How is AI used in the World of Skincare?

Since ancient times, people have been quite conscious of taking good care of their skin, especially women. In prehistoric times, people employed traditional methods such as applying rose petals or rice water for a healthy and glowing skin. 

 

The right practice of skincare supports skin integrity, relieves the skin conditions and enhances the appearance of the skin. Skin care products may include nutrition, cosmetics, botulinum exfoliation, fillers, laser resurfacing, microdermabrasion, peels, retinol therapy and emollients. 

 

Skin care varies from skin type, i.e., for dry, normal and oily skin. It can be a daily routine as a periodical process. With the advent of time, these methods have modulated themselves. Artificial intelligence (AI) and its technologies have taken the skincare industry to a whole new level. 

 

(Talking about skincare, see the role of AI in cosmetics)

 

 

AI in skincare

 

AI is a human curated technology that helps machines to think like humans. The induction of the human brain in machines is the art of AI. It has its role in almost all fields of mankind, be it healthcare or skincare. In skin care particularly, the AI technologies employed by the researchers include :

 

1. Augmented reality

2. Natural language processing (NLP)

3. AI powered search

4. Content personalization

5. Demand and supply forecast

 

Before counting the advantages of AI in the skincare industry. First let us have a detailed discussion about the technologies employed to deliver the same:

 

AI Technologies employed in Skincare

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AI technologies employed in skincare

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Augmented reality

 

Have you ever used snapchat filters? That’s nothing but a use of augmented reality. Augmented reality is defined as the technology that enables adding virtual effects to real-time photos. In skincare and cosmetics, this technology is used to try a makeup product on the user’s face to let him check how he will look after applying the same in real life.

 

NLP

 

Natural language processing or NLP combines algorithms, ML, and linguistics to enable machines to understand human language. In the skin care industry it is widely used for voice related search.

 

AI powered search

 

AI powered search is used by the customers to search the most relevant product of their needs.

 

Content personalization

 

In skincare industries, content personalization is employed by brands and websites to recommend the products to the users. For content personalization algorithms first use the activity of the users, then analyze it later to suggest the customers the products of their interests.

 

Demand and supply forecast

 

This feature is employed by the industries and brands to study the supply and demand rate of a particular product. This helps the industries to control market chains.

 

 

Benefits of AI in Skincare

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Benefits of AI in skincare

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What exactly gives an edge to skincare platforms that adopt AI? We’ve listed some of the perks it offers below :

 

1. Diagnosing the conditions

The AI tools are advanced and help in detecting and diagnosing even the minute ill condition of the skin. By processing photos and developing algorithms accordingly. AI helps in evaluating even the minute abnormality in the skin.

 

2. Digital beauty advisors

Many startups such as Revieve offer digital beauty advisors. These platforms provide skin care recommendations based on AI algorithms and ML. 

 

After evaluating skin related factors such as redness, eye bags, wrinkles, blemishes and pimples via a selfie analyzer, the applications rate the skin health and suggest ingredients and products to improve it.

 

3. Try on simulation

Augmented reality is an element of AI, it is widely employed in skincare industries. It helps in performing a try on simulation on the user's face. This feature is used on makeup face applications and other facial applications that precise the state of skin. Modiface is an example of such an application.

 

4. Microneedle therapy

Microneedle therapy is widely in use nowadays. The process involves prickling of skin with sterilized needles, these minute holes and wounds help the body in creating more collagen and elastin. The collagen and elastin help the skin to appear more younger than in actual.

 

5. DIY face masks

The AI has designed several skincare machineries that are cost effective and are easy in applications. One such AI machine includes DIY face masks, that helps the user to make a face mask at home using collagen and other ingredients such as honey, tomatoes and fruits.

 

6. Voice assistance

The basic yet important AI application is voice assistance. Voice assistance makes the search for skincare products quite easier and faster.

 

7. Manufacturing customer centric products

 

AI analyzes the requirements and needs of the customers, and thus helps in manufacturing customer centric products.

 

(You might be interested in learning about the success story of Nykaa)

 

Examples of popular AI based beauty apps

Beauty apps are another venture of AI in skincare. These applications are different from other applications as they help in customizing the beauty products according to the individual. These products can include serum, shampoo, creams or conditioners.

Let us take a look at some successful and popular beauty apps.

Olay

Olay has a skin advisor app that is based on machine learning and algorithms. The app uses the user’s selfies and recommends them the most suitable beauty products.

Yours

Yours is a skin care platform. It creates an account for the users that holds the personal data such as age, skin type, water consumption, sleeping cycle, wine or smoke consumption and lifestyle. 

 

After analyzing the data, AI algorithms make recommendations about the personalized skincare products including night creams, moisturizers and serum.

AI Face beauty

It is an application designed by Youth laboratories that helps in estimating facial blemishes and wrinkles. The application is also used to calculate age as per the facial data.

Atolla Skin Lab Solutions

This application provides solutions to almost all skin solutions, it employs a specialized database and machine learning algorithm, to suggest a combination of ingredients to balance critical skin issues such as skin hydration, oil content and sun damage.

Luna Fofo

Luna Fofo is an AI based cleansing device. It is embedded with advanced sensors. These sensors analyze the user's skin to generate a customized report. The report recommends cleansing and facial routines for the customers as well as the required intensity and duration.

My Beauty Matches

My Beauty Matches updates the user about all the existing products of beauty and skincare in the market. It also helps in comparing prices of the similar products from different sites 

L'Oréal Hair Coach

The application is used to monitor the effects of different hair care routines.

Samsung' skin app

It makes recommendations to the users telling them the best way to improve their skins.

Get the look

Get the look of an application by Rimmel. It is a 3D makeup simulation app that enables consumers to try a makeup look on them. This helps in deciding the best shades and makeup for themselves.

 

(See, latest examples of AI)

 

 

Conclusion

 

Even after so many advantages and applications, there still exist certain areas where AI needs to tighten its grip. Data security and privacy lies on the top. The information filled by augmented reality platforms are always a matter of risk. 

 

Even in recent years, we have all heard of security risks linked with one such application. Also, sometimes, the results created by these applications are totally opposite to the real outcome, in short words, AI is not always wholly reliable. 

 

In the last decade, the skincare sector has grown a hell of a lot, and the pandemic time, when the entire globe turned into a digital market, has helped it to mark its zenith. Employment of AI in skincare is a good idea to fuse. Many brands are already acting as virtual mirrors to their customers, and in the coming days this ratio is expected to shoot up high.