Wellness Briefing: L’Oréal bets on LED, Amorepacific launches a smart mirror, and more from CES

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas kicked off on Tuesday, and videos of viral new tech are already flooding social media. This includes an AI-powered robot that folds laundry, smart Legos that change color and an electric spoon that makes food taste salty without using actual sodium. 

On the wellness front, bionic footwear gained momentum — it’s a technology that Nike is developing, as well, and is often described as “an e-bike for walking.” As expected, health tracking is also trending, seen in a body-scanning smart scale from Withings, a new tracker watch competitor to Whoop from the brand Luna, and a $899 Longevity Mirror from Nuralogix that tracks blood flow to the face to rate the user’s longevity. 

But it was Amorepacific, parent company of brands like Laneige, Etude and Sulwhasoo, that received a CES Innovation Honoree Award — for Skinsight, a new smart mirror developed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Samsung Electronics. The new mirror analyzes real-time skin-aging signals to predict aging and delivers personalized solutions tailored to individual needs, including product recommendations, according to the company. 

“Amorepacific aims to lead the global beauty and wellness industry with holistic longevity solutions,” Hyojung Joo, head of Amorepacific’s digital strategy division, said in a statement. The company did not share when the product will be available for sale.

L’Oréal Groupe is also betting big on new tech with its foray into LED light therapy. The company revealed an ultra-thin, flexible silicone mask on Tuesday, as well as eye patches. “It’s the thinnest LED mask in the world, at one millimeter thick,” Guive Balooch, global vp of tech and open innovation at L’Oreal Groupe, told Glossy. “It’s super, super easy to apply, it’s flexible, and we have [eye patch and] full-face versions, which is really cool.” 

Both of the prototypes were made with U.K.-based I-Smart Developments, a global leader in LED device innovation and maker of LED masks from Omnilux, Beauty Pie and The Light Salon. Balooch believes that the large, plastic, helmet-like masks available from top brands will slowly lose their luster among consumers as thin, lightweight alternatives emerge. “[I-Smart Developments] found a way to make flexible electronics at the power [that is proven to be effective when] put into a mask,” he said. “It almost feels like a sheet mask.” 

I-Smart Developments has completed more than 10 clinical tests on its LED lights, including four on L’Oréal’s new prototypes, which are shown to combat fine lines, sagging and uneven tone when used 10 minutes per day, Balooch said. L’Oréal Group is currently seeking FDA approval for both versions. If successful, Balooch will focus on developing chest, neck, forehead and chin versions. The exact price of the mask has not been determined, but it will launch at “a few hundred dollars,” to start, Balooch said. He hopes to rapidly scale manufacturing to lower the price for the mass market.

According to Mintel market research company, just 10% of U.S. consumers reported using an LED light therapy mask in 2025, up from 5% in 2023. However, Mintel found that these numbers soar when looking at interest among teenagers: 33% of U.S. consumers ages 12-17 reported using facial skin-care devices, like red-light masks or cleansing devices, within the past year. 

Balooch told Glossy that L’Oréal Group will determine the right brand for the mask soon. He mentioned Lancôme, Armani, Prada and YSL as potential fits for the tech, which will launch in 2027. 

“Longevity is a broad word, but for us, it’s about trying to, as much as possible, get our biology to be as young as possible — not just our chronological age, but also our biological age,” he said. “It’s a very exciting moment, because the tech is also evolving and allowing us to do it.”

Executive moves:

• Esi Eggleston Bracey is stepping down from her role as chief growth and marketing officer at Unilever after an eight-year tenure at the conglomerate. Leandro Barreto, former CMO for Unilever’s beauty and wellbeing arm, will replace Bracey. 

News to know:

• TrueMed, an HSA- and FSA-focused online retailer, has taken on $34 million in Series A funding led by capital market firm Andreessen Horowitz. As previously reported by Glossy, pre-tax flexible-spending and health-spending accounts have grown in popularity as the “health is wealth” movement continues. As of January 2024, there was more than $1 billion in HSA and FSA accounts ready to be spent. 

• A new Gallup poll shows that more than half of Americans surveyed are interested in losing weight. The group found that 41% of Americans surveyed describe themselves as being overweight, and 26% are actively trying to lose weight. Broken out by gender, women are more likely to want to lose weight and more likely to attempt to lose weight. By age, around 30% of 18- to 34-year-old adults say they are overweight, compared with 44% of 35- to 54-year-olds, and 45% of adults aged 55 and older.
  
• Healf, the U.K.-based wellness retailer, has hired A-list faces to front its resolution-focused marketing campaign starring supermodel Claudia Schiffer, DJ Calvin Harris and Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson. Schiffer is also an investor in the company, which took on an undisclosed investment from Iris Ventures in 2025. 

• The FDA approved the first oral GLP-1 on December 22. Currently called the “Wegovy pill,” it was developed by Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, and could be available early this year, according to Reuters. 

Stat of the week:

​​Americans plan to spend an estimated $60 billion in 2026 to support their health, fitness and exercise goals, according to a U.S. survey by the global trade association Health & Fitness Association. The group found that 89% of survey respondents believe regular physical activity is one of the most effective forms of preventive healthcare, with top goals including mobility, strength, posture, flexibility and mental health. 

In the headlines:

Former Bergdorf exec sued for allegedly taking trade secrets to Nordstrom [The Fashion Law]. H&M’s new activewear collection Is Inspired by hot pilates, saunas & cold plunges [Athletech News]. Equinox takes aim at AI, misinformation with latest campaign [WWD]. La Roche-Posay taps table tennis player Sun Yingsha to ‘serve’ as ambassador [Cosmetics Business]. 

Listen in: 

What will 2026 mean for the beauty and wellness industries? In a new special episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, hosts Lexy Lebsack, Emily Jensen and Sara Spruch-Feiner share their 2026 industry predictions.

Need a Glossy recap?

Injectable peptide therapy went mainstream in 2025, priming consumers for the next big wellness wave. As tariffs hit brands and customers alike, more price hikes are coming in 2026. Trendspotting: Tech ring jackets are growing in popularity as health tracker ring sales surge. Why 2025 was the year of the Mirakl marketplace. The Glossy guide to what’s in and out for 2026. Who the heck is buying the wellness industry’s most expensive offerings?