Smart Beauty Devices Take Center Stage at CES 2018
The Computer Electronics Show is known as the see-and-be scene for techies – and beauty products and devices always take center stage.
“Shopping for skincare products can be an overwhelming and confusing experience for our consumer because she is uncertain about what her skin really needs,” says Sebastien Guillon, Global President of Beauty, Johnson & Johnson Consumer, in a CES press release. “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 that end, HiMirror was been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree for its HiMirror Mini ($249), the first voice-activated smart mirror. Available in the U.S. by September, the mirror offers personalized skincare analysis based on the condition of the user’s skin, local weather conditions and more.
HiMirror also keeps an ongoing record of the user's skin to track goals and the results of products used. It also allows users to provide feedback on products efficacy. A user's collection of skincare products can be scanned into the system through a virtual "My Beauty Box" by barcode, with reminders sent for any product expirations. The HiMirror also features an entertainment center consisting of current news stories, music, ambient make up lighting, video tutorials, a virtual make up feature and much more. Equipped with a mobile app, the HiMirror lets users track and tweak their skincare needs on the go too. It is equipped with Amazon Alexa-enabled features, privacy facial and voice recognition account access, and a noise cancellation microphone. The HiMirror Mini will also introduce a touchscreen feature to the HiMirror portfolio.
The brand's sister product, HiMirror Plus+ (launched in December 2017), first introduced the Amazon Alexa-enabled features to the HiMirror product portfolio, enhancing the overall experience with easy-to-use functions. Accessories for the HiMirror product portfolio are sold separately and include the Smart Body Scale and the HiSkin. The Smart Body Scale allows users to identify their body type as well as measure their weight, body mass index, body fat, water level content, muscle mass, bone weight, resting metabolism, etc. The Body and Fitness feature on HiMirror also includes fitness videos for different exercise types, body parts and equipment to ensure a total at-home health and fitness experience. HiSkin is a hand-held device that connects to the HiMirror to provide a "skin deep" 360° analysis of the skin's condition measuring hydration level, pigmentation and more.
Kohler Co. was also named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree for its new Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror ($999). The smart mirror puts Amazon's Alexa assistant into a bathroom mirror, which can be used to turn the lights on or off or perform voice assistant functions like playing music.
Johnson & Johnson’s NeutrogenaSkin360 ($49.99) attaches to a smartphone and uses sensors to track skin health while providing personalized skincare advice. The Skin360 app and SkinScanner tool measure what’s happening below the skin’s surface, tracking pores, fine lines, wrinkles and moisture levels. Each scan generates a Skin360 Score, offering analysis with a recommended skin care routine and products best suited unique to the user’s skin type and issues.
The Neutrogena Skin360 app and SkinScanner tool will be available later this year exclusively via Neutrogena.com.
Romy Paris’s $800 ‘miniaturized laboratory’ creates a personalized skin care serum daily along with a beauty coaching app that takes environment, activities, and sleep habits into consideration.
And Schwarzkopf Professional’s SalonLab tool measures inner hair condition and moisture level and can even identify true hair color. An accompanying app is augmented reality-ready to virtually see how different hair colors look.
Also at CES, Northwestern University researchers and L’Oréal introduced a wafer-thin, feather-light sensor that can fit on a fingernail and precisely measures a person’s exposure to UV light from the sun. Learn more here.