It's not surprising to learn that the foundation of
the beauty industry is built upon science; be it mixing two chemicals to create
a beauty product back in the 80s or rejuvenating your skin with technology in
the present time, the beauty industry has unquestionably come a long way.
Despite increasing competition, new consumer
patterns around wellness and wellbeing and science and technology innovations,
the beauty industry has become one of the most forward-thinking industries. Although
beauty sales are booming online, the in-store brands have the benefit of
providing a more enriching as well as personalized experience. Let's look at
some of the new gadgets and gizmos that will enhance your beauty experience.
1.
Wearable Skincare Technology
In the fashion and fitness market, wearable
technology is the new 'IT' product. In 2018, La Roche-Posay launched the French
beauty brand L'Oréal's My Skin Monitor UV sensor clips that monitor an
individual’s level of UV exposure. These sensor clips can be clipped to
garments or bags and are designed to make people aware of UV radiation exposure
and to persuade them to use precautionary measures such as sunscreen regularly.
For acquiring and transmitting photon data via an app to the user's phone, the
device uses a combination of LED technology and a near-field communication
antenna.
UV sensor clip is the product of the tech incubator
project that was set up eight years ago by L'Oreal. My UV Patch, a sticker for UV
exposure monitoring, was launched in 2016. This was improved in 2017 with the
release of button-sized skin sensors called ' UV Sense' which allow users to
glue it on to their fingers.
2.
Skin Scanning Devices
This technology provides skin diagnostics via
portable scanners that check facial skin at home without having to consult a
dermatologist. For example, take the Neutrogena Skin360 App and Skin Scanner tool. With
the aid of a phone camera, the app offers a close-up view of the skin which
normally only dermatologists have access to. When installed on the phone, it
replicates a scientific laboratory's monitored environment and scans the pores,
the skin’s hydration and fine lines appearance. In addition to
personalized skincare tips, consumers can view the magnified images on their
phones. For providing personalized skincare solutions and monitoring progress,
each test and its results are stored in the app.
Wayskin, a skin analyzer from Korea, works in a
similar way as well.
3.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality was embraced by Sephora, Estee
Lauder and L'Oreal as a booming trend in 2017. Before buying products or
changing their looks, the technology has allowed shoppers to try different
looks digitally. This covers everything from trying on make-up, pre-testing
haircuts, trying on shades and textures to even checking eyebrow styles before
plucking or waxing (as done by Benefit Cosmetics).The software also helps
retailers collect a wealth of customer data so that they can send appointment
reminders, suggest new items or offer tailor-made beauty tips.
Beauty brands are now investing in AI-powered
messaging bots to communicate with their customers 24/7 to provide personalized
product recommendations and tips.
Tech infused mirrors also reflect the real power of
technology by assessing skin conditions such as wrinkles, swelling, blemishes,
uneven skin tone, dark circles, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. It helps the
beauty industry evolve and offer personalized skincare programs for their
clients.
4.
Virtual Reality
In-store experiences in virtual reality allow
buyers to be transported to an entirely new world. For example, NYX
Professional Makeup used the technology to bring customers closer to their
brand ambassadors by offering digital makeup tutorials through a VR headset led
by top beauty vloggers. Consumers use a controller to pick items they want
to learn more about and would also receive an exclusive offer to purchase at a
special price the products included in the tutorial.
Vaqso, based in Japan, has developed a system that
connects to a VR headset and emits scents relevant to the VR content, creating
a VR experience that is almost entirely sensory. In the future, you will
definitely see technology being used to improve the process of choosing
fragrances.
5.
Personalization and AI
Most female shoppers lament on the fact that they
are unable to find the right foundation shade for their face and those with
darker skin tones are often left disappointed for having less than two options
to choose from when it comes to foundations. It is, however, impractical
to put thousands of shades on shop shelves.
L'Oreal subsidiary brand Lancome created Le Teint
Particulier, a custom-made foundation device that claims to find the
"exact match" for your skin using artificial intelligence. It's
available in the UK at Selfridges and Harrods.
Lancome consultants first use a handheld colorimeter
(a form of an electronic scanner) to test the facial skin tone. Thereafter, the
findings are run through a machine that uses a proprietary algorithm to choose
from 20,000 different shades. Eventually, the results of the device are sent on
the spot to a system that mixes the base for you.
The demand for tailor-made cosmetics is steadily
growing. Consumers relish the idea of personalizing a beauty product
specifically for them, which gives better results. However, the high price of
tailored cosmetics certainly prohibits them from being accessible to everyone. It
gives the impression that you must be wealthy to be able to afford personalized
cosmetics.
Olay has also created a 'Future You Simulator '
feature that takes a high-resolution face picture and shows you what you're
going to look like in 20 years. To create the simulation, Olay took
high-resolution images from five different ethnicities of 1,250 women between
the ages of 10 and 80.
The
beauty industry is often seen in this world as a place that celebrates
one-dimensional beauty. And this is not a wrong assumption. The ideals for
beauty are biased towards a specific skin tone or body shape that reflects the
non-inclusive practices of the industry. But by prioritizing personalization,
the software breaks these barriers by engaging users in the process of design
and product development. Technology has allowed beauty brands to engage
with end-users, learn their preferences, explore new components and expand
their range of products to meet these standards. Looking at the pace at which
the beauty tech industry is advancing, people will see more technologies
emerging and being put into practice by the end of 2019.
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