Artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR), and other technology advancements have created new opportunities in the beauty sector, allowing consumers to interact with products and find customized care. The increasing integration of the tech and beauty industries has changed the way consumers use beauty products and think about self-care, and it’s revolutionized the kind of results beauty products can help consumers achieve.

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® Director of Market Research Lesley Rohrbaugh noted in a Vogue feature that CES® 2020 alone saw a more than 10% increase in the number of beauty-focused exhibitors.

More Than a Pretty Face

At CES 2020, L’Oreal unveiled a smart skincare device called Perso, which uses AI, user specifications and preferences, and location-based data to create personalized skincare, foundation and lipstick. P&G Ventures, a startup within the Procter & Gamble family, introduced the Opte Precision Skincare System that scans and addresses skin issues like hyperpigmentation in real time.

But, particularly as the world stays at home during the current health crisis, beauty tech can also be used for better self-care and health reasons.

“People have wanted to take hold of their personal health more, and technology is allowing us to focus our beauty routine from not only the surface but to within,” Rohrbaugh said.

Beauty tech is helping consumers take accessible steps to cultivate healthier lifestyles. For example, it can help screen for skin cancers, monitor skin’s exposure to UV rays, and assess the health of hair follicles.

Beauty Tech’s New Touch-Free World

Even while physical touch is on hiatus, creative solutions in the world of beauty tech have kept consumer touchpoints such as lipstick try-ons still available. Contactless solutions, such as the AR/VR virtual makeup from Perfect Corp, have helped keep safety a priority while meeting typical consumer needs.

The sanitary and eco-friendly advantages of these solutions may mean that wider adoption of contactless beauty tech is here to stay post-contagion.