With the advent of electronics into the beauty world over the past few years, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held each year in January (Jan. 9-12, 2018), in Las Vegas, has become a place to spot the coolest beauty-related gadgets, and this year was no exception.

Here’s a look at four introductions into the beauty/wellbeing space:

Henkel’s Digital Ecosystem for Hair Care

Henkel has taken another step forward in Hair Care with the Schwarzkopf Professional SalonLab, described as “a digital ecosystem for quantifying and customizing the hair care experience.” SalonLab was a two-time recipient of this year’s CES 2018 Innovation Awards, which celebrate outstanding product design and engineering in new consumer technology products, and will debut at CES in Las Vegas this month.

From near-infrared hair diagnostics and augmented reality color consultation, to creating personalized on-demand hair care products, Henkel Beauty Care says the system propels hair salons into the digital age.

Henkel says it is “the first end-to-end ecosystem of connected devices that measure hair condition as well as hair color and provide hyper-personalized products and services.” The technology takes the guess work out of which products and services are best for each client’s hair by analyzing hair at the molecular level, empowering the consultation process with data-driven insights and producing on-demand, personalized care solutions.

Today’s process of assessing hair condition and color is based on the hair’s outer appearance, with hairdressers using their experience, individual expertise, and physical senses to diagnose a client’s hair health at its surface. Until now, hairdressers had no way to analyze the inner hair condition and true color to understand the unique quality of each client’s hair type, which is the basis for any consultation, service and at-home care.

“We can now gain so many more data-driven insights about the client’s hair, thanks to Henkel’s SalonLab technology and the concrete scientific data it gives us,” said Kim Vo, International Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassador and celebrity hairdresser. “Combining it with our own expertise, we can now assess the hair on a whole new level – the perfect basis for a truly individual consultation."

Neutrogena Reveals the First Dermatologist-Grade At-Home Skin Analysis Tool

Neutrogena debuted sophisticated skin imaging technology that allows consumers to measure what's happening above and below their skin's surface. The Neutrogena Skin360 app and the accompanying SkinScanner powered by FitSkin give users an in depth understanding of their skin's condition and needs, customized advice to address those needs, plus a clear way to track and assess skin’s progress over time.

"Shopping for skincare products can be an overwhelming and confusing experience for our consumer because she is uncertain about what her skin really needs," said Sebastien Guillon, global president of Beauty, Johnson & Johnson Consumer. "Smart and connected technology helps us provide our consumer with personalized analyses and information she needs in real time so she can make decisions that will help her achieve her best skin ever."

To bring this cutting-edge technology out of the dermatologist office and into consumers' hands, Neutrogena collaborated with start-up Fitskin, Inc. on the development of the beauty tool and mobile app. The SkinScanner tool fits over the user's phone, and utilizes precision technology to reveal key metrics of skin health that are invisible to the naked eye. Built with 12 high-powered lights, a 30x magnification lens, and highly-accurate sensors, the SkinScanner captures the size and appearance of pores, the size and depth of fine lines and wrinkles, and measures the skin's moisture levels.

Each time the skin is scanned, the beauty tool feeds the data to the Neutrogena Skin360 app, which leverages Neutrogena's wealth of scientific research and expertise to analyze the results. It then provides the user with her scores for pores, lines and wrinkles, and moisture as well as an overall Skin360 Score that forms the basis of a personalized daily product regimen and overall skincare advice. This score also allows the user to understand how her skin constantly changes over time in order to adjust her skin care in real-time. As more data is analyzed, the app uses machine learning to improve analysis and recommendations, getting more precise and intelligent. The user can also set skin care goals, journal her progress, and benchmark results using crowdsourced data from others using the app.

"Delivering new beauty tech solutions to consumers aligns with our mission to enhance people's lives through technology," said Josh Ghaim, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. "Neutrogena Skin360 and the SkinScanner tool is just one of our experiences shaping everyday health for today and tomorrow."

The Neutrogena Skin360 app and SkinScanner tool will be available later this year for $49.99, exclusively on the brand's website. Consumers can sign up here to be the first to try it.

L'Oréal Advances Its Commitment to Promoting Sun Safety with Battery-Free Wearable

L’Oreal made headlines at CES in 2016 when it introduced La Roche-Posay’s My UV Patch, described as “the first-ever stretchable skin sensor designed to monitor UV exposure and help consumers educate themselves about sun protection.”

At this year’s CES, the world’s largest cosmetics company introduced two technology products. UV Sense, the first battery-free wearable electronic UV sensor, and a limited-edition of the award-winning My UV Patch. Both provide consumers with crucial information about their individual ultraviolet (UV) exposure levels. Both technologies will be available from the La Roche-Posay brand this year.

"L'Oréal research shows that overexposure to UV rays is a top health and beauty concern of consumers worldwide," said Guive Balooch, global vice president of L'Oréal's Technology Incubator. "With this knowledge, we set out to create something that blends problem-solving technology with human-centered design to reach even more consumers who require additional information about their UV exposure. Whenever we develop a new technology, our goal is to make an enormous global impact by enhancing consumers' lives."

