If there are any cosmetics that are controversial, it is sunscreens. Accused of participating in the destruction of coral reefs, these products are regularly pointed at. On February 25, 2019, L’Oréal invited an entire audience of journalists to present the group’s actions… but above all to set in stone its social and environmental fight.
L’Oréal has a long history of designing solar products.
As early as 1935, Eugène Schueller (founder) asked his teams to look into the formulation of cosmetics to prevent sunburn (at that time, the full extent of the harmful effects of UV exposure were still unknown).
Over time, scientific research has expanded and has drawn attention to the dangers of UV radiation in general: premature ageing, loss of skin elasticity, pigmentation disorders, photodermatoses (lucites), cataracts and certain forms of more or less malignant cancers (carcinomas and melanomas).
The importance of suncare products
The sun is synonymous with idleness, holidays, beach… and sometimes too long exposure. Although consumers are increasingly aware of the danger of UV radiation, some of them still behave in a risky manner.
If tanning is no longer perceived positively, and SPF 50 and 50+ are experiencing a 58% boom in France, a paradoxical attitude can be observed.
Today, 2 out of 5 people protect themselves in the sun (15 to 30% never do so).
Yet the damage is very real. Exposure to UV rays is the leading cause of skin cancer.
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer, the second most common in young women. Every year, 7000 …
