Active Cosmetics
Brigitte LibermanPresident
Active Cosmetics
In 2016, the Active Cosmetics Division maintained its growth momentum. With a +5.7% increase in sales(1), higher than market growth, we confirmed our worldwide leadership in dermocosmetics(2). It was another year of strong sales growth for La Roche-Posay and SkinCeuticals, especially in the United States, where the Division's growth was outstanding. Latin America and the Africa, Middle East Zone posted double-digit growth. Online sales rose by +40%(3), contributing to the Division’s dynamics as a whole. Skincare, our flagship category, continued to grow and win market shares, driven by our innovations and the recommendations made by healthcare professionals.
Health drives skincare growth
The Active Cosmetics Division firmly believes that "Health is the future of beauty", which means it is fully attuned to the increasing universal and multigenerational trend towards health and tolerance in cosmetics. To obtain clearer consumer insights, we interviewed 1,000 women on this topic in five countries: 57% of them believe that daily beauty rituals have an impact on health(4). The survey also confirms the importance of the values of protection, tolerance, naturalness and ethics, and the expectation of advice from healthcare professionals.
Thanks to another worldwide survey, we have identified a target with real potential: 360 million women who have concerns about health issues. They live all over the world, with 75% of them outside Western Europe(5). Two goals motivate their use of skincare products: preserving their beauty capital through a holistic approach to well-being and naturalness, and using products with high technological added value to actively improve their skin. Our five very complementary brands are well-placed to meet the expectations of this universal trend.
(1) Like-for-like.
(2) Source: 2016 panels and L’Oréal estimates.
(3) Sales achieved on the brands’ own websites and estimated sales achieved by the brands on retailers’ websites (non-audited data). Like-for-like.
(4) Source: Ipsos 2016, L’Oréal study “Health is the future of beauty”. 1,000 women in the United States, France, Germany, and Brazil (aged 16-75); in China (aged 18-50). National representation via quotas and weighting in the United States, France, Germany, among SEC A/B/C in Brazil / among 50% highest income earners per tiers (1/2/3) in China.
(5) Source: Sociovision 2016, L’Oréal study “Heath Potential Consumers”, 15 countries extrapolated to 84 countries (included the 15 countries), covering North America, the whole of Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, North East Asia and Australia. The United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). “World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision”, custom data acquired via website.