In a dermocosmetics market that is still dynamic, with estimated growth of around +5%(1), the Active Cosmetics Division is once again asserting its worldwide leadership with +7.8%(2) growth in 2015, i.e. 1.5 times faster than the market. All the Zones and all the brands posted sales growth. Growth in Latin America, Brazil, Asia and Africa, Middle East was two-digit, an achievement matched on every continent by the LA ROCHE-POSAY brand.

Our growth is driven by consumers’ over-increasing interest in beauty and health, reflected in a desire for simplicity, safety and naturalness; a search for effective solutions to deal with skin problems linked to lifestyle, ageing and pollution; and a vision of health as a lifestyle choice dependent on expert brands, suggested and recommended by professionals in the field. Three trends fully covered by our brand portfolio.

We are continuing to strengthen our partnerships with healthcare professionals. The Global Summit of Pharmacy Leaders brought together some 300 pharmacists and managers of pharmacy and drugstore chains from 28 countries, to offer programmes designed to develop business in pharmacies, and help them to digitalise and provide advice and services. At the World Congress of Dermatology, we awarded international prizes for social responsibility in dermatology in recognition of dermatologist-led initiatives to improve the well-being and self-esteem of patients facing social exclusion because of skin diseases.

In 2015, L’Oréal launched some strikingly successful innovations with high scientific added value, such as Neovadiol by VICHY, a new substitutive cosmetic approach, and Lipikar Baume AP+ by LA ROCHE-POSAY, which helps to rebalance the skin’s microbiome and to space-out flare-ups of severe skin dryness, thanks to a major advance by L’Oréal Research.

The Division is also rolling out its multi-channel approach with its dermacenter concept, which embodies our modern vision of beauty and health, focused on providing quality experiences, services and advice from skincare experts. Finally, we are continuing our digital acceleration, both as a tool for increasing recommendations for our brands, as is the case of the viral campaign Skin Checker by LA ROCHE-POSAY, and as a powerful growth driver via e-commerce, which accounted for 17.1% of the Division’s growth(3).

We must continue to reinvent both the customer experience and our services, at the point of sale and on digital media, through better knowledge of our consumers’ profiles and behaviour. The conviction that health is the future of beauty means we need to be even more respectful of the beauty and health of the planet. We are committed to going the extra mile by innovating in environmental protection at all levels, making sure our development is responsible, and sharing benefits with all our stakeholders.