L’Oréal, the global beauty company, has expanded its expertise in microbiome research through the acquisition of Lactobio, a Danish probiotic and microbiome research company. The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
This strategic acquisition builds upon L’Oréal’s two decades of research in the field of microbiome, further deepening the company’s understanding of the microorganisms residing on the skin’s surface and strengthening its leadership in this domain. In a statement released on Monday, L’Oréal stated that the acquisition provides new opportunities, including leveraging Lactobio’s microbiome expertise and extensive intellectual property portfolio to develop innovative cosmetic solutions, such as those containing live bacteria.
Lactobio, founded in Copenhagen in 2017 by Søren Kjærulff and Charlotte Vedel, has developed a proprietary microbiome discovery platform and screening method to identify the most effective and safe strains. L’Oréal intends to utilize their precision probiotics, derived from a large biobank of lactobacillus bacteria, in the development of topical formulations that incorporate live bacteria. This approach takes inspiration from nature and aims to provide numerous benefits to the skin and hair.
Anne Colonna, Global Head of Advanced Research at L’Oréal, expressed that the integration of Lactobio into their advanced research capabilities is highly complementary. She emphasized that L’Oréal’s scientific knowledge and technological advancements, combined with Lactobio’s expertise in formulations using living organisms, will significantly strengthen and accelerate their microbiome research efforts in the beauty industry.
Søren Kjærulff, the Chief Scientific Officer of Lactobio, highlighted Denmark’s history of innovation in applying living microorganisms to various fields such as food, agriculture, and health. He expressed that Lactobio was inspired by this background to create their company.
Together, L’Oréal and Lactobio aim to develop a new generation of cosmetics using cutting-edge innovations in the formulation process. Their goal is to deliver science-based, precision probiotic, and postbiotic products that offer elevated performance levels in the beauty industry.
