Yves Rocher Thinks Defense

New Cel Defence is aimed at women 35 to 50 years old who want to keep their skin looking good.

The best defense is a good offense. That cliché isn't just playing in locker rooms across the country—it's also the theory behind Yves Rocher's Cel Defence, a new skin care line which is making its U.S. debut this month.

The product takes a two-pronged approach to achieve healthier, younger-looking skin. Cel Defence accelerates cellular regeneration and provides free radical protection, according to the company.

The product is aimed at women ages 35-50. “Cel Defence reactivates the youthful potential of skin and defends the skin against the external causes of aging,” explained Benedicte Guesne, international marketing director. Ms. Guesne said the line's ability to stimulate cell renewal helps maintain the strength and resilience of the epidermis. “It makes skin stronger, more resilient and younger looking,” insisted Ms. Guesne.

Two Unique Ingredients
“We grow more than 40% of our own extracts,” said Deborah Hicks, vice president, image and communication. “We study the plants and find out what makes them healthy and beautiful so that skin can be beautiful too.” Yves Rocher's botanical research teams have observed that plants possess their own internal preservation systems to protect them from the damaging effects of free radicals and the same threatening environmental factors that can rob them of their strength and vitality. Yves Rocher maintains that there are similarities between the protective substances found in plants and human skin.

The product contains botanical retinol boosted with two unique ingredients: Retinoline and Botanical Arginine. According to Yves Rocher researchers, Retinoline is a unique carrier that helps retinol penetrate deep into the skin where it is readily accepted by the skin cells. Once accepted, it releases Botanical Pro-Retinol Complex into the center of the cells where it is most effective. The key ingredient in the complex is Botanical Arginine, an essential plant amino acid derived from palm, that protects skin against free-radical damage.

Dramatic Results
The combination of an effective carrier and active ingredient yields some dramatic results, according to the company. After using the night cream for one week, cell renewal of test subjects increased 19%. The day cream increased cell renewal 15% during the same time.

The Cel Defence line includes four products: cleansing gel, toner, day cream and night cream. A 5.0-oz. tube of cleansing gel and a 5.0-oz. bottle of toner each retails for $10. Other price points in the line: 1.35-oz. tube of day cream ($14), 1.35-oz. jar of day cream ($17.50), 1.35-oz. pot of day cream refill ($12), 1.35-oz. Jar of night cream ($19.50) and 1.35-oz. pot of night cream refill ($14). The eco-friendly refills reduce packaging materials by 82%, reduce energy consumption by 91% and water consumption by 85%, according to the company.

Yves Rocher, headquartered in Paris, is a $2 billion company. Last year wordwide sales rose 8%. Products are available in nearly 90 countries. In 1997, U.S. sales were up 16% to about $30 million. The company's products are available in the U.S. through catalog orders, although Yves Rocher is testing door-to-door sales methods in Texas and plans to expand the test throughout the south. The company expects Cel Defence can help boost sales even further. Cel Defence is already available in France. The Age-Defying Night Cream won the Health and Beauty Prize 1997 for creativity, research and innovation. The award was presented by the Cosmetology Committee of Sante Magazine.