Our organisation

Our missions

Novéal develops and guarantees exclusive, high performance ingredients to satisfy the beauty needs of consumers around the world.

Created in 1938 by the founder of L'Oréal, Eugène Schueller, Novéal is an integral part of the Group.
At the interface of Operations and Research, our passionate teams are committed to developing eco-responsible processes and sustainably industrialising the performance ingredients of the Group's Advanced Research.

As a strategic asset of L'Oréal, Novéal is in direct touch with the 7 R&I hubs and 40 manufacturing plants of L'Oréal.

Our mission is built around 4 pillars :
- High-performance ingredients from L'Oréal Advanced Research
- Customised ingredients for brands
- Green chemistry and Green-tech
- A secure supply chain for the Group's ingredients

Discover how we work with L'Oréal

We understand the issues and needs of L'Oréal. 
Thanks to our membership of the Group and our close collaboration with the divisions and brands, we can provide innovative responses to formulation, operational, marketing and budgetary challenges.

We guarantee to L'Oreal the exclusivity and intellectual property of the ingredients.
The ingredients and processes we develop are exclusive and serve objectives of differentiation in a competitive market.

We contribute to the achievement of L'Oréal for the Future  and TRUST objectives.
The choice we have made to develop eco-responsible processes and more natural ingredients enables the Group to meet the expectations of consumers in terms of exemplary performance.

We develop new technologies and innovative solutions.
By developing expertises in green chemistry, biotechnology and innovative processes, we bring a step ahead of the market.

We secure the ingredients of the Group and guarantee their availability and conformity.
From sourcing to the delivery of ingredients to the factories, we ensure the quality and safety of ingredients and guarantee their conformity in terms of specifications and regulations.

Our organisation

Our teams are spread over 3 sites in France as follows: 

- In Le Thillay, with our R&D and our industrial pilot as well as the headquarters and support functions.

- In Tours, we have our Biotechnology plant with our experts in plant cell culture and fermentation.

- In Mourenx, we have more than 170 collaborators at our fine chemicals production plant that put their know-how at the service of the industrialisation of technical ingredients such as polymers, sunscreens, surfactants...

Our history

Novéal, previously Chimex, was founded in 1938 by Eugène Schueller, the founder of L'Oréal. Novéal's primary function was to develop and produce hair dyes ingredients, which revolutionized hair perming.

As a subsidiary, we develop synergies with R&I and are in direct contact with the needs of the different entities of the Group, to optimize and make the global value chain more reliable.

In 2020, Chimex rebrands as Novéal. Together we are breaking new ground, transforming and innovating to create the beauty of the future : a more responsible, sustainable and technological beauty to meet the beauty expectations of consumers around the world.
Success Story

Our success story !

Novéal, as a L’Oréal subsidiary, represents 80 years of innovation channelled into the launch of major ingredients from the Group’s Advanced Research Division.

These innovations include the launch of Mexoryl SX, the first sun filter against UVA rays, as well as the launch of Rose Cells for Lancôme and Pro-Xylane, the reference anti-ageing ingredient in the cosmetics industry.