Middle East
L'Oréal Act for Dermatology: A commitment to accessible skin health for all
According to a study published in The Lancet Global Health Metrics, 2.1 billion people worldwide suffer from skin conditions. In response to this major public health challenge, the L'Oréal Group, spearheaded by its Dermatological Beauty Division, has launched the L'Oréal Act for Dermatology. This ambitious program represents an investment of 20 million euros over five years and aims to make skin health a universal right, accessible to all.
As part of the program, the Groupe is embarking on a partnership with the WHO Foundation, to support the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) efforts to combat common skin diseases, as well as those caused by neglected tropical diseases, and contribute to increasing awareness of the impact of skin diseases globally.
The reality of dermatological deserts
More than just an aesthetic concern, skin health is directly linked to physical and mental well-being. Yet, access to dermatological care remains highly unequal around the world. Many countries face severe dermatological deserts where it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to see a specialist.
Preliminary results from the 194-country Global Access to Skin Health Observatory, a first-ever study initiated by L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty (LDB) in partnership with the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS), reveal staggering insights. Over a third of countries have one dermatologist or fewer per 100,000 people, which translates to at least 3.5 billion people living in a place with severely limited access to skin health services.
Access to care is hampered by several barriers, including a lack of specialists, long distances to clinics, the high cost of consultations, lack of health insurance coverage, limited awareness of skin conditions, and cultural stigmas surrounding dermatological diseases.
The study was launched in October 2024 to investigate the global distribution of dermatologists, patient barriers to accessing dermatologic care in each country, and access to 'surrogate' skin health providers in dermatological deserts. The study is currently ongoing, with published results expected in 2025.
“We are facing a crisis with access to healthcare, especially for people with skin diseases. A shortage of dermatologists and frontline healthcare workers trained in skin conditions has led to dermatological ‘deserts,’ leaving millions of people without diagnosis or treatment for their skin disease. This leads to severe or even life-threatening consequences,” said Esther Freeman,
Director of Global Health Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Vice Chair of the ILDS' International Foundation for Dermatology (IFD) , and Skin Observatory Lead Investigator.
For more information on the Global Skin Health Observatory, please visit https://skinobservatory.org/.
A program built on four key pillars
1. Pioneering Knowledge
Through this program, the L'Oréal Group is co-funding several studies in partnership with the ILDS and the WHO Foundation. They aim to to deepen understanding of skin health, including the main barriers to skin health access, knowledge gaps for skin of color, the impact of climate change on the skin, the global distribution of dermatologists and the profound effects of stigmatization linked to skin pathologies.
2. Raising awareness of skin health issues
To ensure that skin diseases are recognized as a public health issue, the L'Oréal Act for Dermatology actively advocates for the integration of skin health into public policy. The program engages both the public and the private sectors and collaborate with NGOs to elevate skin health to the forefront of public discourse.
3. Empowering with education
The L'Oréal Act for Dermatology aims to train health professionals, including dermatologists, general practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists to diagnose and treat skin disease. These professionals are in direct contact with patients and play a key role in diagnosing and monitoring skin diseases.
This pilar includes also a €2 million investment to facilitate open access to scientific publications for low-to-middle income countries. This will ensure knowledge reaches those who need it most, while providing dermatologists with financial support to access or publish critical research.
4. Scaling access to solutions
To expand access to skin diagnosis and treatment, the L'Oréal Act for Dermatology is investing in a “Do Tank”, through the rapid scaling of best-in-class, locally relevant solutions. Such solutions include the rollout of high-impact, winning projects from the International Awards for Social Responsibility in Dermatology, launched in 2011 by L’Oréal and the ILDS, which paved the way to recognizing leading dermatologists across the world.
Shaping the Future of Skin Health
“L’Oréal Act for Dermatology represents our unwavering commitment to helping improve the lives of billions of people suffering from the physical, mental and emotional burden of skin diseases, by addressing the challenges they face in accessing skin health services for their condition,” said Myriam Cohen-Welgryn, President, L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty. “As leaders in dermocosmetics, we have a responsibility to take action. By working closely with dermatologists and healthcare practitioners, scientific bodies and global organizations like WHO, we can begin the monumental mission of ensuring skin health accessibility for everyone, everywhere, leaving no community behind.”
This vision encapsulates the overarching mission of L'Oréal Act for Dermatology: to transform access to dermatological care and reduce global disparities in skin health. The ultimate goal is to ensure that skin health is no longer a privilege, but a fundamental right accessible to all.
WHO Foundation x L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty (LDB)
This landmark partnership between LDB and the WHO Foundation will, for the first time, enable the global surveillance of skin health, including common skin diseases such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and vitiligo, as well as skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs), significantly broadening WHO's capacity to monitor and combat these critical health challenges. The partnership comes at a pivotal moment when skin health is gaining recognition on the global health agenda, with the 78th World Health Assembly (May 2025) expected to discuss a resolution on skin diseases as a global public health priority.“The WHO Foundation brings together funders and high-impact health initiatives to support the mission of the World Health Organization,” said Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation. “This a fantastic, collaborative project which addresses an under-resourced area of health. A shortage of trained specialists has added to the burden experienced by people across the world; one this project seeks to address through dermatological training, health worker education and awareness raising, among others. I’m particularly pleased that this initiative cements the relationship between the WHO Foundation and L’Oréal, which brings such expertise and passion to the partnership.”
