CHESE-POND's LAUNCHING DERMASIL OTC SKIN CARE LINE WITH $ 10 MIL.

CHESE-POND's LAUNCHING DERMASIL OTC SKIN CARE LINE WITH $ 10 MIL. in advertising support including both network TV and print ads in "over 20" women's beauty and fashion magazines from October through June, the company said. The ads, handled by McCann- Erickson, New York, will take an educational approach. The three- product Dermasil line of "therapeutic" moisturizers for dry and severely dry skin will be available in October. Chese-Pond's is allocating an additional $ 3.5 mil. for a consumer direct mail program involving the distribution of 5 mil. lotion samples in October and February and 30 mil. coupons between October and March, including cross-ruff and bounce-back coupons. An introductory free-standing insert and $ 1 coupon will appear Oct. 17 and $ 2 gift checks with tear-off pads and in-ad rebates are other components of the launch. Chese-Pond's also will detail the product to dermatologists and will market the line to pharmacists via direct mail and sampling. The line consists of a lotion in an 8 ounce pump and a 4 ounce tube, and a cream in 4 ounce and 2 ounce jars. The larger items carry a suggested retail price of $ 6.99, while the smaller items will carry a suggested price of $ 3.99. A 1 ounce concentrated treatment, designed for especially dry areas such as elbows and heels, is also priced at a $ 6.99 suggested retail. The treatment is recommended for use along with the cream or lotion. A 1/3 ounce trial-size lotion will be available for 99". Packaging for the line bears a caduceus, a symbol of the medical profession. Containers are white plastic with blue accents and black print. Dermasil is the first line to be marketed under the firm's Vaseline Pharmaceutical Research name, which Chese-Pond's said will be used as a platform for launching OTC products in the future. Other OTCs currently marketed by the company include its Vaseline Intensive Care Extra Strength Lotion and a line of Vaseline Intensive Care moisturizing sunscreens. The Dermasil formulations contain a special lipid mixture, essential fatty acids, occlusives and a humectant to "help skin rebuild its own natural moisture barrier," the company said. While occlusive and humectant ingredients are not new to therapeutically positioned moisturizers, the addition of the lipid mixture and essential fatty acids are what sets Dermasil apart, Chese-Pond's claimed. The active ingredient in the three products is "over 1%" dimethicone. The concentrated treatment product also contains glycerin at "over 30%" as an active ingredient. The essential fatty acids linoleic acid (derived from sunflower oil) and linolenic acid (derived from borage oil), work in the products to prevent water loss and aid in the manufacture of lipids, Chese-Pond's said. The lipid system, for which a patent is pending, is composed of cholesterol, phospholipid and stearic acid and "mimics skin's own natural moisture barrier," according to the firm. Dermasil is said by the company to increase skin moisturization 200% for as long as 18 hours after application. It also controls symptoms of dry skin including chapping, cracking, flaking, itching, roughness, redness and soreness, the company maintained. With the new line, Chese-Pond's is attempting to take part in what it describes as a trend towards skin care products offering a higher level of performance. Products in this category include Beiersdorf's Eucerin and Eucerin Plus, Warner-Lambert's Lubriderm and Bausch & Lomb's Curel. Market research conducted by New York-based FRC Research in 1992 for Chese-Pond's found that 40.7% of the $ 709 mil. hand and body category is composed of high performance skin care products. "Everyday" therapeutic products, such as Vaseline Intensive Care, make up 42.2% of the market, while lower-priced, lower-technology items and cosmetic/appearance products control 12% and 5.1%, respectively. The FRC study collected information from 1,500 women in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 64, Chese-Pond's noted. The study found that 62% of the women surveyed use lotion or cream, 34% reported having dry skin, 25% said they have problematic dry skin and 14% claimed no effective treatment products were currently available for their condition. The 14% figure is similar, Chese- Pond's noted, to the percentage of people nationwide with atopic dermatitis, a term used to describe dry, brownish-gray, scaly and thickened skin eruptions in adults. Chese-Pond's suggested that Dermasil will be particularly effective in this population.