The Active Cosmetics Division has had a makeover and adopted a new name: the Dermatological Beauty Division. Thanks to expanded partnerships with healthcare professionals, it has consolidated its business model, which is driven by doctor recommendations. The focus and complementarity of its brand portfolio is a perfect match for growing consumer interest in health, safety and efficacy. Its products help to treat skin conditions and meet the expectations of consumers who turn to aesthetic physicians.
Innovation, complementarity and responsibility were the three keywords for 2022. Myriam Cohen-Welgryn, President, Dermatological Beauty, unpacks the Division’s outstanding performance.
I’m so proud of our teams around the world. In an uncertain environment, they adapted with agility and resilience. They also showed creativity and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We owe our success to them!
The Dermatological Beauty Division ended the year with outstanding growth, at +21.9% like-for-like and +30.6% based on reported figures. Reinforcing its medical prescription leadership, the Division strengthened its recommendation-based model and grew twice as fast as the dermocosmetics market. L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty posted double-digit growth in all Zones, with a remarkable performance in North America, SAPMENA–SSA2 and mainland China. The newly acquired brand Skinbetter Science integrated the Division’s portfolio in the fourth quarter.
The Division, which has nearly doubled in size over the last three years, has confirmed its leadership in terms of medical recommendations. Its brands simultaneously meet the needs of consumers with skin conditions and offer the most effective professional cosmetics to keep pace with soaring demand in aesthetic medicine.
L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty aims to provide dermatological solutions to continue to improve treatments for consumers’ skin problems and better address dermatological public health issues. It is addressing one of their concerns, in particular, by using the expertise of its Research & Innovation teams to continuously innovate in the field of sunscreen. More than 10 years of research, 31 patents and 68 studies led to the development of Meroxyl 400, the most effective UV filter to protect the skin against damaging UVA rays. La RochePosay capitalised on this innovation to launch Anthelios UVMune 400. The brand also developed Anthelios 100 KA+ MED, a sunscreen for the skin and scalp specially designed for skin that is extremely sensitive to UV exposure.
The Division’s brands have expanded their social initiatives to promote more widespread access to dermatology. In 2022, CeraVe announced a partnership with Gloderm, the most extensive network of doctors working to make dermatology accessible to underprivileged communities. The brand supports Gloderm’s efforts to train and mentor dermatologists who aim to advance skin health in healthcare deserts.
La Roche-Posay, which has long supported cancer patients, strengthened its commitment to the cause by partnering with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). In 2022, the brand reopened its iconic thermal centre in France, where patients suffering from skin diseases receive dermatological care and everyone can enjoy well-being treatments. The centre also includes a unit devoted to supportive care for cancer patients: Le Pavillon Rose.
In line with the Group’s sustainable development commitments, eco-design has become a priority. In a bid to ensure transparency and better inform consumers, several brands already display their products’ social and environmental impact score, audited by independent bodies and also available on the brands’ websites. The A-to-E rating assesses different environmental (carbon footprint, recyclability and packaging composition) and social (supplier inclusiveness and workers’ rights) criteria. Vichy and La Roche-Posay have rolled out the score on all their products in Europe, including Minéral 89 and Cicaplast Baume B5+. 75% of these products earned an A or B rating.
American brand CeraVe confirmed its spectacular rise in 2022: it was the number one dermatologist-recommended brand in the United States, where it grew three times faster than the dermocosmetics market. It also pursued its rapid global expansion and continued to make gains in all markets, earning its spot as the number two dermocosmetics brand worldwide and the fourth brand most recommended by dermatologists. Now a billionaire brand, CeraVe continues to capitalise on its four fundamental pillars: a scientific approach to skin; doctor recommendations, fuelled by a growing number of initiatives to meet dermatologists and boost its reputation; brand advocacy by healthcare professionals and consumers, both in points of sale and online; and affordable positioning to reach as many consumers as possible.
