At CES 2026, L’Oréal continued its long-running effort to place consumer beauty devices alongside mainstream personal tech. This year’s announcements focus on two familiar categories—LED skincare and heat-based hair styling—but with design and engineering choices intended to address some of the practical complaints that surround both.
The most visually distinctive reveal is a flexible LED system that includes a full LED Face Mask and a separate LED Eye Mask. Unlike many existing LED masks on the market, which rely on rigid plastic shells that sit awkwardly on the face, L’Oréal’s prototypes are thin, pliable, and silicone-based. The eye mask in particular is transparent, exposing the internal wiring and light elements, which gives it an unusual, almost clinical appearance. While striking, the design also hints at the technical direction L’Oréal is taking: reducing bulk and improving skin contact rather than adding more structure.
According to the company, the masks are still in prototype form and were developed with iSmart. They are designed to deliver red light at 630 nm and near-infrared light at 830 nm during automatically timed 10-minute sessions. These wavelengths are already common in consumer LED skincare devices from brands such as Dr. Dennis Gross and Omnilux, but L’Oréal argues that the combination of a transparent support layer and integrated microcircuitry allows for more precise light control and closer contact with the skin.
The company has also acknowledged one of the more common criticisms of LED masks: discomfort and dryness during use. L’Oréal says it plans to introduce a dedicated serum designed to be used alongside the mask, both to improve comfort and to support the light treatment. This points to a broader strategy of pairing devices with proprietary formulations, rather than treating hardware as a standalone solution.
The other major announcement is the Light Straight + Multi-Styler, a hair styling device that uses near-infrared light rather than relying solely on traditional heated plates. L’Oréal positions this as a response to the damage associated with high-temperature styling, noting that conventional straighteners can exceed 400°F, a range where keratin degradation becomes a concern. The Light Straight’s glass plates are designed not to exceed 320°F, while infrared light is used to heat and reshape hair internally by targeting hydrogen bonds.
As with some of L’Oréal’s previous hair tools, the device includes sensors and software intended to adjust performance based on user movement. Details on how this translates into real-world benefits remain limited, and claims around speed and smoothness will ultimately depend on independent testing rather than lab metrics.
Neither the LED masks nor the Light Straight will launch before 2027, and pricing has not been finalized. L’Oréal has indicated that the LED mask will sit below the most expensive devices currently on the market, suggesting a premium but not ultra-luxury positioning. For now, these CES 2026 announcements are best viewed as signals of where the company is directing its research: toward lighter, more adaptable hardware that fits into daily routines without asking users to tolerate unnecessary discomfort.
