L'OREAL (France), which recently took over the American company KIEHL'S (estimated turnover of USD 40 million for 2000) for between USD 100 and 150 million (see yesterday's EI), has acted through its subsidiary COSMAIR to buy another US firm, MATRIX ESSENTIALS (sales of USD 342 million in 1999 with a workforce of around 1,000), leader on the American market for professional hair care products. The amount of the acquisition was not disclosed.