Estée Lauder puts the science of longevity at the heart of its strategy

According to INSEE, by 2023 there will be 30,000 centenarians in France, thirty times more than in 1970. Scientists, sociologists and even psychologists are looking at the issues raised by longer life expectancy, but above all at how to live better for longer. And it’s now the cosmetics industry that’s getting to grips with the subject of longevity, which is even beginning to overshadow the term ‘anti-ageing’.

The American cosmetics brand Estée Lauder, owned by the group of the same name, is launching Skin Longevity, a platform based on a new product innovation, group training for longevity experts and the funding of a research programme at the Stanford Center on Longevity.

“Longevity is a fast-growing trend in the beauty and wellness industry. In 2022, the global biohacking market (actions and practices to optimise your body, mind and life) was worth 22 billion dollars, and is expected to reach 80 billion by 2030,” explains Anne Troussicot, managing director for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India for the Estée Lauder, Origins and Aerin brands.

Estée Lauder has developed Sirtivity-LP, a patented technology that not only slows down skin ageing, but even visibly reverses it. “In January 2024, we will be launching Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Transformative Brilliance, a gentle cream with Sirtivity-LP, worldwide. A cream that visibly reverses the signs of ageing after just 14 days,” says Anne Troussicot.

This new product, which will become part of Estée Lauder’s premium Re-Nutriv range, will be sold in the selective network for around €350. Sirtivity-LP technology will subsequently be incorporated into other products, particularly in the brand’s make-up segment.  
 
In parallel with this product launch, Estée Lauder has set up a group of longevity experts from a number of disciplines. Its members, including Estée Lauder scientists and external experts, will become the brand’s media spokespeople on the subject of longevity. Estée Lauder has also announced its support for the Stanford Center on Longevity, an interdisciplinary research centre at Stanford University in California. The brand will be the first financial contributor to the centre’s new programme on aesthetics and culture. 

Present in 80 countries and territories, Estée Lauder is the historic brand of the Estée Lauder group, and one of its flagship brands. But Estée Lauder is not the only brand to be focusing on longevity, with Clarins and Beiersdorf also conducting studies on the subject.
 
The launch of this platform comes at a time when the financial results of the Estée Lauder group, whose portfolio includes the M.A.C, Clinique and La Mer brands, are in decline. In the first quarter of its 2024 financial year, the group suffered a 10% drop in sales to $3.52 billion (€3.2 billion). Estée Lauder attributes these results to “expected pressure in the travel retail business in Asia as well as increasing headwinds from a slower-than-expected recovery in prestige products in mainland China”.