Are popular skincare ingredients not suitable for you? L'Oréal wants to solve this problem | The Frontline

What will be the next retinol, vitamin C, or Pro-Xylane? In the past, such a search might have taken several years or even decades, but after the advent of AI, this process may be significantly shortened.

"In the past, it might have taken several years to find effective active molecules, and this is only the first step of the entire R&D process. But I believe that in the future, we will enter an era measured in'months.'" During this year's CES, Guive Balooch, Global Director of Digital Beauty and Open Innovation at L'Oréal Group, told 36Kr about the impact of AI technology on the development of beauty products.

This year, L'Oréal Group launched L’Oréal Cell BioPrint, a skin testing device. With the assistance of AI, this machine, which looks similar to a home printer, can help consumers precisely select skin care products that are suitable for them. This process is accomplished by identifying unique biomarkers in the skin, which can indicate the key components of healthy skin and longevity, and indirectly determine whether a certain formula or product "is effective for us".

BioPrint is very easy to use. Just attach a facial tape to the cheek and then place it in a buffer solution. Load the solution into the BioPrint cartridge and then insert it into the machine for analysis. While processing the sample, the Skin Connect device will take several facial photos and conduct a brief skin problem questionnaire. This testing process can be completed in just five minutes.

Cell BioPrint

Guive Balooch used the currently popular anti-aging ingredient retinol as an example, "In the past, it took people 10 years to discover that they were just guessing (about its efficacy). In the future, Cell BioPrint can measure the responsiveness of your skin cells to retinol, which determines whether you will continue to use this ingredient."

Such R&D achievements may bring changes to the highly competitive beauty market. "People have not too few but too many choices." The emergence of more products like Cell BioPrint will fundamentally change the R&D ideas of beauty products, achieving more precise and customized needs and "reducing unnecessary waste and development".

"In the past, all the usage suggestions we gave were based on the measurement results of a limited sample. Maybe it will be different in the future." He believes that consumers have put forward a new and higher requirement at the artistic level for skin care products.

In addition, AI will also add a new spark to the beauty device market. "Chinese consumers are the group with the highest acceptance of beauty devices globally. Innovative products that combine technology with formulas and hotspots have a great market demand in China."

L'Oréal launched the Lancôme Absolue Dual Optics Facial Device in China in 2022, and L’Oréal Cell BioPrint will also be launched in the Chinese market through one of L'Oréal's brands within this year. "We can also use AI, combined with enhanced realization technology, to achieve a more precise virtual makeup try-on experience. In addition, AI can also measure the skin and hair more accurately. I think these applications are very important."

L'Oréal has been participating in CES since 2015, and its history with CES has been 10 years. The technological products displayed at CES over the years can bring new inspirations to the beauty industry. The technology of Cell BioPrint indicates a shift in skin care methods from passive to active.

In 2024, the global skin care product market size will reach 125 billion US dollars. The driving force is that consumers want to know more about their skin. Ten years ago, this phenomenon was called "Ingredient Party" in China. Now, with the growth of consumers' demand for personalized skin care, becoming a biotech company is no longer a distant goal for beauty companies, but an inevitable trend in the industry's development.