Beauty is getting a whole lot smarter, and more and more companies are getting in on the game. These are among the main takeaways from the BeautyTech Summit at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking place in Las Vegas from Jan. 5-8, 2017.

This is the be-all, end-all trade show for techies and investors, and beauty innovations are quickly earning their place in the ranks.

Different Strokes

Kérastase and Withings rolled out the first-ever smart hairbrush, taking home this year's International CES Innovation Award. The Kérastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings, developed in collaboration with L'Oréal's Research and Innovation Technology Incubator, features Withings' advanced sensors and seamless product design along with L'Oréal's patent-pending signal analysis algorithms to score the quality of hair and monitor the effects of different hair care routines. An accompanying mobile app provides additional insights and customized product recommendations. The rationale? Forceful hair brushing causes hair damage, including breakage and split ends, and the smart brush minimizes these risks via multiple sensors that provide information on the quality of hair and brushing patterns.

Magic Mirror on the Wall …

The already overachieving HiMirror rolled a new Plus edition and an accompanying HiSkin device at CES 2017.  The Basic model was named a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Smart Home product category. The mirror snaps a photo and analyzes complexion, sun damage, pores, and wrinkles, and then recommends products and routines. All data is encrypted and stored anonymously.

The Plus model features LED makeup lighting for five different settings scenarios – sunset view, outdoor on a sunny day, brightly lit office, shopping mall or supermarket, and restaurant or party venue.  It also includes increased memory to record and track skin analysis over time. HiSkin, a hand-held device that connects to the HiMirror, evaluates the skin’s cuticle moisture, subcutaneous pigmentation, dark circles, acne scars, and environmental factors. The Smart Body Scale – paired with the HiMirror - measures weight, body fat ratio, body mass index, total body water, muscle mass, bone mass, and basal metabolic rate. All data is displayed through the HiMirror.

Another smart skin analysis tool, Samsung’s S-Skin, addresses issues with “microneedle” patches that penetrate the skin with ingredients and take measurements simultaneously.  The pod-shaped device can measure the hydration, redness, and melanin of the skin to provide customized skincare using LED light. The condition of the skin is saved in the accompanying app to track changes over time.  Also from Samsung is Lumini, a portable device that identifies skin problems under the surface before they occur. After taking a picture of the face, it analyzes the information using an algorithm and sends the information to an app . Lumini then recommends products based on the analysis and offers a remote consultation with a dermatologist or a skincare specialist.