AI Smart Technology Empowers a New Era of Personalized Skincare

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the beauty and cosmetics industry is undergoing an unprecedented digital revolution. From virtual try-on and genomics-driven personalized formulas to intelligent diagnosis and predictive trend analysis, AI is reshaping the entire ecosystem of the beauty industry. It not only improves product R&D efficiency and accuracy but also redefines the technological connotation and humanistic value of "beauty" through data-driven personalized services, opening up a sustainable development path for the industry and presenting a picture of industrial upgrading through the deep integration of technology and beauty.

The beauty and cosmetics industry is at a critical juncture of digital transformation. According to Bloomberg Intelligence’s prediction, the global generative AI (Gen AI) market size will reach an astonishing $1.7 trillion by 2032, with new software revenue in the beauty sector expected to contribute $28 billion. This data reveals the enormous potential and commercial value of AI technology in the beauty industry. The traditional experience-driven service model in the beauty industry is being disrupted by data-driven intelligent solutions, marking the arrival of a new beauty era characterized by "precision, personalization, and science."

From an industrial chain perspective, AI has covered the entire process from raw material selection, product R&D, and manufacturing to marketing services and consumer experience. Swiss high-end skincare brand JennyBrown launched the SkinDNA Pro system, integrating 3D facial modeling algorithms with the brand’s unique skin database. It can complete more than 200 skin indicator tests with an accuracy rate of 92% that of medical-grade equipment. This technological breakthrough not only improves service efficiency but also upgrades skincare from empirical judgment to scientific diagnosis.

AI applications in the beauty industry mainly include: computer vision-driven skin analysis and virtual try-on; machine learning-supported product recommendations and trend prediction; natural language processing-enabled intelligent customer service and review analysis; and generative AI-empowered personalized content creation. L’Oréal’s ModiFace platform successfully predicted the peak market demand for matte lipsticks by analyzing 106 levels of consumer data, demonstrating AI’s powerful capability in trend forecasting.

From a market response perspective, the introduction of AI technology has significantly boosted business performance. Data shows that brands adopting AI/AR technology for personalized services, such as Avon, achieved an amazing 33% increase in order value and 320% increase in conversion rate. JennyBrown’s virtual diagnosis system improved product adaptation accuracy by 47% and reduced sample requests by 63%, saving 12 tons of packaging materials annually—equivalent to protecting 3,000 square meters of primeval forest—reflecting the synergistic effect of technology and sustainable development.

The speed of industry transformation exceeds expectations. It is predicted that the penetration rate of intelligent skin detectors will exceed 70% within 3 years, the penetration rate of AR try-on/hairstyling systems in beauty stores will reach 90% within 5 years, and AI-customized skincare formula generation systems may replace traditional product recommendations within 10 years. This rapid technological iteration is reshaping the service models, talent structures, and competitive landscape of the beauty industry, further promoting the industry’s digital transformation.

AI plays a crucial role in anti-aging research. In-depth skin research continues to explore new anti-aging targets in dermal tissues, and AI has accelerated the discovery of anti-aging mechanisms and effective bioactive substances. In addressing pigmentation issues, porphyrin aging, and pigment deposition challenges, AI models can analyze massive clinical data to identify the most effective ingredient combinations. Especially in the research on retinol irritation, AI helps scientists enhance efficacy while reducing skin irritation.

At the consumer experience level, virtual try-on technology has evolved from a simple fun function to a professional shopping assistant. It can deeply detect 7 signs of skin aging—such as fine lines, crow’s feet, skin sagging, enlarged pores, dark spots, dullness, and deep wrinkles—and provide tailored skincare plans based on personalized diagnosis.

Chinese local brands are also actively embracing the AI wave. As one of Beijing’s first pilot enterprises for personalized cosmetic services, COSE has launched a precise skincare revolution of "one person, one formula" relying on an AI algorithm-driven formula library and intelligent detection technology. Its "omnichannel digital new retail" model solves the pain points of physical stores—"low traffic and difficult monetization"—through a closed-loop of "public domain + private domain + store domain," demonstrating the innovative thinking of local brands in digital transformation.

Famous beauty brand Jingboshi proposed the "AI-driven ageless business" strategy, comprehensively defining "agelessness" from three dimensions: youthful appearance, healthy physical state, and positive mental state. Integrating three major AI robots for health management, temperament design, and three-arm care, it builds a complete care closed-loop of "detection - plan - care" to support the design of "thousands of people, thousands of looks" beauty plans.

The impact of AI on the beauty industry is not limited to the technological level but also triggers a rethinking of the industry’s essence. When technology can accurately identify individual skin needs and dynamically adjust care plans, the definition of "beauty" is shifting from standardization to personalization, and from superficial modification to health management. Behind this transformation is the deep integration of data science and life science, and the creative collision of algorithms and humanism.

"FaceLink," a skin algorithm platform launched by South Korean cosmetics ODM giant COSMAX, represents the deep integration of skin science research and AI technology. It is the first to combine microecology research with AI algorithms, providing a scientific model for functional skincare products. Based on 15 years of skin microecology research results, the platform analyzed multi-dimensional data of 1,000 South Korean subjects in collaboration with Dankook University, innovatively classifying skin into 12 microecological types—far exceeding the traditional 4-5 classification standards. The platform has established the "Global Skin Map Project" with Harvard Medical School and is cooperating with Harvard Medical School and Huashan Hospital of Fudan University to advance global skin research, redefining the standard of "precision skincare" and accelerating the R&D of personalized products.

L’Oréal Group launched the world’s first AI instant customized mask system, which caused an industry sensation after being put into operation at its flagship store on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. As the world’s first instant skin scanning and blending mask, it analyzes skin texture through high-precision sensors and mixes active ingredients on-site to achieve "one customer, one formula." The system has been tested at the Paris flagship store and is planned to be promoted to the Asian market in 2026. Combining edge computing and fluid formulation technology, it completes the entire process of detection - blending - filling within 5 minutes. It solves the pain point of delayed delivery of traditional customized skincare products and increases the average transaction value of high-end lines.

Using NVIDIA TensorRT to optimize AI models, the virtual try-on response speed has increased by 300%, supporting medical-grade analysis of 15 skin dimensions. Its AI hairstyle generation tool realizes real-time rendering through diffusion models, and the video face-swapping technology achieves zero-latency preview relying on GPU encoders, which has been integrated into online platforms of brands such as Sephora. It is the first time that generative AI has been combined with real-time video editing to eliminate the "distortion" of virtual try-on. User return rates have decreased by 22%, and conversion rates have increased by 30%.