L’Oréal – the world’s largest cosmetic company, prides themselves on offering the most innovative products in terms of quality, efficiency and safety. As seen on their website, they’re innovating the future of beauty through science and technology. This company is utilizing artificial intelligence to get ahead of their competitors by changing in-store experiences and personalizing them to meet their consumers needs.
L’Oréal, and Emotiv, an up-and-coming bioinformatics and tech company have come together to create a personalized fragrance based on brain wave responses from consumers. On March 21, 2022, International Fragrance Day, L’Oréal announced that they were partnering up with Emotiv to help consumers create their own unique scent. Guive Balooch, Head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator says, “The intersection of neurotech, AI and science is an exciting next step. The science of choosing a fragrance is very complex. This partnership promises innovation for the entire beauty industry as this is truly the first time that consumers will have access to a state-of-the-art experience that uses neuroscience to provide personalized, precise fragrance advice.”
The tech works by analyzing the neuro responses to different scents. Connected to a multi-sensor electroencephalogram-like headset (EEG), this machine is able to learn algorithms that sense the preferences of the user. The behavior of the brain and its emotions such as happiness and relaxation are studied in the scan. This technology is the first of its kind, which is why it is so sought after; combining science and fragrance to determine the perfect scent is futuristic in possibly the best way. This system is recent and is set to launch this year in 2023. It is not just an EEG machine– as mentioned before there is also artificial intelligence (AI) involved. L’Oréal is known for using artificial intelligence to manufacture different personalized products.
L’Oréal is also working AI into hair and skin products. They created a system for coloring hair in the salon using a patented algorithm to provide a more accurate-looking color, called Coloright. The system is similar to the one used in fragrance–it analyzes the customers hair by looking at the color, hair type, length and amount of gray hair on one’s head. For skin care,Verily, a small life sciences research group, is partnering up with L’Oréal to create yet another personalized product. Verily’s scientific knowledge of the skin paired with an AI’s ability to pinpoint an individual’s needs is a match made in heaven. The CEO of L’Oréal, Nicolas Hieronimus, stated that she looks forward to their partnership to “decode revolutionary scientific discoveries that will create the future of beauty”.
Fragrance, hair color and skincare? L’Oréal left no opportunities for competition, and made sure they were at the forefront for new technology. This brand shows strategic growth into unmarked territory. Leaving room for inclusivity, diversifying their client base and attracting new customers.