For The First Time, La Roche-Posay Brings Real Advice With Real Dermatologists In Real Time To Consumers With The Introduction Of Dermatologist By Your Side™

NEW YORK, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A dermatologist's recommendation in skincare continues to be the most trusted, yet many still can't get to the doctor, and instead choose skincare products on their own. In fact, an alarmingly small portion of American women – just 17 percent – visit a dermatologist[1].  Additionally, while consumers are electing to choose their own skincare regimens, most women (53 percent) say they get confused as to what to buy and even more (60 percent) are still looking for the best products for their skincare needs[2].

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Imagine having your very own board-certified dermatologist right alongside you, guiding you through your skincare and sun care needs to help you make the best choices for your skin's health and overall appearance. Imagine having this information presented in a credible, accessible, empathic and non-threatening way. With its latest initiative, La Roche-Posay delivers all this and makes a huge stride in helping to crack the code on skincare education and purchasing.

Introducing Dermatologist By Your Side™, a service provided by La Roche-Posay to help educate consumers on what's best for their skin via unbiased advice, tips and solutions provided by board-certified dermatologists. In addition to steering the consumer toward visiting the dermatologist, a concept that La Roche-Posay has long promoted, Dermatologist By Your Side™ brings the dermatologist to the consumer. The program is designed to provide information to the consumer wherever they need it in order to choose the right products for their skin, as well as help them to adopt healthy behaviors to help improve the quality of their skin.

Dermatologist By Your Side™ will exist  across several platforms in order to maximize consumer reach. The program will live digitally (online, including social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube), in-store (on-shelf in drugstores) and at public health awareness programs (including SOS – Save Our Skin and Play Safe in the Sun skin check events nationwide).  The program will address a different topic each month via a series of 30-second-to-one-minute videos designed to answer consumers' frequently asked questions about skin and skincare.  At the heart of the project is a team of two dermatologists, Dr. Kavita Mariwalla (see video) and Dr. Shirley Chi (see video), who helped develop and appear in these informational videos, offering expert solutions to each problem, plus in-depth explanations. Initial topics include acne, sensitive skin/rosacea, photoprotection and aging/pigmentation, with more to come. In addition, there will be live monthly online chats with the dermatologists and other informational tools for consumers.

Often, consumers find themselves standing at the skincare aisle, wondering what to do about their various skin concerns,  with questions about ingredients and proper skincare regimens.  To help solve these dilemmas, Dermatologist By Your Side™ offers a quick, easy and accessible solution for consumers.  By dialing **DERM (**3376) from a mobile phone, consumers will automatically receive a text message with a link to view the relevant videos.

"For me, there have been times where I've been in the drugstore, standing in front of the cosmetic aisle and just looking for hours," said Dr. Mariwalla. "Dermatologist By Your Side™ is our way as doctors to be right there with you to help you make informed decisions about your skincare. And what a great way to be there; if you ever need anything, you just click on a link and we're there to help you."

"We want Dermatologist By Your Side™ to provide educational materials to consumers, but with a value-added twist," said Yannick Raynaud, general manager of La Roche-Posay. "We're not just providing answers to consumers' questions; we're educating them on the reasoning behind those answers. With this program, we're helping consumers make the right choices for their skin with the ease of expert advice right at their fingertips."

Dermatologist By Your Side™ will also be promoted at skin health and sun safety initiatives that are part of La Roche-Posay's SOS – Save Our Skin campaign. The goal of SOS – Save Our Skin is to not only inform Americans about the dangers of UV rays and the importance of sun safety, but to also incite true behavioral change, such as incorporating sun protection in their daily routines and visiting their dermatologists for regular skin checks. La Roche-Posay and the SOS – Save Our Skin also continue to spread the message of sun safety and skin cancer prevention to the public through a series of community service outreach events, including large-scale outdoor events and grassroots activities.

For more information, visit Dermatologist By Your Side™ on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LaRochePosayUSA?sk=app_164068933698694), YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/LaRochePosayUSA?ob=0&feature=results_main) and the La Roche-Posay website (www.laroche-posay.us).

La Roche-Posay products can be purchased at select physicians' offices, select CVS/pharmacy, Ulta, Walgreens and Duane Reade locations, and online at www.laroche-posay.us. 

About LA ROCHE-POSAY                         
Recommended by more than 25,000 dermatologists worldwide, La Roche-Posay is the dermatologists' brand of choice for their patients' skin. La Roche-Posay offers a unique range of daily skincare developed with dermatologists to meet their standards in efficacy, tolerance and elegant textures for increased compliance. The products, which are developed using a strict formulation charter, include a minimal number of ingredients to reduce side effects and reactivity and are formulated with active ingredients at optimal concentrations for increased efficacy. Additionally, La Roche-Posay products undergoes stringent clinical testing to guarantee efficacy and safety, even on sensitive skin.

For additional information about La Roche-Posay, visit www.laroche-posay.us and "like" the La Roche-Posay Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LaRochePosayusa. Download the La Roche-Posay "My UV Check" iPhone application at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myuvcheck-us/id433207689?mt=8.

SOURCE La Roche-Posay