In the beauty industry, IoT devices are key players in driving change. They have the capability to collect hundreds of skin data points and transform them into real-time, tailored responses and treatments.
Beyond simple active ingredients and product offerings designed to enhance appearance and well-being, recent advancements in technology are rapidly changing how brands offer and consumers engage with beauty products.
Part of these changes is related to a new generation of digital-native consumers who expect companies to interact with products in the same way they interact with their everyday technology devices. Additionally, the pandemic initiated a technological transformation in the sector that has only grown.
Furthermore, today’s most successful cosmetic companies are those that understand customers demand higher levels of personalization for both products and services, necessitating the collection and analysis of consumer data to enable real-time, personalized treatment options.
Technology experts and cosmetic brands are shaping a new beauty industry with the inclusion of advancements in various types of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies playing a central role.
In fact, in recent years, there has been an explosion of IoT devices in consumer sectors affecting personal well-being. A report predicts that the global beauty device market will grow at an annual growth rate of 20.2% from 2022 to 2027.
Within this new industry paradigm, smart sensors are the stars: they record real-time data such as UV exposure, skin hydration, wrinkles, spots, and hundreds of other indicators, and then create personalized products. For example, the smart device Young&Be offers home beauty treatments: sensors scan the skin and send the information to an app that analyzes it and selects a personalized treatment for each user. Luces is another home dermatologist that performs in-depth analyses to detect skin issues (wrinkles, acne, clogged pores, or dryness) and offers treatments to address them. Luna, a device from FOREO, follows a similar path by using sensors to analyze the user’s skin and personalize care while learning and improving its diagnoses.
Several cosmetic brands also sell IoT mirrors. Leading devices are equipped with artificial intelligence, cameras, and humidity sensors in the mirror. They automatically measure the user’s skin condition when their face is reflected and then suggest optimal cosmetics.
Shiseido from Japan launched “Optune,” a device that automatically dispenses single-use makeup by touching it. It has five built-in skincare cartridges and extracts the optimal serum and moisturizer in combination. Users can take photos of their skin with an app, measure skin conditions (texture, pores, and water content), and select their mood for the day. The Optune algorithm then considers temperature, humidity, UV index, etc., and immediately blends cosmetics perfect for the user’s skin.
The success these devices are having in the market relates to how consumers seek hyper-personalization in real-time, an aspiration that can only be achieved through technologies that capture data (in this case, skin indicators) and design robust strategies to analyze, classify, and provide the most appropriate responses and treatments for each person.
By Julio Cesar Blanco – April 12, 2023
