L’Oréal Groupe recently unveiled a new hair-drying tool. Developed in collaboration with Zuvi, it cares for the hair and the planet with 31 per cent less power consumption. The launch took place at CES 2024, the annual trade show by Consumer Technology Organisation in Las Vegas, USA.
Zuvi is a hardware startup company run by drone engineers and also leading scientists. The AirLight Pro uses a combination of infrared light technology and wind to dry hair. It provides visually smoother and hydrated hair while also drying the hair faster than conventional hair dryers. The product provides optimised heat flow across multiple hair types.
Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO, L’Oréal Groupe, said, “For 115 years, L’Oréal has been leveraging science to innovate and provide consumers with unforgettable beauty experiences that fulfil their individual beauty aspirations. With AirLight Pro, in partnership with Zuvi, we prove that technology can augment beauty performance, care for multiple hair needs, and reduce its environmental impact. That’s the future of beauty we are aiming to create.”
Mingyu Wang, Founder and CEO of Zuvi, said, “Zuvi’s mission is to leave the world better than we found it by disrupting technologies and innovating for the future. 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.”
Zuvi has developed an innovative first-generation product. To make the dryer, the brand used its patented LightCare technology on a blow-dryer. It also uses infrared light and high-speed wind to efficiently dry surface water from the hair. Further, it leaves the internal moisture in hair strands.
A team of over 100 engineers, designers, hairdressers and scientists from L’Oréal’s Research & Innovation Division and Zuvi worked together on AirLight Pro’s cutting-edge industrial design. They developed a professional-grade hair drying tool that shatters the barriers of performance. AirLight Pro delivers up to 33% more hydrated hair. Further, it provides a faster drying time and up to 59 per cent visually smoother hair. Overall, it results in an enhanced user experience based on feedback from leading professional stylists.
It is unlike any conventional heating hair dryers that use only heating coils. AirLight Pro uses a special 17-blade and high-speed motor. Moreover, it uses patented infrared technology powered by tungsten–halogen bulbs for fast hair drying without excessive heat. It efficiently dries water on the hair surface and leaves the hair with internal moisture resulting in smooth, shiny hair.
L’Oréal invested in Zuvi through its corporate venture fund, BOLD Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development as a minority investor.
Salon professional brand, L’Oréal Professionnel will launch AirLight Pro in select markets of the United States and Europe. Furthermore, in 2024 it’ll be available to both beauty professionals and consumers.
Note: Statistics included are based on claim studies conducted on AirLight Pro in the European Union.