GLP-1 drugs shift skin care demand, L'Oréal CEO tells investors

L'Oréal chief executive Nicolas Hieronimus said GLP-1 weight loss drugs are having an "impact" on beauty consumption and, in particular, on skin care demand. He made the remarks on 22 October, during an investor call that followed the group's Q3 2026 results.

"We also see, which is a very important phenomenon for us, the rise of the use of GLP-1 is having an impact on beauty consumption and skin care consumption, in particular," said Hieronimus.

He named names. SkinCeuticals and Kiehl's both carry products "designed to work alongside and complement GLP-1, and its side effects on skin sagging or other things like that," he told analysts.

How large is the GLP-1 user base?

The numbers explain why a mass-market beauty group now treats GLP-1 side effects as a formulation brief. According to the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, 11% of US adults currently use GLP-1 medications for weight loss, and 15% have used them at some point in their lives.

The UK shows the same trajectory at a smaller scale. Research from UCL, published in BMC Medicine, estimates that 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used GLP-1 medications for weight loss between early 2024 and early 2025.

The drugs behind the shift are Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, whose popularity has boomed in recent years. Rapid weight loss from these medications drives skin sagging and volume loss, and beauty brands have responded. Earlier this year, Cosmetics Business reported on the rise in innovations claiming to target skin volume loss caused by GLP-1 medications.

What did Q3 2026 deliver?

L'Oréal reported what it called "exceptional" results for Q3 2026. Sales rose 7.2% to €11.6bn in the three months to 30 September.

The dermatological beauty division drove much of that growth, expanding 11.6%. Its three "billionaire" brands — La Roche-Posay, CeraVe and SkinCeuticals — all posted double-digit growth.

That division houses the products Hieronimus flagged as GLP-1 adjacent. The convergence matters: the strongest-growing shelf in L'Oréal's portfolio is also the shelf where GLP-1 companion claims live.

What does this mean for formulators and buyers?

The mechanism is straightforward. GLP-1 users lose facial volume and skin firmness, they know why, and they shop for actives that address it. A chief executive citing "skin sagging" on an investor call signals that the category has moved from niche claim to portfolio strategy.

For product development teams, the brief now includes efficacy positioning against GLP-1-driven volume loss, firmness and sagging. For procurement and retail buyers, brands with an established dermocosmetics engine — SkinCeuticals, Kiehl's, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe — hold the early advantage because clinical credibility underpins these claims.

Watch the next set of quarterly results and the pipeline of volume-loss claims. If the 11% US adoption figure keeps climbing, GLP-1 companion products will move from a talking point to a standard segment in skin care line reviews.