Bayer Is Talking About ‘Science-Led Self-Care’

Bayer has published a new paper—Science-Led Self-Care: Principles for Best Practice—that it says sets out five key principles that should underpin all self-care products improving personal health and wellness.

Bayer contends the paper is intended to spark a conversation within the industry and its key stakeholders around the need to promote science-led self-care for the benefit of consumers.

In the wake of the pandemic and the rise of accessible, digital information, consumers are becoming increasingly interested in maintaining and managing their own health. Enabling this shift means consumers will need to have trust that the choices they make are the best. The paper proposes that sound science is a core component to earning that trust, according to Bayer.

“We owe it to the consumer to help them navigate the self-care landscape and identify the products and services that are grounded in science and will help them to prevent disease and live healthy lives. Our five Principles of Science-Led Self-Care can be a blueprint for deeper discussion within our industry about how best we help consumer navigate a confusing landscape,” said Abbie Lennox, global chief regulatory, medical, safety and compliance officer, Consumer Health division of Bayer.

Bayer’s Consumer Health division currently includes products that address vaginal health, skin fungus and hair loss as well as nutritional and other health related products. It at one time operated in the sun protection business as the owner of Coppertone. It sold that business in 2019.

Bayer’s five principles are:

• The Science of the Human: Self-care products rooted in a thorough understanding of human biology, medical insights and unmet needs

• The Science of Regulation: Independent regulation, to ensure safety and efficacy through transparent communication, accurate labelling and supported claims

• The Science of Collaboration: Carefully judged collaborations focused on win-win outcomes can help to improve access to self-care, making products available more widely and empowering more consumers to take charge of their health

•  The Science of Discovery: Self-care products that have been rigorously researched, founded on scientific principles and developed with a deep understanding of consumers’ unmet needs

•  The Science of the Consumer-Product Experience: A seamless experience beginning with the initial search for information, continuing through to the physical interaction with the product itself that helps consumer better use self-care products

“We believe these Principles will enable better self-care as we look to push the boundaries of how science and innovation can continue the amazing journey of people living better, healthier lives. We think these principles can also benefit others who are committed to this vision – greater consumer confidence will help boost the reputation of the self-care industry as a whole,” said David Evendon-Challis, chief scientific officer, consumer health division.