La Roche-Posay Improves Quality of Life for Those with Sensitive Skin

NEW YORK, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Skin sensitivity is a global reality, with 52 percent of women in the U.S. experiencing sensitive skin(1). With almost 40 years of experience in the field and side-by-side work with dermatologists, La Roche-Posay has become a leading player in the development of products formulated for sensitive skin, testing for tolerance and safety. La Roche-Posay has led almost 1,000 studies, both clinical and consumer-oriented, which have allowed the brand to develop a unique understanding of the daily realities of sensitive skin. In addition to the physiology of sensitive skin, La Roche-Posay has delved deeply into the psychological effects that the condition has on its sufferers, taking into consideration the disabling impact on self-esteem and social activities. As such, La Roche-Posay formulates its products to not only treat the signs of sensitive skin, but improve the quality of life for its sufferers.

"Those with sensitive skin are often forced to choose between products that work and products that are suitable for sensitive skin, in the end sacrificing efficacy in favor of products that won't cause skin reactivity," said La Roche-Posay General Manager Yannick Raynaud. "With La Roche-Posay, consumers no longer have to choose. Thanks to decades of research and clinical testing, we have a unique understanding of sensitive skin, which we build into the development of new products that are not only merely suitable for sensitive skin, but are efficacious as well."

One of the most common causes of skin sensitivity is rosacea; 16 million Americans suffer from rosacea, making it among the top reasons why patients consult a dermatologist(2).  In a survey of 1,134 rosacea patients, 60 percent of all respondents and 88 percent of those reporting severe symptoms said that the disorder had negatively affected their interactions with others in the workplace(3). In a partnership with the National Rosacea Society, La Roche-Posay hopes to educate those with redness-prone skin on the prevention of progressing to more severe stages.  With Rosacea Awareness Month (April) upon us, La Roche-Posay, the skincare brand recommended by dermatologists worldwide, reaffirms its commitment to the research of sensitive skin by providing solutions that not only improve the quality of life for those with skin sensitivities, but deliver truly efficacious results.

Product Innovation:
Rosaliac AR Intense Localized Redness Intensive Care:
La Roche-Posay's newest introduction to its sensitive skin portfolio, Rosaliac AR Intense Localized Redness Intensive Serum helps reduce visible redness and signs of discomfort and is suitable for rosacea-prone skin. The unique formulation not only reduces visible redness but can help prevent the progression of redness to the more severe stages. Most redness-prone skins have a compromised skin barrier and can be highly reactive to environmental factors and traditional skin treatments. Rosaliac AR Intense Localized Redness Intensive Care is an ultra-fresh calming/soothing minimalist formula that is made with the calming agents neurosensine and La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water. Ambophenol, found in Rosaliac AR Intense, is a powerful natural extract of the Tambourissa Trichophylla plant found in Madagascar with its leaves traditionally used in sedative and pain-relieving infusions. This powerful ingredient has been used in the pharmaceutical industry and is known for its ability to calm and soothe visible redness. Twenty-four-hour hydration helps rebuild a compromised barrier; the instant light-diffusing formula helps to neutralize the look of visible redness.

The minimalist formulation is free of preservatives, parabens, fragrance, alcohol, colorant and lanolin, all potentially irritating ingredients. It is tested on erythematotelangiectatic (with redness and the appearance of small blood vessels) skin and subjects with atopic (hypersensitive) skin. With a patented(4) high-protection, ultra-hermetic packaging – developed by La Roche-Posay laboratories with a pharmaceutical pump specialist – the product boasts no contamination, oxidation, dry residue or waste.
SRP: $39.95, 40ml

Another prominent sensitive skin concern in the U.S. is skin allergies; 78 percent of people with allergies will experience manifestations on the skin(5). For National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in May, La Roche-Posay is working with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to shed light on skin allergies and help get well-adapted, suitable products into the hands of those prone to highly reactive and allergic skin.

Product Innovation:
Toleriane Ultra Intense Soothing Care:
Cutaneous intolerance is characterized by an instant response by the skin to an allergen or irritant and is extremely common among those with allergies. To help calm and soothe discomfort of ultra-intolerant and/or allergy/prone skin, La Roche-Posay offers, Toleriane Ultra Intense Soothing Care, formulated with neurosensine and La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water. The ultra-purified, ultra-minimalist formulation helps to reduce signs of skin reactivity and delivers intense, long-lasting comfort. In three studies conducted on a combined 178 women with sensitive and intolerant skin, not one reaction was observed upon application of Toleriane Ultra(6).  Furthermore, when tested on 41 women with a medical history of sensitivity to at least two allergens, there was a significant reduction in the signs of stinging, tingling, burning, tightness and dryness(7). In addition, there was a reduction in the number of patients experiencing sensitivity to lifestyle/environmental factors, including reactions to physical exertion, spicy foods, and cold and wind, leading to an improvement in the quality of life as measured by consumers' perception(8).

Toleriane Ultra is a daily moisturizer made without the use of preservatives, parabens, fragrance, alcohol, colorant and lanolin. Similar to Rosaliac AR, Toleriane Ultra is contained in a patented4 high-protection, ultra-hermetic package that boasts no contamination, oxidation, dry residue or waste, making it ideal for those with sensitive skin.
SRP: $34.95, 40ml

Strict Formulation Charter:
In addition to its decades of research on the nature and treatment of sensitive skin, La Roche-Posay employs a strict formulation charter for each and every one of its products. Just a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of raw materials available are used, based on strict purity, safety and efficacy criteria. Every product undergoes special tolerance tests on sensitive skin and, where appropriate, tested on atopic skin, which is the most sensitive. In this test, if even one subject displays irritation, the product is sent back for reformulation. La Roche-Posay products are allergy-tested and non-comedogenic, and formulated without well-known potentially irritating fragrances or ingredients.

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, every La Roche-Posay product 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.

For more information on skin allergies and asthma, visit www.aafa.org.
For more information on rosacea, visit www.rosacea.org.

(1) Data on file: Independent study, 750 women aged 20-50. All buyers of beauty and personal care, data collected  from November 3rd to November 22nd, 2010
(2) National Rosacea Society
(3) National Rosacea Society
(4) Patent-pending
(5) Profiling of allergic and/or intolerant consumers, Qualitative study France/Germany. 2000 interrogations on-line February 2009
(6) Data on file, independent study, product use tests carried out on 178 healthy women with sensitive and intolerant skin. Application twice daily for four weeks.
(7) Data on file, independent study, product use tests carried out on 41 women with a medical history of sensitivity to at least two allergens. Application twice daily for four weeks.
(8) Data on file, independent study, product use tests carried out on 102 women with atopy-prone (n=49) or erythrocouperosis (n=53) skin. Clinical grading of functional signs and physical signs using a four-point scale and self evaluation of reactivity to exogenous factors via a 10-cm visual analog scale were performed at the same times (T0 and T4). Application twice daily for four weeks.

SOURCE La Roche-Posay