Guerlain was founded in 1828 by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain.
The founder established the house in Paris, where it first operated as a perfumery and later became associated with cosmetics and skincare as well as fragrance. Guerlain's early history is tied to custom-made scents for members of European royalty and elite society.
The business remained a family enterprise through successive generations, including Aimé Guerlain, Gabriel Guerlain, and Jacques Guerlain. Jacques Guerlain became one of the house's most influential perfumers and created landmark fragrances including L'Heure Bleue and Shalimar.
Guerlain is sometimes confused with individual perfumes such as Shalimar or Mitsouko, but those are products of the house rather than its name. The 1828 date identifies the founding of the fragrance company itself. In 1994, Guerlain became part of the LVMH group, long after its independent family-founded beginnings.