La Roche-Posay SOS - Save Our Skin Sun Safety Initiative Celebrates a Successful Summer of Skin Checks

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- La Roche-Posay, a worldwide expert in UV protection, is pleased to announce a successful summer for its SOS – Save Our Skin campaign, now in its second year.  Over 40 volunteer dermatologists were stationed at nearly 30 events nationwide, performing a total of over 1,600 free skin cancer screenings in order to promote proper sun safe behaviors.  The relevance of this message is evident in the fact that almost one third of those screenings, suspicious lesions were found resulting in dermatologist referrals for further investigation.

Notable statistics include:

• 500,000+ event participants attended
• 197,000 free sunscreen samples distributed
• 61,000 educational materials given
• Over 300 volunteer hours logged

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. This year, La Roche-Posay partnered with the Women's Dermatologic Society (WDS), kicking off the partnership with the announcement of a $750,000 grant over a three-year period to support the WDS Play Safe in the Sun campaign. The mission of the WDS campaign is also 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.

In addition, the SOS – Save Our Skin campaign undertook a series of initiatives this summer, including skin checks at two New York Yankees games, local hospitals, drug stores as well as free skin checks offered to all L'Oreal corporate employees. The SOS – Save Our Skin campaign also added a viral component with the launch of the new iPhone application, "My UV Check," which provides an index for the day's UVA and UVB exposure in the user's location, educates and alerts users of the dangers of UVA and UVB exposure and much more.

"The second year of the SOS – Save Our Skin campaign so far has proven to be even more successful than the first, with more than 235 million media impressions to date," said Yannick Raynaud, General Manager of La Roche-Posay. "We plan to broaden our campaign even further with each year to come in order to expand the reach of this very serious public safety message."

Since it's important to protect skin every day, regardless of the season, La Roche-Posay will continue its SOS – Save Our Skin campaign throughout the year. In the fall the brand will continue to promote its message through additional skin screening events, including the LGPA Titleholder's tournament in Orlando in November.

"Many people associate UV radiation with summer, but UVA and UVB rays are present all year, even in the cold winter months," said Dr. Adam Friedman (Assistant Professor of Dermatology, AECOM) . "While much of our skin is covered in the winter, it's important to protect the areas that aren't, such as the face, ears, neck, and hands, with sunscreen and protective clothing. And always remember to get your skin checked by a dermatologist at least once a year!"

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 the most sensitive skin. As a leader in high UVA protection, La Roche-Posay Anthelios sunscreens provide advanced patented sunscreen technologies, including Mexoryl SX and CELL-OX Shield™, with broad-spectrum protection and high photostability in revolutionary textures. La Roche-Posay products can be purchased at select physicians' offices, CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens and Duane Reade locations, and online at www.larocheposay.us.

"Like" the La Roche-Posay Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LaRochePosayusa and 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