New technology in the beauty industry you need to know about

Like most industries, the beauty business is constantly evolving thanks to new technology. Some have the power to create new treatments and products, while others improve existing beauty practices. 

Either way, it can be difficult for beauty business owners to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements. That’s why we’ve put together this handy list of examples of new technology in the beauty industry: 

• AI-powered personalisation.

• Virtual “try on” apps.

• Smart skincare tools. 

• Printed make-up. 

• 3D make-up.

• Smart hairbrushes.

A common complaint among beauty product consumers is how difficult it is to find the right foundation shade. Stores can only stock so many different shades, so they can’t cover every individual skin tone. 

To solve this problem, Lancome has developed Le Teint Particulier – a custom foundation machine. Using digital scanners and AI software, Le Teint Particulier matches people’s unique skin tone to one of 20,000 different shades. 

After identifying the right tone, the results are sent to a mixing machine that creates a bespoke foundation right there in the shop.
You’ll notice that many of the items on our list have a strong focus on personalisation. This seems to be the direction the beauty industry is heading – providing a perfect product that will cater to the needs of every individual. 

A lot of beauty brands make great use of the latest VR technology to help enhance the customer experience. 

Virtual “try on” apps, like Sephora’s Virtual Artist, allow customers to virtually experiment with thousands of different lipsticks and eyeshadows using their smartphones or at kiosks in stores.

These apps are great for an increasingly virtual retail environment. And make even more sense in an era where hygiene is crucial.

The New Kinpo Group’s HiMirror, can scan your face to detect wrinkles, red spots, pores, fine lines, and brightness levels. After the scan, the mirror will give your skin a rating and give you personalised tips and product recommendations.

This tech has mixed reviews, with critics highlighting that the technology can be damaging to people’s self-esteem.  

A similar service from Olay, Skin Advisor, has received mixed feedback. Their “FutureYou Simulation”, an app that scans your face and shows you how ageing will affect your skin, has been called frightening. 

If you hate having to do your makeup every day, this one is for you.

The Opté wand is a handheld wand that can scan your skin for dark spots, age spots, and sunspots. It then applies small amounts of foundation to cover them up. 

And design company Seymour Powell has announced their concept for a device that can apply entire looks straight to your face. The proposed product would combine 3D printing and facial recognition technology to recreate any look.
If it works as they intend it to, it represents a massive opportunity for online influencers, who’ll be able to sell looks to their followers. 

TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram filters have taken the world by storm. And makeup artists are taking advantage of this to create make-up filters.

The appeal of augmented reality make-up is the flexibility and creativity it allows without the need to shell out for expensive products. This provides users with an unlimited number of interchangeable items they can apply to their virtual selves. All without having to touch a brush.

Finally, not even the humble hairbrush is immune to the technological revolution. 

Beginning with L’Oreal in 2017, several beauty companies have started rolling out their own versions of smart hairbrushes. 

These smart brushes contain sensors that count strokes, measure dryness and analyse the force used when brushing. Some have microphones that listen to the sound of brushing to measure manageability, frizziness, dryness, split ends, and breakage.

The brushes send information via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to a mobile app, consider humidity, temperature, and wind, and will produce a quality score, ranking hair for damage, breakage, tangling, and dryness. It will then provide hair tips and recommend specific products. 

New technology isn’t just changing the beauty industry. In fact, the latest accounting software, like the kind used by Countingup, can help small beauty businesses manage their finances from a straightforward app. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. It has a range of useful features that will make your financial management much easier when running your beauty business, including:

• Invoicing on the go: Create professional invoices for your clients quickly and easily.

• Cash flow insights: See exactly how much is in your business account with no data lag (no other accounting software can offer the same level of accuracy). 

These are just two of the multiple features available from one user-friendly app. With Countingup, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

Start your three-month free trial today.

Find out more here.