Beauty: device can analyze your skin condition in real time

Choosing skin care products is often a process of trial and error. But Cell BioPrint, a newly launched device from L'Oréal, promises to change that.

It offers the customer the ability to analyze their skin to identify signs of aging, response to specific active ingredients and the likelihood of developing conditions such as dark spots or enlarged pores. This way, people can choose the ideal products for their needs.

“We have great imaging systems that show what's on the surface of the skin, but what's on the surface has already happened,” explains Guive Balooch, global director of beauty and innovation at the L'Oréal Group.

“What’s really important for the future and helping people find the right product is understanding everyone’s unique biology – something that has been a huge challenge to do on a large scale.”

With the new technology, a person takes a small sample of skin using a painless tape, places it in a test cartridge along with a drop of testing solution, and inserts it into the device. Within minutes, the system analyzes protein-based biomarkers and generates a report on an in-store tablet.

This report helps both the consumer and the beauty consultant to choose the most suitable products and to anticipate possible skin problems in the future, such as wrinkles or blemishes. This way, you can adjust your skin care routine to treat these problems before they even appear. “The goal is to allow people to understand what they can do to improve their future skin health,” says Balooch.

L'Oréal experts have spent decades identifying biomarkers that help predict skin health. But until now, it was not possible to perform this analysis in real time or detect these biomarkers outside of a traditional laboratory.

To develop this technology, L'Oréal worked with the South Korean company NanoEntek, which specializes in miniaturized biological analysis tools.

The new device has performance comparable to equipment used in laboratories. The technology has been tested on around a thousand skin types and tones, ensuring its effectiveness for a wide variety of consumers.

According to the executive, the company plans to implement the device in thousands of stores around the world within a year. The exact business model, including possible costs to customers, is still being defined.

L'Oréal also plans to offer training for beauty consultants, although Balooch stresses that the equipment is designed to be quick and easy to use. As new biomarkers are identified by researchers, they can be incorporated into the Cell BioPrint analysis, making it even more personalized.

Consultants will also play an important role in choosing the right product for each customer based on test results. In addition to the active ingredients, they will take into account factors such as duration, texture and other specific aspects of the products.

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