Proya opens Paris lab to power European skin longevity research

Proya Cosmetics, China's biggest beauty brand, has opened its European innovation centre laboratory in Paris, planting a research flag in the heart of the French beauty industry.

The Hangzhou-based company frames the lab as a key overseas research pillar for its 'Double Ten Strategy' — a plan to build a technology-driven global cosmetics platform. Paris now sits alongside the Longwu R&D Center in Hangzhou and the Shanghai R&D Centre in a three-node global network.

What will the lab actually research?

Four core areas define the research agenda:

• Skin longevity and mitochondrial health
• Skin biomechanics and barrier resilience
• Formula innovation
• Sustainable ingredients and related technologies

The focus on mitochondrial health signals where Proya expects the next generation of anti-ageing claims to come from. Barrier resilience and biomechanics point toward formulation work on skin mechanics rather than surface effects alone. For suppliers and contract laboratories in Europe, the sustainable ingredients pillar creates a clear entry point for partnership conversations.

Who runs the operation?

Dr. Lieve Declercq serves as Chief Scientific Advisor and VP of the Europe Innovation Centre, while Antoine Deconinck holds the post of General Manager. Declercq brings a profile familiar to European cosmetic science circles, and her appointment places an established European researcher at the head of the scientific agenda.

The opening ceremony drew Proya's top leadership: Hou Juncheng, founder and Chairman, and Dr. Sun Peiwen, Chief R&D and Innovation Officer. Christophe Masson, CEO of Cosmetic Valley, attended as well, alongside French beauty industry leaders, international experts from academia and clinical practice, and representatives from key suppliers and partners. Cosmetic Valley's presence matters; the competitiveness cluster effectively opens doors to French formulation talent and industrial partners.

How does Paris feed Hangzhou?

Proya describes the architecture as 'local demand responsiveness + international technological synergy'. The Paris lab absorbs cutting-edge global beauty science insights and feeds them back into domestic R&D in China. In practical terms, European research output strengthens product development for the Chinese home market first, with global lines to follow as the platform matures.

The mechanism is straightforward. European researchers track frontier science and regulatory currents close to source. Hangzhou and Shanghai translate that intelligence into product. Procurement teams should expect Proya to deepen relationships with European ingredient suppliers as the four research pillars mature.

Longevity science takes the stage

To mark the opening, Proya hosted a scientific forum at the new laboratory under the theme 'Longevity Science Meets Beauty: New Frontiers in Next-Generation Cosmetics'. Three international experts presented: Dr. Maria Cavinato, Prof. Philippe Humbert, and Dr. Jérôme Paris.

The forum anchored the event to the lab's central scientific direction — skin longevity. Humbert's clinical credentials in skin assessment lend the programme immediate credibility with dermatology audiences.

The takeaway: Proya has moved from selling into markets to researching inside them, and Paris gives the company a listening post for European beauty science.