The Beauty of Longevity: How L’Oréal Is Reframing Aging and Beauty in China

As longevity becomes a key concern among the consuming public, industries from healthcare to consumer goods are racing to address the challenges—and opportunities—of an aging population. For the beauty industry, this shift represents more than a scientific frontier. It offers a new cultural and social paradigm. L’Oréal, the world’s largest beauty group, is taking the lead by introducing a holistic new concept: “The Beauty of Longevity.” Launched first in Paris and now unveiled in China, the initiative not only expands the definition of beauty beyond age but repositions skincare as an active agent in lifelong wellness.

A New Lexicon for Beauty and Age

While the concept of skin longevity remains relatively new to consumers in China, the underlying desire for sustained skin health is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. According to Rachel Ge, China R&I CMI Director CN & North Asia Coordinator at L’Oréal, traditional Eastern philosophies such as mind-body harmony, holistic well-being, and qi balance (the smooth and balanced flow of energy through the body) provide a solid cultural foundation for Chinese consumers to interpret skin health from the inside out.

Recognizing linguistic and cultural nuances, L’Oréal translated “The Beauty of Longevity” into Chinese as “新龄美” (literally, “New-Age Beauty”), a phrase that reflects both the physical and psychological dimensions of human aesthetics. But in the Chinese context, “beauty” is not merely aesthetic; it’s a reflection of one’s life attitude and mental state. Meanwhile, “new-age” signals a mindset shift, from anti-aging anxiety to embracing age with grace and renewed self-awareness. Notably, this concept extends beyond mature consumers. L’Oréal positions it as an inclusive proposition, encouraging all age groups to value skin health and redefine beauty across the lifespan.

From Lab to Vanity Table: The Science Behind the Concept

The Beauty of Longevity is based on “L’Oréal Longevity Integrative Science,” a systematized framework the group has been developing for over 15 years. With more than 40 publications and a comprehensive R&I pipeline, the approach marks a transition from corrective care to preventive care.

Dhimoy Roy, Vice President of L’Oreal Research & Innovation North Asia, emphasized: “About 15 years back, long before it became a buzz word, We engaged tremendously into this quest, and we created the ‘L’Oréal Longevity Integrative Science’, with the sole purpose of rewriting this narrative. Backed with a new science from symptom correction to root causes intervention, with new engines from derm-actives to biological activators, with new innovations from anti-aging to longevity skincare.”

The system’s core is the L’Oréal Group’s “Wheel of Longevity for Beauty,” which decodes skin-aging mechanisms at the cellular, molecular, and tissular levels. Leveraging its proprietary “Longevity AI Cloud”, L’Oréal analyzes more than 260 skin longevity biomarkers to reveal the intricate mechanisms influencing skin vitality and youthfulness, even detecting infinitely small, invisible changes. By identifying the nine interconnected hallmarks of aging,  L’Oréal has built a first-of-its-kind, full-spectrum longevity solution that integrates advanced diagnostics with high-efficacy products powered by exclusive active ingredient combinations, offering consumers more choice and control on their journey to lifelong skin health.

Beyond in-house R&I, L’Oréal is actively investing in frontier longevity technologies. In 2024, its strategic venture capital fund BOLD acquired a minority stake in Swiss Biotech company Timeline, whose proprietary molecule Mitopure® recycles and rejuvenates aging mitochondria. The group also established partnerships with Chinese biotech firm Veminsyn and UK-based Senisca, focusing on bioactive ingredients and senescence cell reprogramming, respectively.Together, these collaborations expand L’Oréal’s capabilities in biomanufacturing and skin intervention, marking a multi-pronged presence across the longevity technology value chain.

These breakthroughs are not confined to labs and are being rapidly integrated into consumer-facing applications. At CES 2025, L’Oréal introduced Cell BioPrint, a skin testing device co-developed with Korean startup NanoEntek. On direct-to-consumer skincare solutions, L’Oréal also launched the Lancôme Absolue Longevity Soft Cream powered by “PDRN”, leveraging regenerative aesthetics to boost cellular energy and extend skin’s youth.

From Industry Strategy to Public Advocacy

What makes “The Beauty of Longevity” distinctive is its ambition to go beyond brand strategy and evolve into a public narrative. As Lan Zhenzhen, Chief CA&E Officer of L’Oréal North Asia and China, noted at the initiative’s China launch event: “If we imagine ‘The Beauty of Longevity’ as a tree—scientific health is its roots, cultural values its trunk, and socio-economic vitality its leaves.”

In this framework, public engagement is as crucial as scientific innovation. According to L’Oréal data, 91 percent of surveyed consumers agree that “beauty has no age,” and 77 percent of those over 50 are eager to explore new experiences, underscoring the dynamism of the silver economy. To tap into this demographic shift, L’Oréal recently launched “The Beauty of Longevity” Public Image Program (“新龄美”形象管理公益课程) in Shanghai, aiming to empower mature consumers through education and professional training, thereby fostering a rediscovery and exploration of diverse expressions of beauty.

“Age is a number. Aging is an art,” said Lan Zhenzhen, emphasizing that true beauty is not about appearing younger, but rather embracing life with confidence and authenticity. Her message cuts across generations.

A New Growth Engine for China’s Aging Society

At a macro level, L’Oréal’s initiative addresses growing imbalances in the silver economy, ranging from unmet product needs and intergenerational communication gaps to the emotional and social inclusion of older consumers. It introduces not just new categories but new ways of understanding value, beauty, and vitality in later life.

In May 2025, livestream host and cosmetics sales sensation Li Jiaqi’s “All Parents’ Happy Family” channel topped trending charts with over 1.74 million views. Interestingly, many viewers were young consumers. These consumer were not just shopping for their parents, but re-evaluating generational perspectives on lifestyle and beauty. In this sense, “The Beauty of Longevity” is fostering a cross-generational dialogue.

Overall, L’Oréal’s “The Beauty of Longevity” redefines consumer identity in China’s aging society, aligning with national strategies to promote high-quality population development through improved health and education. It also offers an alternative blueprint for the beauty industry, one that aligns scientific innovation with social inclusion and long-term economic resilience.

Looking ahead, L’Oréal plans to expand “The Beauty of Longevity” initiative with a deeper research agenda and public policy engagement. As Lan Zhenzhen remarked, “The Beauty of Longevity is not a slogan. It is L’Oréal’s long-term commitment to the demographic future of our society.”