L’Oréal launches La Roche-Posay application in China with Alibaba

L’Oreal announced on Friday the China launch of an anti-acne advice application on Alibaba platforms, developed for its La Roche-Posay brand.

The technology, called Effaclar Spotscan and already available in some 30 European countries, allows consumers to obtain a skin diagnostic from a photo of their face taken by smartphone.

Via the partnership with Alibaba, it will be made available on the TMall and Taobao platforms belonging to the e-commerce giant, which has over 600 million users.

“In China, the demand for accessible, targeted and professional advice is growing,” the global cosmetics group emphasised in a release published during the VivaTech technology show in Paris at which it was presenting its innovations.

Some 80% of young Chinese people suffer from acne and dermatologists are rare, with one doctor for 60,000 people, according to figures published in 2014 by the China Clinical Guide.

La Roche-Posay, a dermocosmetics brand recommended by dermatologists and sold in pharmacies and parapharmacies, is highly popular with Asian consumers seeking products deemed safe and targeted.

The brand's annual sales are understood to account for around a billion euros of the group's revenue.

After introducing a patch measuring sun exposure, La Roche-Posay has also recently linked with Apple to launch a sensor measuring exposure to UV, pollen, pollution and humidity.