Brief:
- Johnson & Johnson's beauty brand Neutrogena updated its mobile app with face-scanning technology from Perfect's YouCam, among other features to personalize skincare advice. Neutrogena's new Skin360 app doesn't require users to attach specialized scanner hardware to their smartphones as in the past, per an announcement.
- By using Perfect's artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the Skin360 app uses a smartphone camera to analyze wrinkles, fine lines, dark under-eye circles, spots and smoothness. The app assesses more than 100,000 skin pixels and more than 2,000 facial attributes to offer 2.5 million individualized product recommendations based on the individual user.
- App users can generate a Skin360 Score by inputting more information about their sleep habits, exercise routines and stress levels. The app provides personalized advice on an eight-week skincare regiment based on the Skin360 score and an individual's goals, per the announcement.
Insight:
Neutrogena likely can boost adoption of its Skin360 app by eliminating the need for specialized hardware, such as the face scanner attachment that the brand introduced at last year's Consumer Electronics Show. The company sold the SkinScanner hardware on its website for about $50, a price point that may have been cost-prohibitive for some consumers. By incorporating Perfect's facial scanning technology in the Skin360 app, Neutrogena makes it easier for consumers to use their smartphone's native front-facing camera instead of relying on clunky hardware attachments with limited functionality.
The updated app also collects much more information about customers to refine its product recommendation, marketing and product development. While the SkinScanner hardware focused on a small patch of skin, Neutrogena now can scan a person's entire face to get a more holistic view of consumers. In addition, the company collects more data about the personal behavior of customers to generate its Skin360 Score, helping to gain more insights about individuals' lifestyles. The company can harness that information to tailor its marketing and form stronger ties with customers.
For Perfect, the addition of its technology to the Neutrogena app helps to showcase its specialization in the beauty industry. The company has worked with a variety of cosmetics brands to provide consumers with more immersive experiences such as virtual try-ons of makeup and hair coloring. Its YouCam Makeup app boasts more than 700 million users, letting them test products from more than 200 beauty brands. Meanwhile, its key rival, L'Oréal-owned Modiface, also has introduced AI-powered skin diagnostic technology to let customers get treatment advice based on their uploaded selfies.
