For years, the beauty industry has been borrowing from ancient traditions. For example, enthusiasts of facial skincare in the United States have been fascinated with jade rollers and gua sha—tools with East Asian origins. These tools have been a hit among young people. They have shown up in celebrities’ beauty routines such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kendall Jenner, Miranda Kerr, Victoria Beckham, Elle Macpherson, and Justin Bieber. Consumers believe that these tools used to massage the face can increase circulation and tighten the skin.
However, there have also been technological developments in the beauty realm that promise to give you your best skin possible. There are also new tech products that improve the experience of shopping for new products online and offline. Here are some that should be on every beauty enthusiast’s radar.
Augmented Reality: The Virtual Dressing Room
Shopping online has been a blessing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when most brick and mortar stores had to shut down. Through e-commerce, consumers continued to have access to their necessities, including beauty products.
However, even before COVID-19, online shopping was already on the rise. People prefer to buy from digital retailers because it is convenient, and there are more options to choose from. The variety of products available mean that customer can find what they want and what their skin needs.
For example, they can eliminate the process of trial and error and shop for the best eye cream to reduce puffiness online. They can read articles, watch video reviews, and read other people’s product experiences before making the purchase.
However, there are limitations to what e-commerce can offer. While digital retail is always accessible, some consumers still prefer to buy in-store to test the product.
This is where augmented reality can offer a competitive edge to e-commerce. It allows customers to virtually “try on” a product before a purchase, guaranteeing that they will be satisfied with their order.
Sephora has already launched Virtual Artist, which uses AR to allow customers to swatch lipstick shades over their lips digitally. The tech accesses a smartphone’s camera and superimposes the cosmetic product over video feed in real-time.
Smarter Skincare Routine
In East Asia, the trend in beauty is leading toward the use of intelligent electronic devices.
Consumers are more knowledgeable about beauty products because of the internet. They have access to a vast source of information about absolutely anything under the sun, and they are using it to make purchasing decisions. However, not everyone has the time or the interest to research deeply into what every active ingredient can do to their skin.
So, instead of relying on human knowledge, companies are developing tools that can provide relevant information according to skin type and concerns.
The HiMirror is a smart mirror developed by Taiwan-based New Kinpo Group. It is designed to take photos of the user’s face every day to track changes in their skin. It keeps a record of pimples, red spots, fine lines and wrinkles, and brightness levels. The smart mirror then processes this information to provide personalized beauty recommendations.
Basically, the smart mirror becomes your personal dermatologist who knows your skin condition better than you do and guides you on how to take better care of it to prevent concerns later on.
Olay has launched a similar feature. The Skin Advisor uses your smartphone camera to take a selfie of your face. The software will then analyze the photo to determine skin age and skin concerns. It also recommends a skincare routine and skincare products based on your needs.
The Future of Makeup Is Printing
If you have ever wanted to reach into your digital screen after seeing something online that you wanted to try, it is now possible. There is a technology that instantly transforms any digital image into pigments that you can wear.
Mink Beauty has introduced its revolutionary 3D printer for color cosmetics. The company first introduced the technology in 2014, spending the last several years refining it to be ready for consumer use. The Mink (makeup ink) prints an entire image or a single color into a makeup sheet. You only need to cool it for 15 seconds before you apply it.
The Mink can print any image, whether from your camera roll or something you found on the Web. It comes with a companion app where you can upload your chosen photo and customize it the way you want it.
Tech is an integral part of everyday life. It is no surprise then that it has entered and now utilized in the beauty industry.
