of the brand's identity today.