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Parlez-vous Francais? An Australian blogger/vlogger may soon have the need to brush up on their French, with BIODERMA celebrating the 20th anniversary of Sensibio H2O Micellar water by sending one lucky winner to France. With the grand prize victor invited on tours to Cannes, Provence and Paris, this is one competition Australia’s YouTube gurus should be taking note of.
To ensure BD members are one step ahead of the competition, we chatted to BIODERMA brand manager Emilie Mouline to learn all about what’s involved, entries the brand is looking for, and what makes Sensibio H2O Micellar worth blogging/vlogging about.
Can you tell me a bit about the Bioderma blogger competition?
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beloved Sensibio H2O Micellar water, BIODERMA is holding an Australia-wide YouTube competition to win a once in a lifetime trip to France. This competition is open to all Australian vloggers (Australian residents) aged 18 and over. From March 1 to April 30, the participants are asked to create a video no longer than two minutes to explain what their personal H2O story is. The grand prize winner will be invited to spend five days and four nights in France to discover the magic of BIODERMA's home country during the first week of June 2016. Two runner-up winners will receive an annual supply of Sensibio products worth over $1000.
Why did you decide to hold this competition?
[Over] the last few years, micellar waters took the Australian market by storm with the arrival of diverse competitors. Many people have the feeling that micellar waters are new but they have, in fact, been around in Europe and France for two decades. This year marks the milestone 20th birthday of BIODERMA Sensibio H2O, so we thought it was a good opportunity to explain why our cult H2O is so unique.
We thought expressing testimonials, tips, and feedback through videos will be the best medium. Vloggers have a real way to connect and engage their audience. They don’t really talk to followers or fans but more to friends and people who relate to them. This is what we love about YouTube: the authenticity, which is also why we want to know their personal story.
What sorts of entries will you be looking for?
The topic is quite large: “What is your H2O story?”, so it is open to lots of different angles. We will be looking at short videos highlighting product’s demonstration and even comparison, secrets and tip sharing. We are also interested to receive testimonials on how they discovered BIODERMA and why they like it. We also invite the participants to give their view on micellar waters and explain the concept with their own words.
What is on the cards for the winner on their trip to France?
The grand prize winner will be invited to travel through France for a week. First stop will be Cannes in the picturesque South of France. Well-known for its French Film Festival, Cannes is the playground of the rich and famous. The winner will also visit the beautiful Provence area, where a stopover will be done at the BIODERMA factory to see first-hand how BIODERMA products are made. Next, the lucky winner will visit Paris, the City of Love, to discover a wonderful world of widely-loved French pharmacies - not to mention the exquisite food, culture and that uniquely French je ne sais quoi!
Who are the judges for the competition?
We are very lucky to have onboard four incredible ladies: Samantha Taylor - beauty director at Bellabox, which has been a great supporter of the brand since the first day we launched in Australia; Eleanor Pendleton - editor and publisher of GrittyPretty.com who actually came to France with us two years ago and discovered Bioderma’s behind-the-scenes; Janet Hayward - managing editor of BEAUTYDIRECTORY who is renowned and respected in the beauty industry; and Belinda Andrade – principal consultant at PR Chicks, our PR agency that has guided us along the way.
Will BIODERMA be doing anything else to celebrate their 20th birthday?
BIODERMA will be also launching in-store a limited-edition anniversary pack containing its cult Sensibio H2O 500ml reverse pump bottle, a travel size Sensibio H2O 100ml, and a very handy cotton pad holder. For this special occasion, it will be 40 per cent off its normal RRP. This will also come together with new Discovery Kits in a travel size, offering a full skincare program adapted to each skin type’s needs. Finally, the anniversary will be followed by the launch of new Sensibio products throughout the year.
What have been some of the key successes for the brand in its 40 years?
It all began in the 1970s with Jean-Noël Thorel, a pioneering pharmacist who came up with a radically new approach to dermo-cosmetics thanks to his close conversations with the world's leading experts in biology and dermatology. He developed his first patents and laid the foundations for the Bioderma philosophy: biology at the service of dermatology.
The very first product created by BIODERMA wasn’t its cult H2O… Node Shampoo was the first BIODERMA breakthrough in 1977 to cleanse the hair gently without attacking it (this product is still a huge hit today). The next success in the ‘90s was of course the creation of the first micellar water. Today, one bottle is sold every three seconds in the world, which is still an impressive number 20 years later. BIODERMA is now distributed in more than 90 countries around the world and recommended by over 40,000 dermatologists.
What makes the BIODERMA micellar water stand out from its competitors?
BIODERMA was the pioneer in the use of micelles in skincare (it was previously used in biology). In fact Bioderma was the first one to create a micellar water and as a result was able to patent the best micelle available on the market. It succeeded in using the first and only dermatological micellar water perfectly biologically compatible with the skin. Its fatty acid esters, the constituent elements of micelles, are similar to the phospholipids of the skin cell membranes and naturally help rebuild the skin's hydrolipidic film, which guarantees tolerance and comfort for optimum make-up removal efficacy. Its pH is also in sync with the skin physiological pH which again contributes to higher tolerance.
What does the future look like for BIODERMA micellar water?
There is still a big potential here in Australia with micellar waters. It is just the beginning for this new category!