What: L'Oréal launches a groundbreaking skin analysis system that measures biological markers to predict skin health and personalise beauty recommendations within minutes.

Why it is important: The technology addresses the industry's challenge of product trial-and-error by providing scientific validation for skincare recommendations, while aligning with the broader retail trend toward tech-enabled personalisation.

L'Oréal's Cell BioPrint represents a significant advancement in beauty retail technology, introducing laboratory-grade skin analysis to the beauty counter. Through an exclusive partnership with Korean startup NanoEnTek, this credit card-sized device utilises cutting-edge proteomics science to analyse skin's unique biology in just five minutes. The technology measures L'Oréal-patented biomarkers that reveal the skin's past, present, and future conditions, enabling precise calculations of biological skin age and ingredient responsiveness. This innovation comes at a crucial time, as the global skincare market approaches $125 billion in 2024, with nearly 80% of consumers reporting reliance on trial and error for product selection. The device's non-invasive process involves a simple facial tape strip analysis, combined with imaging and a brief questionnaire, to provide comprehensive skincare insights. L'Oréal plans to pilot this technology with one of its brands in Asia later in 2025, marking a significant step in their mission to become a beauty tech powerhouse.

IADS Notes: L'Oréal's Cell BioPrint launch aligns with significant developments in the beauty retail sector throughout 2024. In October, Rinascente's €40 million investment in a dedicated beauty destination with 300 brands  demonstrated retailers' commitment to advanced beauty diagnostics and personalisation. This was further reinforced in November when Estée Lauder integrated ChatGPT across its portfolio , showing how AI and data analytics are becoming fundamental to the beauty industry's evolution. The wellness industry's growing focus on biometric tracking  in July 2024 had already indicated this shift toward data-driven personalisation, despite privacy concerns. L'Oréal's innovation represents the convergence of these trends, offering scientific precision in skincare analysis while addressing the growing consumer demand for personalised beauty solutions backed by concrete data.

L'Oréal brings lab-grade skin analysis to beauty counters