Nathalie RoosPresident
Professional Products Division

Mirroring the acceleration in make-up, the strong attraction of hair colour for consumers is continuing, amplified by the boom in social networks. Asserting personality through hair colour is becoming a real beauty statement, and hairdressers are at the heart of the movement: only professionals have the skills to personalise colours and master the techniques involved. As the market leader in professional beauty(1), our ambition is to expand on this emerging trend.

Hair colour was the top contributor to growth in 2016, and all our brands increased sales in this category, thanks to our solid core franchises, boosted by colour innovations, trend-inspired collections and new services. Two examples are Inoa, adopted by more than 100,000 salons worldwide(2) and boosted by Inoa Blond Resist in 2016 or Diarichesse Hi-Visibility by L’Oréal Professionnel. Meanwhile at Redken, City Beats by Shades EQ was launched in the United States at the end of the year, and was showcased on social networks by Chloe Nørgaard, a DJ with a strong online following, who dons one of the range's 12 bold shades each month.

The Division has been supporting hairdressers with its education programmes for more than 100 years. To ensure that our hairdresser partners worldwide are always up to date with the latest trends, we are constantly in touch with the most recent information. We contact trendsetting professionals at fashion shows and reach out to celebrity hairdressers to co-create exclusive professional launches and tutorials.With its monthly Flash Trend Alerts, L’Oréal Professionnel keeps the whole hairdressing community up to speed, and raises awareness of the latest consumer expectations and professional techniques. This close relationship means we can take hairdressers' needs on board, and make sure that they are fully involved in designing our innovations. A prime example is Smartbond by L’Oréal Professionnel, co-created with 12 international colour specialists.