L’Oréal launches AI-powered hair dye technologies for personalization

11 Jan 2022 --- L’Oréal Groupe is launching two hair dyeing products that harness AI and other technologies to offer new levels of personalization. Coloright allows individuals to try on various hair dyes virtually, while Colorsonic allows at-home users to apply hair dye mess-free easily.

Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oréal Technology Incubator tells PersonalCareInsights that AI will provide opportunities for “customization measuring the hair color and properties much more accurately."

With AI and L’Oréal’s patented algorithm, Coloright can be used by hairstylists at salons. Users can virtually try on 1,500 customizable shades. Balooch adds, the product is a result of testing on “hundreds of people over many years” to ensure that the product can work on every hair type and color. This prevents customer dissatisfaction when trying different colors.

The Coloright machine analyzes the user’s hair, volume, density, length and greyness. The system then produces custom dye beads, base creams, developers, and diluters.

Colorsonic targets lockdown at-home users
Colorsonic is geared toward the at-home hair dye market, which rose by 6% since the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has been a motivating factor for the invention of Colorsonic to make hair dyeing user-friendly and a mess-free process. 

L’Oréal’s international portfolio includes 35 brands and employs 85,400 people worldwide.The launch timing aligns with the work-from-home effect of lockdowns as people became more invested in self-care.

The hand-held device functions as a spray. The bristled nozzle moves in a zigzag motion, moving 300 times per minute upon application.

Colorsonic dispenses an even layer of dye with customizable dyes and formulas, preventing an uneven application. This makes Colorsonic easy to use by both professionals and non-professionals.

Balooch clarifies, Colorsonic is premium compared to home box hair dye, however this will not affect the affordability and accessibility to shoppers.

Bolstering L’Oréal’s AI and sustainability endeavors
These launches build on L’Oréal’s recent Perso launch, a skincare product that uses AI.

Meanwhile, the rise of AI-influenced beauty is also reflected with LG and CHI Farouk Systems hair dye technology.

Balooch states that L’Oréal’s takes a holistic approach to AI and also are investing in deep learning and AI within their research and development. Despite these advances, he clarifies that they “start with the consumer tension first, then fill it with the right technology.”

L’Oréal is also tying personalized beauty with sustainability. The company designed Colorsonic as a reusable product; the formula cartridge is also recyclable. It comes with reusable gloves and reusable shipping packaging.

Attention to sustainability reflects L’Oréal’s 2030 ambition to improve its environmental footprint. 

By Venya Patel