Garnier knows better than most beauty brands the importance of remaining relevant in today’s fast-changing world, which is why the 120-year-old heritage player is about to unveil its most technologically advanced and uncompromising era yet.
High-Tech Nature is the L’Oréal-owned brand’s next big chapter, which is said to combine science and nature to deliver even more high efficacy formulas that are sustainable and accessible to the masses, based on consumers’ growing demands for both high-performance and high responsibility in their beauty routines.
At the heart of this new brand platform for greater science-driven, eco-friendly beauty is Garnier’s new vitamin Cg ingredient – a sustainable form of vitamin C developed via biotechnology from renewable corn and wheat, which uses 1,000 times less land than traditional orange-derived sources.
It also claims to offer superior stability and skin compatibility.
Vitamin Cg will debut in two new Garnier products in Europe in January 2026 – a sorbet textured moisturiser (€5.99) and skin tint with an SPF50 (€12.15) – while reformulations of two hero skus with the new biotech-derived ingredient – Micellar Cleansing Water (€6.90) and Vitamin C Brightening Serum (€12.90) – are already in store and online globally.
It is a timely move for the brand when more than 50% of the global population is now experiencing pigmentation disorders, according to research in l’SPOT – 1st International Epidemiological Survey, which assesses social stigmatisation in pigmentary disorders.
It is this idea of no compromise – we do not compromise between quality and affordability, between nature and science, and between efficacy and sensory experience – that is the core of High-Tech Nature
This is due to rising temperatures and increasing UV index days amplifying oxidative stress on the skin, which is making skin tone management one of the fastest-growing beauty categories globally.
As a well-known leader in skin brightening, Garnier is using its expertise with this new technology to go deeper with its formulations, which makes sense when its current bestselling Vitamin C Brightening Serum is “the number one serum in the world in terms of units sold [according to market share value 2024 data]”, Garnier Brand President Marc Baland tells Cosmetics Business.
Baland explains that Garnier’s High-Tech Nature is “a new era of our unique beauty expertise, rooted in nature, powered by technology”.
“It is really a new way to push our formulas to new levels of efficacy, safety and sensory experience, with our new vitamin C from biotechnology working in synergy at different levels of skin, and that is real progress,” he adds.
“And when you compare it to classic vitamin C that you take out from citrus and lemon, we use 1,000 [times] less natural resources than this classic extraction – [which is why] this biotech formulation is going to change the industry.
“It is much more sustainable, but at the same time, you have the clinical, proven efficacy on skin to prevent pigmentation and protect from oxidation. It is the best of both worlds."
Garnier's Vitamin C Fresh & Bright Hydrating Sorbet Cream is billed as a “reinvention” of the traditional moisturiser
Inside Garnier’s new High-Tech Nature strategy
High-Tech Nature aims to reaffirm Garnier’s position as a leading accessible global beauty brand that offers high-tech natural beauty to all demographics, pushing the point of view that biotech science delivers ultra efficacy, ultra safety and ultra sensoriality.
This strategy will be key to the legacy company maintaining – and growing – its relevance and authenticity, with Garnier labs worldwide working hard to capture local trends to work the science into, and help the brand compete with smaller, more agile players.
Garnier has labs in the US, Brazil, South Africa, India and Europe, to name a few, which capture what is going on in different countries – the next big needs and trends – so the brand can act with a “real competitive advantage”, says Baland.
[High-Tech nature] is really a new way to push our formulas to new levels of efficacy, safety and sensory experience
He adds: “Garnier has been a leader in bringing the best of nature and science together and has passed the test of time, because you do not have a lot of brands that have been here for 120 years – and we are [the] number four [brand] in the world right now [based on the number of units sold in 2024].
“But, it is true that the main challenge that we have as this big brand right now is to ensure that we are still relevant and in tune with the times – with new trends and consumer needs, and evolving to a fast, innovating beauty market.
“The way we can do that is by being
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