Beauty giant L'Oreal has said the surge in popularity of weight loss drugs is affecting consumption of beauty and skincare products, prompting the company to design treatments specifically targeting side effects of rapid weight loss. Nicolas Hieronimus, the company's head, described the rise of GLP-1 drugs as 'a very important phenomenon' for L'Oreal's business. He told investors that the increased use of these medications was 'having an impact on beauty consumption and skin care consumption in particular'. L'Oreal announced that sales in the three months to September rose by 7.7%, above analyst expectations.
GLP-1 drugs, originally developed to treat diabetes, have become increasingly popular in recent years after medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro were found to produce significant weight loss by suppressing appetite. Rapid weight loss can result in loose skin as a side effect, including changes to facial appearance. L'Oreal's brands SkinCeuticals and Kiehl's have now introduced products 'designed to work alongside and complement GLP-1 and its side effects on skin sagging' and other effects associated with rapid weight loss. The company, which also owns Maybelline and La Roche-Posay, has moved deeper into the clinical aesthetic space.
In December, L'Oreal increased its stake in dermatology firm Galderma to 20%. Both L'Oreal and Galderma have been testing products on GLP-1 users concerned about loose skin in separate clinical trials, according to reports. Galderma owns aesthetic products including Sculptra, an injectable designed to stimulate collagen production, and Restylane, a dermal filler. Last year, Galderma released a report examining the rise of GLP-1 use and related concerns about facial appearance changes. Its survey of weight loss medication users found that the vast majority had noticed changes to their facial appearance after using these drugs.
For UK consumers, the emergence of skincare products specifically formulated to address GLP-1 side effects means more targeted options are becoming available, though at a time when rapid weight loss medication use is reshaping demand across the beauty sector.