La Roche-Posay has announced that it will kick off the second year of its SOS – Save Our Skin campaign. The goal of SOS – Save Our Skin is to not only inform Americans about the dangers of UV rays and the importance of sun safety, but to also incite true behavioral change, such as incorporating sun protection in their daily routines and visiting their dermatologists for regular skin checks. In its first year, the SOS – Save Our Skin online campaign reached thousands of people and drew hundreds more for skin checks at a variety of events. In a third of those skin checks, suspicious lesions were found that resulted in dermatologist referrals for further investigation. This year, La Roche-Posay hopes to broaden its reach through viral and grassroots campaigns.

The focus of this year’s SOS – Save Our Skin campaign will continue to be education and skin checks, the campaign’s two most important tenets. To promote education, more than 8,000 kits will be distributed to dermatologists, which contain all the tools to educate patients regarding a proper skin check. The campaign will also contain a viral component, including the new iPhone application, “My UV Check,” which will provide an index for the day’s UVA and UVB exposure in the user’s location, educate and alert users of the dangers of UVA and UVB exposure and much more.

The SOS – Save Our Skin campaign will also live through a series of initiatives, including skin checks at two New York Yankees games, as well as free skin checks being offered to all L’Oreal corporate employees. As part of the campaign’s grassroots component, La Roche-Posay will make a grant of $750,000 to the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS) over a three-year period to support the WDS Play Safe in the Sun campaign. The mission of the WDS campaign is to spread the message of sun safety and skin cancer prevention to the public through a series of community service outreach events, including large-scale outdoor events and grassroots activities.

“Play Safe in the Sun and SOS – Save Our Skin share the common goal of influencing the behavior of the general public and moving them to action regarding sun safety,” says Yannick Raynaud, general manager for La Roche-Posay USA. “With skin cancer on the rise, it’s important to educate as many people as possible about the dangers of sun exposure and the importance of daily sun protection and regular skin checks. This collaborative partnership will allow us to greatly broaden our reach, which is why we’re pleased to support this WDS initiative.”

For a list of all related events and dates, go to www.womensderm.org or www.sossaveourskin.com.