Beauty Düsseldorf: TrinamiX reveals non-invasive Spectroscopy smartphone solution for skin and hair analysis

21 Mar 2024 --- TrinamiX presents its latest Consumer Spectroscopy solution at the Beauty trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, this week. The 3D vision and infrared sensing solutions provider will showcase the “world’s first” near-infrared NIR spectrometer that measures in the wavelength range of one to three micrometers which fits into a smartphone or handheld device for cosmetic applications. 

The Consumer Spectroscopy solution enables non-invasive measurements of biomarkers in skin and hair. Visitors to Beauty can use a smartphone prototype to analyze their skin on a molecular basis and obtain scientifically based information about their skin condition. 

“Imagine TrinamiX Consumer Spectroscopy as a kind of camera in a smartphone or beauty device that sees what is invisible to the human eye,” says Wilfried Hermes, director of consumer electronics North America and Europe at TrinamiX.

“This allows you to check selected parameters anytime and anywhere — based on real molecular measurements. With this information, smart apps can give you well-founded, personalized recommendations for your beauty care routine in the future.”

Integrating the tech
The first application is being developed with Revea, a US cosmetics company that offers care products “individualized on the basis of scientific analysis.”

“At Revea, we care deeply about helping our customers find the right skin care products for their individual needs,” says Troels Marstrand, founder and CTO at Revea.

TrinamiX will showcase a smartphone prototype to analyze skin on a molecular basis.TrinamiX and Revea are developing a product to analyze skin health through molecular biomarker measurement. According to the BASF-owned company, the skin’s moisture content plays a central role in this analysis.

“TrinamiX’s technology can be a game changer for the industry. By measuring the moisture level of a person’s skin, this technology adds additional insights to Revea’s visual skin analysis. This will further improve skin care recommendations, helping users find the right treatment for their skin type and keep tabs on their hydration levels — all with a simple scan,” explains Marstrand.

How it works
According to TrinamiX, applying Consumer Spectroscopy in skin care is “just the beginning.” The spectroscopy module could be integrated into hair dryers and straighteners to provide individual data for hair care.

TrinamiX Consumer Spectroscopy uses NIR spectroscopy, a method for analyzing organic materials. Infrared radiation with a wavelength of one to three micrometers obtains information about the chemical composition of a sample. 

The light is absorbed, scattered and reflected as it passes through the sample, producing a characteristic spectrum that provides information about the chemical composition. This spectrum is compared with reference spectra to draw conclusions about the presence or concentrations of specific components in the sample, such as the skin’s moisture content.

TrinamiX says the miniaturized spectrometer is particularly user-friendly due to its integrated self-calibration. Algorithms and an app supplement the hardware.

Edited by Sabine Waldeck