L’Oréal unveils future-focused light technology for skin and hair care
Key takeaways
- L’Oréal introduced infrared-based hair and LED skin technologies at CES, with commercial launches planned for 2027.
- The Light Straight + Multi-styler limits heat damage using near-infrared light and AI-driven personalization.
- An ultra-thin LED Face Mask targets skin aging with red and near-infrared wavelengths.
L’Oréal has presented two technologies for hair and skin care at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held this week in Las Vegas, US. The new solutions include a styling tool, Light Straight + Multi-styler, and an LED Face Mask.
Both innovations are planned to launch in 2027 and have been recognized as CES 2026 Innovation Award honorees.
L’Oréal says it aims to combine beauty with scientific discovery and technology to tailor experiences to individual needs.
Heat limit
The hair styling tool utilizes patented light technology to achieve styling results without hair damage. L’Oréal says that standard hair straighteners often reach temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which exceeds the threshold at which keratin denatures.
In addition to styling the hair, the tool is equipped with smart internal sensors featuring proprietary algorithms and machine learning, allowing the device to adapt to its users’ gestures and maximize personalized performance.
It also uses near-infrared, “a wavelength of light just beyond the visible light spectrum that penetrates deeply into hair fibers,” LÓréal explains, to reshape internal hydrogen bonds. This helps to preserve the hair, keeping the natural hair cuticle smoother, shinier, and stronger while achieving desired styling results.
The styler is made with glass plates that do not exceed 320 degrees Fahrenheit. The company states that internal tests have shown that the styler works three times faster and leaves the hair twice as smooth compared to similar tools.
“Light Straight + Multi-styler moves hairstyling beyond correction into prevention. Limiting cumulative heat exposure to help preserve the integrity of natural hair from the start, we’re enabling consumers to protect their hair now and for the future,” says Guive Balooch, global VP of Augmented Beauty and Open Innovation at L’Oréal Group and member of the Consumer Technology Association’s Board of Industry Leaders.
Ultra-thin technology
LÓréal’s other innovation presented at CES is created for targeted skin care. The LED Face Mask is made of ultra-thin, flexible silicone, allowing light to be directed to the face.
The mask was developed in collaboration with iSmart, a LED device innovations, and is currently in prototype form.
The styler is made with glass plates that do not exceed 320 degrees Fahrenheit (Image credit: L'Oréal).The French beauty giant says that it believes the testing will demonstrate how the mask targets aging signs, such as fine lines and wrinkles, sagging, and uneven skin tone.
The design is lightweight and non-invasive. It is also timed for 10-minute sessions to be easily incorporated into daily skin care routines.
L’Oréal says it believes the key to the mask’s effectiveness is its advanced, transparent support, which integrates a skin-safe microcircuit to precisely control the emission of two selected wavelengths of light — red light (630 nm) and near-infrared light (830 nm) — each working to visibly firm and smooth skin while evening skin tone.
Previous tech beauty innovations from L’Oréal Group include a device that provides personalized skin analysis in five minutes. The Cell BioPrint utilizes advanced proteomics, which examines how the protein composition in the human body influences skin aging.
Last year, it also partnered with Nvidia to scale the beauty giant’s AI use across product development, marketing, and consumer experience. The collaboration utilized Nvidia’s AI Enterprise software to accelerate L’Oréal’s development and deployment of AI tools, particularly for 3D product rendering, generative content creation, and personalized shopping services.
