It is estimated there are nearly 800 million women and children in China.Women constitute not only the huge consumer group but also the group sensitive to consumption safety.Consumption safety and protecting women’s lawful rights in consumption has gradually become a topic of crucial importance and of extremely realistic significance.

As the largest global cosmetic group，L’Oreal has nearly 100 years’ industrial experience since its establishment in 1907.In 2005 L’Oréal reported consolidated sales of 14.53 billion euros，realizing its continuously 21^st double-digit growth.L’Oreal Group has always regarded it as its duty to satisfy the requirements of consumers all over the world for beauty and health.To attain this objective，L’Oreal has made huge investment in scientific research.Every year，nearly 4% of the annual sales is invested on research work to guarantee the safety and validity of our products，and this proportion is far higher than the average level in the industry.Safety represents one of the most important objectives of scientific research in L’Oreal.For this purpose，L’Oreal has developed a world-leading patent technology—reconstructed skin，through which we can more effectively test the security of our products，seeking to safeguard consumers’ health and safety with the most cutting-edge scientific power.To better develop and provide safe and efficient products for Chinese people，L’Oreal launched a new research facility in Pudong，Shanghai.The mission of the new facility is to improve the present knowledge on Chinese hair and skin.As everyone knows that L’Oreal takes a rigorous approach in industrial manufacturing.L’Oreal has 42 factories in the world.Each factory strictly implements the standard of ISO，so as to make the safest and most effective qualified products for Chinese consumers.

According to statistics，Chinese women consumers generally believe that their access to cosmetics information is not comprehensive enough.To change this situation，L’Oreal has made huge investment and joined hands with Women of China Magazine and Sina.com to create the women channel named Eladies.com，in order to use the highly effective and interactive network to provide women friends with such information as usage and safety of cosmetics as well as expert consultation.While ensuring the consumers’ sufficient knowledge about the products，L’Oreal also helps them to build up the view of rational and safe consumption.For example，after launching products on the market，L’Oreal provides consumers with free after-sales hot-line services.For many years，this service has received widespread welcome and praise from Chinese consumers.L’Oreal China has received several glorious awards such as Nationwide Quality Credible Products，Nationwide Quality & Service Consumer-satisfied Enterprise，2004 most successful cosmetics enterprise in China，and 2004 China household chemical goods enterprise with the highest consumer satisfaction.

Within the ten years’ development，L’Oreal’s key international brands have been successfully launched in China，and most of them play a leading role in the respective market，such as L’Oréal Professionnel in the high-grade hair colouring market，Maybelline New York in the makeup market，Laboratoires Vichy in the pharmacy market，Lancome in the luxurious market. L’Oreal China has persistently cared for Chinese consumers of different cultural backgrounds by providing products and services with high quality，and won broad recognition from authoritative institutions and individual consumers.

The next five-year plan released by the Chinese government has also mentioned that to better serve the people and improve their living quality is one of the objectives for future development.As the flagship enterprise in the cosmetics industry，L’Oreal will adhere to the concept of “consumer foremost”，strictly respect the relevant laws and regulations as usual，continuously enhance the awareness of safety responsibility and spare no efforts to produce high-quality and highly effective cosmetics for Chinese consumers.As a responsible corporate citizen，L’Oreal will，together with other social forces，perform its undertakings in protecting the physical and mental health of women and children，ensuring safe consumption and improving consumers’ living quality.

The author is vice-president of L’Oreal China.