Jean-Noël Thorel, a founder who fights established ideas
NAOS was founded by Jean-Noël Thorel, pharmacist-biologist. At a very early stage he overthrew the established understanding of the beauty industry, going so far as to shift its paradigm.
He began his career in a pharmacy located Gare de l’Est in Paris, working in close contact with clients. This experience was the basis of his determination to better understand the needs of all and address them differently. In 1973, he worked alongside Jean-Henri Belin the Managing Director of the pharmaceutical laboratory PHARMEX which belonged to MERCK and RICKER. He then became the Director of the GOUPIL laboratories alongside its founder, Jean-Jacques Goupil. He left due to an ethical disagreement over the formulation of his sun care products.
Jean-Noël Thorel’s pioneering vision naturally led him to entrepreneurship. In 1977, Jean-Noël Thorel founded the research center CEREDAP (Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche en Esthétique et Dermatologie Appliquée), where he created the first Bioderma and Institut Esthederm products. Starting from the principle that « when skin is suffering, rather than over-treat it, it must be taught to function properly », he created innovative product concepts with the support of renowned dermatology and biology researchers and registered his first patents. With the creation of new modes of action inspired by the skin and passing the skin barrier, he contributed to the evolution of the legislation and changed the paradigm of traditional cosmetics in the Skincare field.
Jean-Noël Thorel, Founder and President of NAOS
"There is as much truth
in the observation of stars
as in a single skin cell."
Jean-Noël Thorel