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External Innovation

External Innovation

blue pigment

At the heart of The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) is a passion for creativity and innovation. For more than 75 years, our scientists, engineers, product developers, and technical professionals have pioneered transformative innovation in beauty, delivering high-performance luxury and prestige beauty products to millions of consumers worldwide. Our multidisciplinary expertise includes the intersections of physics, chemistry, biology, physiology, material sciences, and engineering to discover state-of-the-art technologies that utilize novel scientific concepts to meet next generation consumer beauty needs.

Our vast and diverse network of external partners is an integral part of our global innovation ecosystem. Our relationships help ensure that we can deliver breakthrough innovation and create best-in-class luxury experiences for our consumers. At ELC, we welcome like-minded inventors across industries and innovation networks—startups, academia, research institutions, and others—who are interested in partnering with us on this journey.

across our portfolio

Across our portfolio of brands, our focus is on creativity-driven concepts and an understanding that inspiration can come from anywhere. We invite innovators in all sectors, both inside and outside beauty (including but not limited to medicine, human health, longevity, fermentation, synthetic biology, -omics, sustainability and green materials, and bioinformatics), to join us in unlocking the future of beauty.

We invite innovators across disciplines and sectors to join us in Reimagining Beauty.

Areas of Interest

Explore some of the scientific disciplines where we are seeking innovative partnerships to create the next generation of beauty products, packaging, and experiences.

Physical Sciences

Physics and chemistry applications to product formula and packaging materials, including dynamics and interactions within formula and in the substrate-formula interface, across time and environments.

Biology & Life Sciences

Discovery of novel properties of existing and new to nature biomolecules with consumer-noticeable impact on skin and hair.

Chemistry & Ingredients

Biochemistry, physical chemistry, and synthetic chemistry for the delivery of groundbreaking performance.

Imaging & Diagnostics

Technologies and methods for the measurement and visualization of beauty benefits and biological targets in clinical setting or consumer-facing communications.

Sustainable Ingredients & Packaging

Materials and practices that minimize environmental impact throughout total product lifecycle, including ingredients, formula, and packaging.


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News

Estée Lauder Hosts Beautiful Forces Grants Reception with Vital Voices and Global Brand Ambassador, Paulina Porizkova

Estée Lauder, in partnership with Vital Voices, hosted a private reception alongside the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

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Aveda Announces Improved Innovation of Paper-Based, Recyclable Sachets, Now Offered Globally

At The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), we’re committed to sustainability throughout the product journey, and Aveda’s redesign reflects Aveda’s continuous dedication to responsible packaging solutions.

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Beauty for You, Care for the Planet: ELC Advances Sustainability This Earth Day and Beyond

At The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), we’re committed to sustainability throughout the product journey. In celebration of Earth Day, we’re proud to spotlight our end-to-end approach to sustainability while placing consumers at the center of everything we do.

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