Beauty company L'Oreal celebrated its first L’Oréal Citizen Day last Thursday at the Singapore Discovery Centre, an annual global event that focuses on discovering and participating in international and local community initiatives.

At the event, attendees were given a glimpse into how L’Oréal in Singapore has been holding out a helping hand to the needy, supporting scientific talent and educating the public on AIDS. In the local spotlight was a  programme called Touching Colours, where the beauty company worked with the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped and Lighthouse School to make grooming accessible to the visually impaired. Launched in 2009, workshops on skincare, make-up, haircare and styling are held every month for both male and female participants.

Other international initiatives included L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science, an international initiative in partnership with UNESCO designed to promote and encourage women who contribute to scientific progress around the world and Hairdressers Against AIDS - a programme that fights against ignorance of AIDS by training a network of hairdressers about AIDS prevention so they can pass the message on to the public..

The event also saw the company give back to the community through fundraising via coupon sales at booths that offered massages, notebooks and mini make-overs to L'Oreal staff and their family by volunteer members of SAVH, brought in a total $15,000, which saw  L’Oréal Singapore matching dollar for dollar. The proceeds of $30,000 went to L’Oréal’s Touching Colours partners, the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped and Lighthouse School.

Mr. Christopher Neo, Managing Director of L’Oréal Singapore, said the "L’Oréal Citizen Day is a declaration of our long term commitment to the local community”.