Dermatology innovation at the “cusp of a digital skin care revolution”

19 Jun 2023 --- In the age of AI, dermatological innovations have been advancing, driven by the increased efficiency of algorithms that can rapidly detect specific skin issues and suggest solutions. Personal Care Insights speaks to EveLab Insight and Haut.AI about their technologies, while examining global market data on the evolving consumer landscape.

“For us, innovation doesn’t start with the end product; it starts with how we approach healthy skin,” states Eagle Lee, general manager at EveLab Insight.

“A personalized skin care future requires developing technology that can accurately identify a consumer’s skin conditions across many dimensions and then offer solutions with better efficacy.”

Anastasia Georgievskaya, CEO and founder at Haut.AI, says: “With SkinGPT, we’re on the cusp of a digital skin care revolution, ready to redefine the industry in ways previously only imagined in science fiction.”

SkinGPT is the “first” to incorporate generative AI technology for modeling skin conditions. Users can use it to create synthetic images to see how their skin might change over time when using certain skin care products.

In the coming months, the EU Council will discuss the AI Act – dubbed the “world’s first comprehensive AI law” – as it moves to reach an agreement on the law’s final form by the end of this year.

“AI can enable the development of a new generation of products and services, including in sectors where European companies already have strong positions. It can boost sales, improve machine maintenance, increase production output and quality, improve customer service and save energy,” says the EU Council. 

Upgrading dermatological solutions
Speaking about how both offline and online smart technology can be used to advance dermatology, EveLab Insight pairs scientific research with algorithms.EveLab Insight’s guiding principle is “beauty is subjective, but healthy skin is not” (Image Credit: EveLab Insight).

“The recent hype of AI and data has been a strong reminder that it’s not just about the capability of AI, but the quality of training data needed to power these solutions,” explains Lee. 

“We’re focused on having the most scientific baseline possible and then utilizing our solutions in the field to gather as much quantified data about skin conditions as possible.”

“This means using accurate and consistent offline solutions to offer a quantifiable ground truth. Our analyzers are as powerful in the lab as in stores,” he adds. “One of our core strengths lies in our independently developed skin algorithms, capable of accurately, rapidly and consistently detecting skin problems across all ethnicities.”

Earlier this month, EveLab Insight revealed factors influencing skin aging through a study of 431,321 participants utilizing its AI-driven skin analysis platform, Eve M. Through these insights, the digital beauty solutions provider is aiming to identify critical inflection points of wrinkle development and severity.

“The findings from this study have far-reaching implications, serving as a critical foundation for the future of skin care R&D. By pinpointing these inflection points, we have unlocked a deeper understanding of the factors that influence the formation and progression of wrinkles.”

Feeding algorithms for precise analysis
Lee shares that EveLab Insight continuously evolves its deep learning algorithms, which learn and adapt new data, ensuring precise and up-to-date diagnoses. 

“Our Panoramic AI skin analyzer provides a holistic view of consumer skin condition throughout multiple layers of the skin. With high-definition cameras and various light sources, it recreates a 3D portrait, enabling precise and stable identification of skin issues. Furthermore, it conducts an in-depth analysis of the causes behind these issues and offers tailored skin care recommendations,” says Lee.

“In conjunction with our Panoramic AI skin analyzer, our photo-based skin analyzer fulfills the need for on-the-go skin testing. Seamlessly integrated, the two analyzers calibrate the results of the photo-based skin analyzer, ensuring accuracy and reliability.”

The company’s multi-channel skin analysis system enables a “seamless flow of data,” providing accurate insights to skin doctors and R&D teams. “This synergy effectively facilitates scientific research and product development,” adds Lee.

“Artistic maestro” of determining skin identity
Georgievskaya of Haut.AI explains how its SkinGPT platform compares to other virtual AI-based try-on services. “SkinGPT is poised to become the next big thing in digital skin care. It all starts with a simple face scan,” she states.SkinGPT incorporates generative AI technology for modeling skin conditions (Image Credit: Haut.AI).

“Our advanced AI technology analyzes unique facial features, taking note of any imperfections and tailors personalized recommendations to help achieve skin care goals.”

Georgievskaya calls SkinGPT an “artistic maestro,” capable of producing high-resolution images that retain every detail of a unique skin identity. “Our AI virtuoso ensures that your experience is as true to life as possible, making you feel like you’ve entered a world where reality and digital beauty collide.”

“The secret behind SkinGPT’s performance lies in its foundation – the Haut.AI 3 million image dataset.” The data is like having a team of top beauty experts “meticulously crafting a personalized experience.”

“In a world of virtual beauty try-ons that often struggle to capture the essence of individuality, SkinGPT emerges as a beacon of innovation,” continues Georgievskaya.

Fusing art and science
The key element behind dermatology technologies is the type and amount of data collected.

“The defining factor behind our simulations is rooted in the power of clinically protocolled data. In addition, we’ve allied with beauty brands, enabling them to harness their research and knowledge to fuel our AI’s predictive prowess,” says Georgievskaya.Eagle Lee, general manager at EveLab Insight. 

“This potent partnership ensures that our AI-generated images are backed by the most reliable and up-to-date information available in the skin care realm. Our simulations don’t just showcase individual results. Instead, SkinGPT generates skin changes based on the average effect observed across the entire population, giving you a broader perspective of how a specific skin care routine could impact your skin.”

Georgievskaya touts SkinGPT’s generated images to be a testament to “fusion of art, science and enchantment,” as users can view the future effects of their skin care routines. 

Science meets personal care
EveLab Insight established the Eve Research Innovation Center (ERIC) as its internal hub for innovation and R&D. 

“We also established the Joint Laboratory for Skin Analysis & Digital Standardization (Lab-SADS) with the Shanghai Institute of Health & Nutrition, CAS,” details Lee. “Both entities have worked closely with leading skin care brands to look at the four key factors that affect our skin: microbiomes, environment, genetics and diet.”

Lee mentions that EveLab Insight published scientific studies and posters related to the genetic factors of skin aging, wrinkle inflection points and validating AI algorithms for skin aging detection, among others.

“These studies had subject sizes of tens to hundreds of thousands. We have repeatedly seen that this kind of dedication to science resonates with skin care brands and allows us to build strong ties that go deeper into their R&D process.”

Aside from boosting consumer engagement through front-end digital services, AI has also proven its potential in recent months as a powerful tool leveraged in ingredient discoveries. BASF, for instance, identified four peptides in their specific skin health activities.

Personal Care Insights also recently reported on Chinese research that leveraged AI to predict compounds that could neutralize reactive oxygen species that cause balding in the scalp. Animal tests were carried out on mice which proved to be successful in regenerating hair.

Knowledge informed by AI will “undoubtedly shape the landscape of skin care innovation,” enabling the creation of targeted and effective dermatological solutions, Lee concludes.

Global market insights
The use of dermatologically tested claims in personal care launches is increasing globally, according to Innova Market Insights.

When comparing 2021 vs. 2022 launches, there has been a 36% year-over-year increase. 

In 2022, the top global personal care product launch category tracked with aging well claims was Skin Care (38%). Last year, the top positionings of global personal care product launches tracked with aging well claims were Moisturizing & Hydrating (52%), Ethical – Packaging (43%) and Ethical – Animal/Fish & Bird (38%).

Glycerol (67%), Citric Acid (40%), Other Oils (35%), D-Allo-Ocimenol and Linalool-Other (27%) were the top selected ingredients of personal care product launches tracked with aging well claims in 2022.

By Venya Patel