Laure Le Bourhis
Marketing & Digital Director
Groupe Laboratoire Rivadis
Tell me about your role at Rivadouce and what sets the brand apart?
I’m the Marketing and Digital Director for Rivadouce (Group Laboratoire Rivadis) and I have the privilege to work for a brand with more than 50 years of history.
What makes Rivadouce truly special is the combination of its scientific heritage and its longstanding relationships with healthcare professionals. Our products are used every day in maternity wards, hospitals and nurseries, giving us a unique connection to those who care for the most fragile skin. These close relationships allow us to stay attuned to their daily experiences, understand their needs and develop solutions grounded in real-life care.
Rivadis manages an integrated value chain, from in-house R&D and formulation to manufacturing in its own facilities and distribution through B2B and B2C channels, including healthcare institutions, pharmacies and e-commerce. This end-to-end approach ensures that our commitment to caring for fragile skin guides every stage, from the initial concept to the finished product in the hands of those who need it.
Why is scientific heritage important to Rivadouce?
For us, scientific heritage is much more than a legacy of the past; it is an integral part of who we are. Founded by pharmacist Michel Rival, Rivadouce has built its expertise from the outset through close collaboration with healthcare professionals. This commitment remains at the heart of our approach today, continuing to guide the development of our products.
Many brands collaborate with healthcare professionals in product development. What sets Rivadouce apart is the depth of our connection with them in everyday practice. Our heritage is rooted in hospitals, maternity wards and nurseries, where our products are used daily by healthcare professionals caring for the most fragile skin. This proximity keeps us connected to their real-world needs and experiences.
We follow stringent formulation guidelines because caring for fragile skin requires the highest standards of safety, tolerance and efficacy. At the same time, we continuously seek to reduce our environmental footprint. Our eco-design tool assesses the impact of our products at every stage, from ingredient sourcing and manufacturing to transport and use, helping us identify opportunities for improvement. This approach has led us to invest in refill solutions, already adopted by some nurseries to help reduce packaging waste.
We are also attentive to parents’ and healthcare professionals’ concerns about endocrine disruptors and their potential implications during the first 1,000 days of life, when a baby’s skin is particularly fragile. Recognizing the complexity of this subject, we take a measured and collaborative approach, working with partners to raise awareness among young mothers in maternity wards. Staying close to healthcare professionals and families helps us better understand their questions and needs, and continuously improve how we care for fragile skin.
Why is scientific heritage important to Rivadouce?
These images take us back to Rivadouce early years in the 70’s, when the brand was first establishing its roots in maternity care. It brings together our founder Michel Rival, the original Rivadouce cleansing milk and the baby range that developed from it.
The story began with a need he had experienced firsthand as a father and his ambition, as a pharmacist was straightforward: to better understand the specific needs of newborn skin and develop products that healthcare professionals could really trust.
What I find particularly striking is how these original concerns remain relevant today. Our scientific knowledge of baby skin and our formulation capabilities have advanced enormously, but the fundamental question is unchanged: how can we provide the best possible care for fragile skin?
For me, this continuity is at the heart of the RIVADOUCE story: building on a founding vision while continually advancing our knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of each new generation.
Which product from Rivadouce early years stood the test of time, and what made it so special?
I would definitely say our Baby Cleansing Milk (Gel lavant doux) is one of the most iconic products in Rivadouce history. It is one of the products people have associated with Rivadouce for generations.
It was created to meet a very specific need: gently cleansing and caring for a baby’s delicate skin.
And over time, it became much more than a skincare product. For many parents and healthcare professionals, it became part of their daily care rituals and memories.
What I find interesting is that the product has not stood still. To me, that is how an iconic product stays meaningful: We keep the expertise and the purpose that made the original product so successful, while incorporating today’s expectations around organic ingredients, formulation and environmental responsibility
How do you stay rooted in that legacy while continuing to push the brand forward?
For me, heritage and innovation are not opposites. They actually reinforce each other.
Our heritage reminds us why Rivadouce exists: to care for fragile skin. But staying true to that purpose does not mean reproducing what we did 50 years ago. It means applying the same principles to today’s needs.
Michel Rival was a pioneer when he created the Baby Cleansing Milk in 1971. We continue to build on that pioneering spirit by evolving the product to meet the changing expectations of healthcare professionals and parents. Today, it is certified organic and rated 100/100 on Yuka, while remaining true to its original purpose.
The same philosophy guides our approach to sustainability: making more responsible choices without compromising on safety, tolerance or quality. For us, eco-design is not a one-off initiative but an ongoing process of improvement that extends from product development to distribution. We also work closely with a growing network of eco-conscious nurseries committed to more responsible practices, reducing waste and raising awareness to improve their everyday environmental impact.
Which product today best captures that same spirit?
I would highlight our Organic Universal Massage Oil as a perfect example. This innovative two-in-one product is designed for both mother and baby, supporting different stages of the motherhood journey, from perineal massage during and after pregnancy to gentle baby massage after birth. It combines practicality, certified organic ingredients and expert care in a single formula.
It reflects what Rivadouce stands for today: building on our longstanding expertise while embracing a more contemporary approach to skincare. Our formulations follow rigorous guidelines, and this certified organic product illustrates how we combine high standards with expertise in caring for fragile skin.
Beyond its formulation, I particularly love what this product represents. Baby massage can be a moment of touch, discovery and connection between parent and child. It reminds us that caring for the skin is also about nurturing a relationship, especially during the earliest stages of life.
For me, this product brings our heritage into the present: combining rigorous care for fragile skin with an understanding of the real moments that matter to families.
And that is precisely what Rivadouce is about: drawing on more than 50 years of experience to shape the next generation of care.
What does “caring for fragile skin” mean to Rivadouce beyond its products?
Caring for fragile skin is at the heart of our commitment, and it extends far beyond the products we develop.
We have established partnerships around the importance of touch, whether it involves the extremely delicate skin of a premature baby or the skin of an older person. The caring touch of family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals plays a fundamental role in well-being and development. This is why we support organizations such as Les Blouses Roses, whose volunteers dedicate their time to patients in hospitals and nursing homes. We have also been working with SOS Préma for many years, a partnership that is particularly close to our hearts.
What makes this commitment even more meaningful is that we are not a multinational corporation, but a company of 160 employees working together to make it happen. From listening and understanding the needs to conceptualizing, developing, manufacturing and distributing our products, bringing them to market and raising awareness, every step contributes to our ultimate mission: providing care for fragile skin.
What does the future look like for Rivadouce?
We want to continue developing products that meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals and families, while staying true to our expertise in fragile skin. We also want to keep improving how responsibly those products are made.
Sustainability will play an increasingly important role. Through eco-design, we want to keep improving our products and making more responsible choices for both people and the planet.
We also want more families to discover Rivadouce. Healthcare professionals already know the brand well, and many parents first encounter it in a maternity ward. Our ambition is to make it easier for them to find our products afterwards, particularly in pharmacies and through our e-shop.
Rivadouce is an iconic brand for healthcare professionals. Our dream is for it to become an iconic brand for parents, too.
A final thought?
Rivadouce is a brand rooted in real life. The arrival of a child is a moment of connection and discovery. Our ambition is to use everything we have learned over the past 50 years to care for the next generation of families.
“Heritage and innovation are not in opposition; they build on and strengthen one another.”
Laure Le Bourhis
Laure Le Bourhis · A Pharmacist’s Legacy, A Lasting Commitment to Caring for Fragile Skin, Rivadouce
Sylvie Legenne · Founder, SkinLink Consulting
2026
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