L’Oréal defines the future of beauty tech with latest hair drying tool, the Airlight Pro

Amongst all brand regulars and product updates, it's invigorating to see that there's still room for firsts within the huge tech show. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, it was announced earlier this year that Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO at L’Oréal Groupe, will be delivering the first-ever keynote from a beauty company at CES 2024. Not only is this is a key moment for the brand, but also the wider beauty industry, and highlights L’Oréal as a pioneer in the beauty tech space. 

In a bid to use technology to solve consumer needs, L’Oréal is also taking the opportunity to unveil the Airlight Pro, a breakthrough professional-grade hair dryer. Developed in partnership with Zuvi, the AirLight Pro uses a combination of infrared-light technology and wind to care for the hair, whilst also drying faster thanks to optimised heat flow. It's also able to style multiple hair types, and uses up to 31% less energy consumption than some of the best hair dryers on the market. 

“Zuvi’s mission is to leave the world better than we found it by disrupting technologies and innovating for the future,” said Mingyu Wang, Founder and CEO of Zuvi. “With our expertise in optics, aerodynamics, and consumer electronics design, we have created an exceptional product. We’re immensely proud of the work we’ve done to date and now to have a partner like L’Oréal, a company with more than 100 years of expertise in haircare and beauty, to take our products to the next level. Together, we are and will continue to create ground-breaking beauty technologies.”

A team of over 100 engineers, designers, hairdressers and scientists from L’Oréal’s Research & Innovation Division and Zuvi collaborated on AirLight Pro’s cutting-edge industrial design. Unlike conventional hair dryers that feature only thermal rods, the AirLight Pro is equipped with a special 17-blade, high-speed motor and infrared technology to deliver fast hair drying without excessive heat. By efficiently drying water on the hair surface, hair is left with internal moisture in the strand resulting in smooth, shiny hair. 

“For over a decade, L’Oréal Research and Innovation has been creating a new Beauty Science powered by Technology: Augmented Beauty. Technology that truly answers age-old consumer needs with unparalleled results,” said Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO in charge of Research, Innovation and Technology at L’Oréal. “The AirLight Pro, with over 150 patents filed, perfectly embodies this breakthrough in beauty by bringing a solution for drying while caring for the hair as well as the planet.”

The AirLight Pro will be launched under the brand's salon professional brand, L’Oréal Professionnel, and will be available in the UK and Europe from April 2024 for salons, and summer 2024 for consumers at home.