Through consumer studies and feedback of My UV Patch users, L'Oréal learned that although users changed their behaviors – with 34% applying sunscreen more often and 37% trying to stay in the shade more frequently – they wanted a smaller wearable with longer wear and real-time data. Building on the architecture of the original patch, UV Sense allows further monitoring of UV exposure, to show trends of exposure over time with instant updates.

UV Sense is the first battery-free wearable electronic sensor to measure individual UV exposure and can store up to three months of data. The wearable is less than two millimeters thick, nine millimeters in diameter and designed to be worn for up to two weeks on the thumbnail. The sensor can be reapplied to the nail with additional adhesives, which come in the packaging. By putting this technology on the thumbnail – which receives optimal sunlight – consumers can increase wear time from several days with My UV Patch to several weeks with UV Sense.

Balooch continued, "Beauty trends show that adoption of wearable nail art accessories is on the rise, with a more than 65 percent increase in nail art trends over the last five years. Our innovation taps into this growing trend, while illustrating our deep commitment to sun safe behavior and protection."

Powered by the user's mobile phone and activated by UVA and UVB rays, UV Sense is the first wearable electronic UV sensor powered without a battery. The wearable has an accompanying mobile app, available on both iOS and Android, which translates and transfers data from the sensor using Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled technology. The app delivers consumer-friendly information detailing when the wearer should be mindful of UV exposure. Data is included in a profile within the app that outlines a user's exposure levels. Sun-safety habits – like spending time in the shade or reapplying sunscreen – are encouraged with facts about sun exposure and additional tips for protection.

"Design and technology are inextricably linked, and as products become more personalized to individuals, both elements are integral to providing people with seamless experiences," said Yves Behar, designer entrepreneur and founder of fuseproject. "By working with L'Oréal, we are able to pair deep expertise in beauty tech with an effective design that enhances consumers' wellbeing without distracting from their everyday lives."

Both UV Sense and the limited-edition of My UV Patch draw from research L'Oréal conducted in conjunction with MC10, Inc., a leading wearable technology company, and professor John Rogers at Northwestern University, through his portfolio of intellectual property (IP) and innovation around flexible, stretchable electronics. This research has provided valuable insights into the human skin, such as the calculations of personal daily safe UV doses around the skin phototype and minimal erythema dose.

UV Sense will be available on a limited basis in the U.S. for the 2018 summer season with a global launch following in 2019. Details on where the limited-edition as well as the original heart design of My UV Patch will be available on LaRoche Posay's website. 

FOREO Launches New UFO Smart Mask

Swedish brand FOREO launched its newest beauty-tech device, the UFO, at CES, making it available to pre-order in partnership with crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. The FOREO UFO is described as the world’s first smart mask treatment to offer spa-level facial treatments in just 90 seconds, combining LED light therapy with cryo-therapy, thermo-therapy and T-Sonic pulsations activated via your smartphone.

Face masks were 2017’s biggest beauty trend in skincare, officially the category’s number one searched term in Google and accounting for more than 40% of online sales for beauty companies worldwide. With the launch of UFO (Ur Future Obsession), FOREO is aiming to kickstart a face mask revolution, tackling the core issues of limited penetration, poor facial coverage, and the time spent using them.

“Face masks are the guilty pleasure of millions, but is lying under cold, wet sheets of paper the best we can do for 2018?” Paul Peros, FOREO CEO asks. “After four years in development, FOREO’s designers and technicians have proven there is a better way. We’re taking the latest professional beauty technologies available - treatments that can cost thousands of dollars - and incorporating them into one UFO device to unleash the full potential of our face masks. The results are literally out of this world!”

The FOREO UFO, (Ur Future Obsession) has been in development and shrouded in secrecy for four years until it was unveiled at CES in booth #43534. The UFO is set to retail at $279 while the UFO mini, and entry level design, will retail at $179. For the pre-launch phase on Kickstarter, however, customers can enjoy savings of up to 50% off.

The UFO utilizes hyper-infusion technology, combining heating to open pores, T-Sonic pulsations to instantly infuse active ingredients more deeply into the skin and cryotherapy to seal the active ingredients and firm the skin. It includes a range of LED light therapy treatments to offer three photofacials, including anti-aging (red LED), brightening (green LED) and anti-acne (blue LED). Each treatment incorporates a carefully chosen combination of temperature and pulsation intensity for maximum effect and soothing facial massage.

The device works hand in hand with the specially invented UFO-activated sheet masks. These ultra-soft microfiber masks ensure flawless skin from dawn to dusk and each formula pairs with a unique UFO treatment routine designed to give a wake-up call, or to help relax when people are ready to call it a night.

UFO Smart Masks are made from soft micro-fiber infused with plant and fruit extracts, concentrated botanical oils and natural flower water. Each mask is paired with a pre-programmed UFO treatment routine to boost their effects. There are two masks currently available on launch including:

The UFO can be paired with the FOREO app to get the most out of the device.

"Kickstarter is the perfect place to reach a community open to a genuine beauty revolution,” says Dalia Fernander, FOREO’s product marketing manager. “To succeed, we're wanting to get UFO into the hands of as many people as possible, which is why we're offering up to 50% off the retail price. This way we hope thousands can experience the results and show the world there is a smarter way to mask!"

The UFO is only available for early bird presale through Kickstarter. The UFO and UFO mini are planned to launch in top retail stores from April 2018. 

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