Picture this: you walk into a store, or log in to an app, wondering—once again—why that pricey cream is gathering dust on your bathroom shelf. Surprise! The future of skincare is already here, and it’s got a silicon heart—AI is now providing personalized skin diagnostics that are transforming routines for 80% of teens and 40% of adults. Welcome to the brave (and smoother) new world of beauty tech.
From General to Personal: Why Skincare Needs a Makeover
A cream can boast the best formula in the world, but if it doesn’t cater to your skin’s real needs, disappointment awaits. Today, simple categories like age or skin type are taking a backseat, thanks to technological advances. Analysis tools are now powerful enough to deliver a truly precise diagnosis—and in a world obsessed with personalization, that’s non-negotiable.
Perfect Corp., the Taiwanese company known for YouCam Makeup, has only been around for nine years. Still, it’s become the unsung hero behind the scenes: developing virtual makeup try-on and advanced skin diagnosis systems for major brands like Estée Lauder, LVMH, Clarins, Chanel, and Avène. You’ll find these tools both in stores and across websites and apps.
AI in Action: Better Tech, Happier Customers—and Brands
Sylvain Delteil, VP of Business Development Europe at Perfect Corp., shares, “With its online diagnosis, the Valmont house saw its purchase conversion rate triple.” In other words: everyone wins when the service works as promised. “Our role is to offer reliability with our technologies. After that, it’s up to brands to make the best recommendations,” he explains. A diagnosis, after all, is only as good as the advice that comes with it.
The numbers speak for themselves: “One in two people doesn’t know the right product for their skin. We give them answers, thanks to AI and optical technology,” summarizes Guive Balooch, Global Managing Director of Augmented Beauty and Open Innovation at L’Oréal.
L’Oréal took the plunge in 2018 by acquiring ModiFace, a key competitor of Perfect Corp., to develop its own tech. “The performance of our services comes from the intersection of more than 115 years of data and our mastery of algorithms,” says Stéphane Lannuzel, Chief Digital Strategy Officer and Beauty Tech Program Lead. Launching around 8,000 products every year, L’Oréal has amassed an enormous skin data and image bank—enough to refine diagnoses to pinpoint accuracy. Algorithms rely on both high-quality images and interpretation from professionals (think dermatologists saying ‘I spot this sign here’). Even the quality of image acquisition—what the pros call ‘optics’—plays an essential role.
Technology never stands still. Recently, Perfect Corp. rolled out an HD solution with twice the previous resolution, allowing much finer analysis of facial and skin parameters—especially wrinkles. “Depending on the wrinkle type, there are specific treatments,” Delteil notes. Brands are now free to pick and tailor these tools so consumers always benefit from expertise backed by reliable tech.
Hi-Tech Beauty: From Spas to Smartphones
Beauty institutes pair top-notch optical tools with professional know-how. Lannuzel is quick to point out, “One doesn’t replace the other. All our technologies have been adopted by our beauty advisors as a complementary tool, which lets them look deeper into the skin.”
Recent standouts include:
- Kiehl’s Derma-Reader: Uses high-resolution imaging to analyze over 11 visible or invisible skin features, then offers targeted product routines and lifestyle tips.
- myBlend (with French OTSTC’s AI): Taps over a million facial images and combines the data with a questionnaire to deliver tailored advice, considering factors like stress, pollution, and lifestyle.
- Ioma Sphere, Skin Instant Lab (Biologique Recherche), Visia 7 at Aesthé: Each brings precision measurements, product routine optimization, and even in-depth consultation tracking over time.
Remote consultations boomed during COVID-19, but selfie quality posed a unique challenge. The workaround? Guidance on taking selfies with multiple angles and lighting, plus algorithmic wizardry to reconstruct—and scrutinize—your face better than before. Popular AI diagnosis tools by brand include SkinConsult AI (Vichy), Skin Genius (L’Oréal Paris), E-Skin Expert (Lancôme), and AI Skin Analysis (Cetaphil).
These tools aren’t just about vanity; they can also be a crucial first step for dermatological issues—sometimes making a difference when appointments are hard to get. La Roche-Posay’s SpotScan, for example, targets acne, a concern affecting 80% of teens and 40% of adults. With a database of 50,000 dermatologist-verified photos, users get acne type, severity assessments, and product or routine suggestions—all from three selfies. Avène, too, offers online diagnostics for skin pathologies with product and routine advice, working to further enhance medical validation.
The Virtual Beauty Assistant: Coming Soon to Your Chat
Ready for real-time AI beauty advice—day or night? The next leap is already set. At the Viva Technology expo, L’Oréal Paris unveiled Beauty Genius, an AI-powered personal beauty assistant that answers your questions about skin, hair, and makeup, provides expert diagnoses, and even assists with trying on products. The service will debut in the US at the end of 2024.
Not to be outdone, Perfect Corp. has introduced Skin-GPT, a smart conversational interface for in-depth beauty discussions based on individual needs. Its broader availability will depend on brand interest.
The upshot? The secret to great skin may soon be as close as your phone, and the line between science and self-care just got a glow-up worth celebrating.
