Beauty conglomerate Coty has joined industry competitors and kick-started production of a new hand sanitiser in an effort to help tackle the spread of coronavirus.
The products will be free and are being distributed to medical and emergency staff who are facing shortages.
Coty employees working in the plants and distribution centres, as well as pharmacy staff and some consumers, will be able to receive the product.
“As a responsible beauty company, we make our resources and facilities available to help the communities we are operating in during these exceptionally challenging times,” said Pierre Laubies, CEO of Coty.
“We are proud to support the brave professionals fighting on the frontlines against Covid-19 by providing hand sanitiser where it is needed.”
The first batches are expected to be distributed across the US and Monaco, and production is said to reach tens of thousands people each week.
Coty COO, Pierre-Andreé Terisse, added: “The health and safety of our employees is our top priority and we will take all possible measures and precautions to keep them healthy and safe as they work to protect our communities that we care for and serve.
“We are incredibly proud of our associates who are stepping up to contribute to the global fight against Covid-19.”
L’Oréal, LVMH and chemicals giant Ineos have all ramped up their production of hand sanitisers over the last week.
According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre more than 24,000 people have died from the virus, with almost 538,000 confirmed cases across 176 countries worldwide.
