- L'Oréal Light Straight + Multi-styler presented at CES 2026
- The plates are made of glass and use patented infrared technology.
- It can be straightened effectively at lower temperatures.
L'Oréal just introduced its next-generation straightener and it could be a game-changer, not just for anyone struggling with thinning hair, but for the hair care market as a whole. The Light Straight + Multi-styler uses a patented infrared light technology that is designed to operate at lower temperatures, helping to maintain healthy hair.
L'Oréal claims that Light Straight works 3 times faster than “leading premium stylers” and leaves hair twice as soft. While I can't verify that, it was certainly efficient in the demo room at CES 2026. Unfortunately, for hygiene reasons they wouldn't let me use it on my own curly hair, but I was very impressed with how soft it left the demo human hair, in just one pass.
The Light Straight + Multi-styler never exceeds 320F/160C (for comparison, GHD straightening irons run at 365F/185C). Higher temperatures damage hair over time by weakening the cuticles, causing more breakage and less shine. I spoke to Guive Balooch, global vice president of technology and open innovation at L'Oréal Groupe, to get all the details on the new technology.
Guive explained to me that the Light Straight + Multi-styler (and the L'Oréal AirLight Pro hair dryer launched at CES 2024) use a specific type of high-powered infrared light that until a few years ago was very expensive.
About the hair dryer, he said the heat from the airflow “synergizes” with the heat from the infrared light, allowing the dryer to dry hair faster and at a lower temperature.
The same concept is used in Light Straight, but it's used slightly differently here. “The light not only generates heat but also helps penetrate the hair and temporarily modify the bonds in the hair. It has synergy with the heat it generates,” Guive explained to me. It is this synergy that means the irons can operate at temperatures that can be up to 80F/40-50C cooler than traditional options.
The infrared light used here is invisible, but LEDs are added to provide that space-age vibe. The working prototype's light is red, but the final version will glow blue, to match the AirLight Pro.
Although the Light Straight + is called a 'multi-styler', I would classify it as a hair straightener, albeit a rather unusual one. Like most straighteners, it can be used for both curling and straightening. However, I also saw an early concept of a multi-styler from L'Oréal that uses the same technology.
Guive emphasized that the form factor is still in development, but the current model looked more like a square, infrared-emitting lightsaber on which various style hats could be attached. He also explained that now that they had infrared technology developed in both dryer and hot plate form, the real challenge was figuring out the exact design and its capabilities – wet-to-dry straightening and curling were mentioned.
Category-changing technology
Guive is especially excited about the broader possibilities of the new technology. “It's a total reinvention of a category that has been using the same technology for a long time. But with a real purpose: to provide results that are less damaging to the hair,” he told me.
L'Oréal has over 170 patents on the specific light used in its hair tools (as well as a new LED mask that I also saw at CES), but it predicts that light in general will become more prominent in beauty. “This particular wavelength and the one we've patented is very high performing, and we tested many types of wavelengths, both for skin and hair. Will people look at other types of light and see if they can make it work for hair and skin? Probably. And I'm happy to see that.”
The bad news is that you'll have to wait a while to get your hands on the straightener: the Light Straight + Multi-styler will launch globally in 2027. Pricing is also TBC, but Guive predicts the straightener will sit in the middle of the premium range.
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