Why the world's largest beauty company supports women scientists

L'Oréal's commitment to supporting women in science, through the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards, extends to South Korea, marking its 25th year in the country. This program, initiated globally in 1998, has been instrumental in recognizing and empowering female researchers, contributing to a significant increase in women's participation in STEM fields. Globally, the program has a notable track record, having helped identify seven Nobel laureates.

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Gender diversity leads science to new and better dimensions.

The initiative's slogan, "The world needs science, and science needs women," highlights the belief that supporting individual female researchers can lead to world-class scientific achievements. In South Korea, the program has evolved since its inception, with a separate Korean award established in 2002 to further bolster research support for women scientists. Over the past decade, the proportion of women entering STEM fields in South Korea has risen from 19% to 24%, and new hires in R&D within these sectors have increased from 24% to approximately 32%.

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The world needs science, and science needs women.

While the idea of a beauty company investing in science might seem unusual, L'Oréal's origins are rooted in scientific innovation. Founded in 1909 by French chemist Eugène Schueller, the company began with the development of a safe hair dye. Today, L'Oréal employs over 4,000 scientists globally, with women comprising 68% of its research staff. Their work focuses on understanding human skin, material science, and safety validation, driving the company's brands and trends through scientific expertise. Notably, 54% of recently filed patents bear the names of female inventors.

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The combination of cosmetics and scientists, beauty and laboratories, brands and basic science may seem like different worlds, but it is not unusual for L'Oréal, a beauty company that started with science.

With the global rise of K-beauty, L'Oréal Group's interest in South Korea's beauty industry, market, and its female scientists has grown. The company actively engages in open innovation, collaborating with local startups to enhance the overall ecosystem of the Korean beauty industry. A recent example is the joint development of an AI-based "longevity skin diagnostic device" with a Korean company. L'Oréal Korea states that its 25-year support for women scientists stems from a deeper purpose: creating an environment where more female talent can pursue research without limitations, which it considers a genuine investment in the entire Korean scientific community. The company aims to be a global partner connecting South Korea's scientific innovations with the world through this award.

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More than 4,000 scientists work at the L'Oréal Group worldwide, researching human skin, material science, and safety validation to implement brands and trends with scientific technology.