L’Oréal and Alibaba Jointly Announce First Mobile Acne Analysis Application Powered by Artificial Intelligence

Paris, May 17, 2019 - At Viva Technology Paris 2019, L’Oréal and Alibaba Group jointly announce the arrival of La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Spotscan app on Alibaba’s Tmall and Taobao platforms, making the technology available to consumers in China.

Effaclar Spotscan by L’Oréal’s La Roche-Posay brand is the world’s first web app providing analysis of acne-prone skin. With 80% of young people suffering from acne and only one dermatologist per 60,000 habitants available in China, there is an increasing demand for accessible, accurate and professional advice on acne. Effaclar Spotscan addresses this need, combining L’Oréal’s expertise in the field of dermatology with Alibaba’s world-leading AI technologies. Based on 6000 scientific images of acne skin collected by L’Oréal, Alibaba’s AI scientists used deep learning to create a neural network model for acne testing that detects the link between visual information from a user’s selfie and the type of acne. Based on this analysis, the app provides personalized advice and skin care recommendations to remedy acne lesions and prevent them from getting worse.

Lubomira ROCHET, Chief Digital Officer of L’Oréal said: “We are delighted to team up with Alibaba to bring dermatological expertise to millions of people in China with the launch of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Spotscan. This launch perfectly illustrates our vision of beauty, diversified and accessible to all, tailored to the needs and aspirations around the world and powered by digital.“

Stéphane RINDERKNECH, CEO of L’Oréal China said: “China is an important digital innovation hub, leading and inspiring the digital transformation of our industry. The launch of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Spotscan is a milestone in our partnership with Alibaba, aimed at providing disruptive beauty experiences and services.”

Yeming WANG, General Manager Alibaba Cloud EMEA said: “Millions of consumers on Tmall and Taobao suffer from acne. Through AI technology, they can now gain a better understanding of the state of their skin and choose the skincare solution that are right for them in an effective and convenient manner without even having to leave their homes. We are very pleased to join hands with L’Oréal Group, and to contribute ‘Chinese Intelligence’ to this innovation that can truly benefit every consumer. Today, we are launching Effaclar Spotscan to the entire world. This is yet another instance in which Alibaba and L’Oréal have achieved a perfect, consumer-oriented match of beauty and technology within our strategic partnership.”

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Spotscan will make its debut on the Tmall and Taobao mobile app in June 2019.

About L’Oréal
L’Oréal has devoted itself to beauty for over 100 years. With its unique international portfolio of 36 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 26.9 billion euros in 2018 and employs 86,000 people worldwide. As the world’s leading beauty company, L’Oréal is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair salons, travel retail, branded retail and e-commerce.
Research and innovation, and a dedicated research team of 3,993 people, are at the core of L’Oréal’s strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world. L’Oréal’s sustainability commitment for 2020 “Sharing Beauty With All” sets out ambitious sustainable development objectives across the Group’s value chain.
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