Recently, according to report, South Africa’s pharmacy chain Dis‑Chem withdrew Nutriwomen’s “Dermacare” skin‑care line from its shelves after a protracted dispute with L’Oréal SA over alleged intellectual property infringement.
The conflict stems from L’Oréal’s claim that Dermacare’s packaging was a deliberate imitation of its own popular French skincare brand, CeraVe—specifically targeting elements such as font, color scheme, product information layout, and overall design—to ride on CeraVe’s established market prominence since its South African launch in early 2022.
Following a year of complaints lodged with the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), the board ruled in May that Dermacare’s design was too similar and ordered Nutriwomen to amend its packaging within three months—or face removal from retailers’ shelves. Nutriwomen contested the ARB’s jurisdiction, arguing it was only bound if a CTFA member—a claim that was ultimately dismissed, as it had yet to renew its CTFA membership for 2025.
Despite the January 16, 2025 deadline, Dermacare continued to be sold in Dis‑Chem stores—including outlets in Sandton City and Mall of Africa—prompting renewed legal pressure.
Dis‑Chem responded that it only received official notice on January 20, 2025, and promptly began removing the products after similar directives from the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association (CTFA) in March. Though the online store lingered with some listings, Dis‑Chem attributed that to an operational oversight which has since been resolved.
