From in vitro medical diagnostics to expertise in cosmetic microbiology

For over 30 years, bioMérieux's industrial business unit (sales of €549 million in 2022) has been providing microbiological control solutions for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, to guarantee patient and consumer safety, and boost industrial productivity. As Cosmetics Market Manager for the French subsidiary, Viviane Lefebvre is developing a range of solutions to meet the regulatory, economic and quality challenges facing the cosmetics industry.

With a 5-year degree in biochemistry/biology with a specialization in microbiology, Viviane Lefebvre worked in in vitro immunological diagnostics for seven years at Biotrol, before returning to her native Brittany in 2001. She joined AES Laboratoire, which later became AES Chemunex, specializing in medical and industrial microbiological diagnostics.

When AES Chemunex was acquired by bioMérieux in 2011, she specialized in the industrial market, developing expertise in cosmetic microbiology. Promoted to cosmetics market manager within bioMérieux Industry France in 2017, she participates in the Afnor-cosmetics microbiology group to develop the ISO standards followed by the majority of microbiology laboratories. She keeps a close eye on regulatory developments in this field: European (regulation 1223/2009), American (USP) and Chinese (CSAR) regulations in particular. Also on its radar: new trends in the cosmetics market (growing naturalness, skincare products with specific sought-after effects, sustainable development, etc.). These are just some of the major challenges that cosmetics manufacturers face through innovation, in order to remain competitive! To understand these challenges, Viviane Lefebvre liaises with a wide range of players in the cosmetics industry - manufacturers, service providers, associations, standards bodies - and exchanges ideas with her company's cross-functional departments (sales, technical support, logistics, etc.) to ensure the best possible service for her customers. Responsible for several product ranges, she understands the importance of microbiology in cosmetics.