Pharmagora 2012 – Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
Pharmagora is a professional tradeshow held annually in Paris and catering to pharmacists and the pharmacy business. The show’s 400 or so exhibitors are all important partners that pharmacy owners deal with on a daily basis, from laboratories, automated systems suppliers, IT equipment specialists, to orthopedic firms, distributors, merchandising companies and the like.
The trade show takes place at Paris Expo Portes de Versailles, the largest convention center in France. In 2012, it donned a new layout with 20,000 m2, where exhibitors were divided into three themed sectors, one of which was dermocosmetics. And this is precisely why Pharmagora is a wonderful place to visit for beauty and cosmetics junkies like ourselves.
First and foremost, what are dermocosmetics? La Roche Posay provides the following definition of dermocosmetics in its beauty glossary:
Dermocosmetic products are applied locally to the skin, scalp and hair. They combine a cosmetic action with a dermatological action. Dermocosmetic products are formulated to maintain the health and beauty of the skin and hair. […]
In addition to La Roche Posay, the most popular brands of French dermocosmetics are Uriage, Vichy, Avène and Biotherm. But there are also Ducray, Aderma, Galenic, Klorane and many more smaller companies such as Laboratoires Arcana. They all come to exhibit at Pharmagora because they all target consumers in the habit of buying their skin and hair care products at the pharmacy, with the help and personalized advice of their friendly neighborhood pharmacist.
In fact, that is another big part of the dermocosmetics concept. Laboratoires Pierre Fabre have even for many years successfully opposed the sale of dermocosmetics over the Internet, arguing in European courts that “only the physical presence of a qualified pharmacist guarantees consumers the quality of pharmaceutical and personalized advice that is tailored to meet their expectations of efficiency and safety” (SOURCE Laboratoires Pierre Fabre).
We should mention that in 2011 in the US, La Roche Posay was present in 6,000 drugstores, either via the pharmacy counter or in dedicated areas, where the brand’s products were promoted by specially trained derma advisors. Another interesting fact: the dermocosmetics sector has seen strong growth in the recent past in various parts of the world, including Brazil and Poland.
