Top 10 Products That Show How Tech Is Invading the Cosmetic Industry
What was the high-tech beauty product that we owned until a few years ago? Maybe an advanced hair straightener? But in this era where beauty-tech takes care of our skin and hair, hair straighteners may seem like a plain thing.
Our beauty and personal care industry is walking towards a fully digitized future that is disrupted by a range of connected applications, scientifically-advanced products, and personal care habits. From Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Virtual Reality (VR); from 3D printed face masks to home-made cosmetics, the beauty sector is all set to be highly influenced by exceptional personalization and deep knowledge.
Relating to this trend in the cosmetic sector is pretty easy for us as our lives are intertwined with smartphones and a range of Intelligent Apps.
Let’s Get into Some Cosmetic Industry Statistics
According to CB Insights, 2019 has been a banner year for beauty tech and technology-backed cosmetics brands will continue to revolutionize the coming years as well. The beauty industry was valued at $532.43 billion USD in 2017. Its estimated worth is expected to reach $805.61 billion USD by 2023.
The cosmetic & personal care industry is expected to reach substantial growth thanks to high investment rates. High margins, recurring purchase patterns, and recession-proof nature are some of the contributing factors. The industry is not only recession-proof, but it gets a boost in recession as reported by Reuters. This trend of affordable luxury performing well in a slump environment is known as the Lipstick Effect.
Brands That Spice up the Beauty Industry Through Technology
Getting personalized solutions is the craving of humans. Brands are blending tech-enabled systems to meet this need by creating a uniquely optimized formula. Solutions driven by AI, AR/VR, Machine Learning, etc. try to solve the helplessness of online/e-commerce customers to try skincare products before actually buying them. Checkout How Artificial Intelligence in Ecommerce Works.
Here are some notable disruptors in the cosmetic/personal care industry.
1. Perso by L’Oreal
Beauty giant L’Oreal has unveiled Perso at CES 2020. Perso is a first of its kind three-in-one AI-powered device for making personalized at-home skincare and cosmetic formulas. Perso mobile app analyses skin conditions at the micro-level including the local environment conditions through Breezometer geo-location data. The device will analyze the data and dispense a single dose formula of moisturizer, serum, and under-eye cream, etc.
2. L’Oreal’s Kérastase Hair Coach
L’Oreal has unveiled Kérastase, a connected smart hairbrush embedded with sensors to measure the quality of hair, analyses the effects of different hair care routines and recommends treatments and products accordingly. The microphone implanted in the splash-proof brush listens to the sound of hair brushing to give “insights into manageability, frizziness, dryness, split ends and breakage”.
3. Oral-B Genius X Toothbrush
This AI-based toothbrush helps users to do brushing effectively. It helps you brush as your dentist recommends. It prevents you from being too hard on your gums and teeth and coaches you to get the best result. You can never miss a zone as AI helps you reach the key areas resulting in excellent oral hygiene.
4. FOREO Luna Fofo facial cleansing brush
Luna Fofo is an AI-based smart facial massage and cleansing solution device. The skin sensors analyze your skin to detect the hydration levels, nourishment, etc. to offer personalized skincare and spa massage routine for you.
Color IQ, Sephora’s AI-based shade-matching skincare tool, is another example of tech-beauty disruption.
5. Neutrogena 360
Neutrogena 360 is a 3D skin scanner that analyses the skin over time and offers product recommendations. The device (accompanied by an app) detects over 2,000 facial attributes like dark circles, wrinkles, fine lines, smoothness, and dark spots.
6. Sephora's Virtual Artist
The app helps you try virtual makeup. Users can try thousands of shades of lipsticks and eye shadows anywhere, anytime through facial recognition software. The AR technology helps users to see how their preferred products enhance their appearance when actually applied to their skin.
7. Bourjois Magic Mirror
The AR Magic Mirror by Coty is unveiled in the Bourjois boutique in Paris. The blended reality beauty mirror is enabled by a revolutionary technology that integrates physical products with digital content yielding a unique augmented reality (AR) makeup try-on experience. The in-store (AR tool facilitates virtual product try-ons effectively, helping buyers to choose the right shade of lipstick blush, foundation, and eye shadow.
Pinterest has recently launched the ‘Try On’ feature to enable users to virtually try on lipsticks before they actually spend money on them. You Tube’s ‘Beauty Try-On’ is another example in this regard.
8. L’Oréal’s VR Beauty Lab
L'Oréal has a virtual reality (VR) room called Beauty Lab in its HQ in New York. The Beauty Lab allows its sub-brands to use the space for better understanding their in-store presentation, design concepts, branding, and feel of the store. The room features a floor-to-ceiling VR screen that displays 3D modeling demonstrations.
9. Le Teint Particulier
Le Teint Particulier is an AI-powered personalized foundation device introduced by L'Oreal subsidiary Lancome. This comes as a solution to women’s struggle in finding the right foundation shade for their skin tone. The machine makes made-to-measure foundations through a unique color assessment and color blending technology that delivers exceptional color precision.
10. Optune from Shiseido
Optune is an IoT skincare service brand from Shiseido, a Japanese multinational personal care company. The at-home skin analyzer and product dispenser deliver excellent skincare personalization by offering readymade solutions in real-time. The brand has developed 80,000 diverse recipes of five serums and lotions to deliver personalized formulas. It also takes into account external conditions while creating hyper-personalized solutions.
Wrapping Up
As digital devices play a massive role in our daily lives, expecting the ease and comfort provided by technology in the cosmetic industry is not a surprising thing. The idea of getting hyper-personalized beauty solutions excites users. Moreover, it is true that tech can offer a more interactive experience between the brand and the customer. Apparently, what is ahead of us is a world that has greater integration between technology and beauty.
Feeling excited about turning your beauty brand into a beauty-tech? Contact our software engineers to discuss your ideas.
About Preethi Saro Philip
Preethi Saro Philip is a Post Graduate Research Degree holder in Economics with more than 10 years of experience in writing, editing, research and teaching. She has an intense passion for content crafting and calls herself a ‘wordsmith’. She enjoys writing on wide-ranging topics including business, technology, health & lifestyle, education, environment etc.
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